Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When objects around town become suddenly and inexplicably magnetized, Dr. Jeffrey Stewart and Dr. Dan Forbes of the Office of Scientific Investigation are called in to find out why. They discover a dying scientist carrying an unusual radioactive isotope that was part of an experiment. Stewart and his team take possession of the isotope, learn it is alive, growing and will eventually be so large, it could potentially throw Earth out of orbit. Who's in it? The movie stars Richard Carlson, King Donovan, Jean Byron , Harry Ellerbe and Michael Fox. Review: It's been a while since I had time to watch an early morning movie, so I made sure to correct that today and eventually selected The Magnetic Monster. The movie was not what I was expecting it to be based on its title and unfortunately wasn't one of my favorites. I am always going to give movies points for uniqueness and in this case, the film did offer something somewhat unique by not having the "monster"...

My wife and I have seen the Paul Walker-led thriller  Joy Ride more times than I've been able to keep track of. It is one of those films that becomes our go-to when we can't find something else to watch. However, it had been quite some time since we did last see it, so we ended up picking it last night while waiting for our daughter to get done with work. Here are some of my thoughts from that re-watch: How much did Lewis' (Walker) plane ticket cost? The who premise of the movie only happens because Lewis cashes in his refundable ticket so he can buy a car and pick up his friend/love interest Venna (Leelee Sobieski). I can believe that. However, that car had a price tag of $1100 (I miss used cars being that cheap) and you have to figure there would be taxes, licensing fees, etc. on top of that. I just don't remember plane tickets costing THAT much in the early 2000s. Also, as my wife pointed out, for a couple college kids going home for the summer, they sure didn't ...

Last week's rainy weather kept me from getting out for a walk so, since the sun was out today, I made sure to try to make up for it. It was surprisingly quiet considering I would normally expect the geese to be taking a break there on their way south, but I did still manage to get some photos. Here is a selection of them: ________________________________________________________________________ Here are some of my previous nature photos: Lunchtime Walk Photos (5/27/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/6/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (8/10/2026) Lunchtime Walk Photos (9/11/2026)

I hadn't intended on watching Encino Man (or any other movie for that matter) yesterday morning because I had quite a few things I needed to do. However, I came across the film and, after a couple minutes, was hooked enough to re-watch it for the first time in several years. Here are some of my thoughts from that re-visit of this 1990s classic. First, this movie is a great reminder of just how Brendan Fraser became a star. He has few lines and has to rely solely on physical comedy and body language yet pulls it off perfectly. Link is funny, likeable and unpredictable, a great combination for a film like this. There is something seriously wrong when a character named Stoney ( Pauly Shore ) is the voice of reason in a friend duo. I'm not even completely sure what Dave's ( Sean Astin ) plan was because even if Link became popular, it wasn't something that was going to necessarily make him popular too by extension. If anything, having his "exchange student friend...

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin, along with many of the other locals, has had her run-ins with Gary Beech, an overzealous police constable who is quick to write citations. When she and members of her detective agency attend a pig roast, it is Agatha who discovers the pig roasting over the fire isn't really a pig and instead Beech's body with a pig's head sewn to it. Beech's ex-wife, Amy, hires Agatha and her team to investigate but Agatha is soon convinced she should just leave the case to the police as she, Toni and other members of her inner circle find their lives in danger. Adding to the stress of the situation is Agatha's falling out with Toni after the latter learns about Agatha's interference in her love life. Review: After taking a short break from Agatha Raisin, I decided to check out As the Pig Turns and read the next book in the series. I finished it last night and, after some consideration, will say it is one I enjoyed. I thought this book was slightly di...

Here are my thoughts from today's 17-14 Green Bay Packers win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The offensive line showed noticeable improvement.   It took bringing in multiple veteran players this past week, but something was clearly different. Jordan Love had time in the pocket rather than running for his life almost every snap. It was good to see the team finally commit to the run game too. Losing Chris Brooks early was unfortunate, as was the Kaleb Johnson fumble, but the team managed to have some big runs which opened up the passing game by forcing the Buccaneers' defense to respect it.  A lot of the same issues still persist though. Green Bay had double-digit penalties again as well as some key drops by the receivers. There were two more late-game fumbles, including the one lost by Johnson and another Love interception, all of which kept the Buccaneers in the game until the end. They aren't going to win many games against better teams if those don't get cleaned up. Tuc...

My wife and I both love the film Wrong Turn but it had been quite a while since we last saw it. So, when I came across the film on Amazon Prime last night, it was an easy decision to watch it again. Here are some of the thoughts I had while re-watching the film: I think one of the reasons why I like this film is it is one of the few that doesn't bore the audience with pointless exposition and character backstories. There are bits and pieces revealed. Jessie (Eliza Dushku) recently broke up with her boyfriend, Chris (Desmond Harrington) is a medical student while Carly (Emmanuelle Chriqui) and Scott (Jeremy Sisto) are recently engaged, but unlike with many other movies, we aren't subjected to seeing them pack their bags, stop at a store for supplies, etc. The movie also makes good use of jump scares. Some movies overuse that tactic to the point you pretty much expect it. This film manages to have some of those scares coming out of nowhere, keeping you on the edge of your seat ...