Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: A 13-year-old boy, John, discovers an abandoned bunker in the woods behind his house. A couple days later, he drugs his family and leaves them stranded in the bunker. As they struggle to survive both starvation and the elements, John tries to live his life without them. Who's in it? The movie stars Charlie Shotwell , Michael C. Hall , Jennifer Ehle , Taissa Farmiga and Samantha LeBretton . Review: When I found this movie at the library and read the description, I didn't know if it would be a pleasant surprise or another dud. After watching it, I can confidently say this film falls into the "what the hell did I just watch" category. The premise of this movie isn't a terrible one and, because of that, the movie did seem like it would be interesting at first. John (Shotwell) seems to be relatively normal with a caring family. This made his obsession with that bunker and his decision to leave his family in it for several days out of character enough to m...

Synopsis : At the age of 18, Frank Sisson enlisted in the US Army and was shipped off to Europe to fight in World War II as part of an artillery unit serving under General George Patton. His autobiography gives details of that service. Review: I came across this book while at a bookstore a couple weeks ago. Since I wasn't sure if it would be something I'd enjoy, I left it on the shelf but, a couple days later, was able to find a copy at the local library. I finished the book last night and, overall, I'd have to say my opinion of it was a bit mixed. The book does have some intriguing information about World War II. The details he gives about General Patton weren't anything I didn't already know, especially since I've seen the movie Patton multiple times. However, some of the more personal details of what he experienced were fun to read. For example, the part about 650 men having to share four toilets isn't something you're going to find in your average ...

Synopsis: Gilligan ( Bob Denver ) reels in a World War II mine and accidentally starts its timing mechanism. Due to the island's underground gasses, there is no safe place to hide from the impending explosion. My Thoughts: The Professor's ( Russell Johnson ) raft idea is a good one, so why do the castaways give up on it so quickly? It's not even as though they lose the raft in this episode. Gilligan brings it safely ashore at the end and all they'd have to do is figure out how to make an anchor. Speaking of which does it need to be made out of metal? I kind of feel like there are a number of other ways they could make that anchor that would be just as effective and wouldn't require them to melt down all their personal belongings. Of course, this is where that gold they found would come in handy . Yeah, the previous episodes aren't supposed to matter on a series that rarely sticks to established facts/storylines. However, there was more than enough gold to make ...

Synopsis: When Horace Warren wants to pay Perry Mason $500 to attend a dinner party, the lawyer isn't interested but ultimately accepts because Della Street wants to go. Horace is concerned his wife, Lorna, is the victim of a blackmailer and wants Mason to size up the guests. He even agrees to let Paul Drake pose as a caterer so fingerprints can be collected. Mason ultimately tracks down the blackmailer but, before he can confront Collister Gideon, Horace is accused of murdering him. Review: As I near the end of this book series, I keep hoping I find one last gem that reminds me why I became a Perry Mason fan to begin with. Unfortunately, this book was yet another disappointment for me. There were two things I found I really didn't like about this book. One of the main ones was the fact it took until chapter 15 of a 22-chapter book for the murder to happen. Even under ideal circumstances, the murder investigation would have felt rushed. Even after the murder does occur, the f...

  I don't normally talk about apps, mostly because I really don't use a whole lot of them on my phone. However, this is one I've had for a while now and figured it was worth taking the time to mention. I've tried to use other shopping apps before, and the results were mixed. A lot of them promise big cash rewards, but they also require purchasing products that I wouldn't normally purchase and, sometimes, at stores I wouldn't normally shop at. That's one of the reasons why I like Fetch Rewards. With this app, any purchase I make/receipt scanned earns me points. If I get gas in my car, I get 25 points. If I stop for a fountain drink on my way to the office, it's worth 25 points. It doesn't matter where I shop, what I purchase or what I spend. The app does, however, have plenty of items that earn you bonus points. This includes things like Pepsi, Kleenex, McCain Potatoes and Meow Mix cat treats. Unlike many of the other apps I've used, a lot of thes...

Synopsis: A group of people suffering from nightmares travel to a remote mountain property to participate in a paid drug trial. When they arrive, they learn they are all dreaming about the same shark and their nightmares have a supernatural cause. Who's in it? The movie stars Tony Amendola , Bobby Campo , Rachel Brooke Smith , Lulu Jovovich and Caroline Cole . Review: I came across this movie a few weeks ago and finally was able to get my skeptical wife to watch it with me. Mostly because of the title, we both started the movie with lowered expectations but, overall, I do have to say it exceeded them. I originally thought this would be a shark-themed rip off of A Nightmare on Elm Street . However, while the movie obviously drew inspiration from that film and even had a couple scenes that were very similar, there was just enough difference in the plot to make the film somewhat unique. The idea of a supernatural shark that invades people's dreams because of a near-death experi...

Synopsis: Elizebeth Smith Friedman spent most of her life using her code breaking talents to help the United States government stop both foreign spies and organized crime gangs. However, both because of the classified nature of her work and her gender, many of her contributions went unrecognized. This biography tells her story. Review : As has been the case multiple times before, I didn't plan on getting this book when I went to my local library but decided to check it out after seeing it on one of the shelves on my way to the checkout counter. As it turns out, not only did I enjoy this book, I couldn't put it down once I started reading it. There were a couple things I found interesting about Elizebeth's life. One of the main ones were the numerous challenges she had to overcome. This included her first boss, who did everything in his power (including intercepting her mail) to prevent her from moving onto something better, the fact she was a working woman at a time when m...