Barbara Goodson Movies

Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa, Nicollette Sheridan, and Tim Curry lend their voices to director Ben Stassen's (Haunted Castle and Encounter in the Third Dimension) animatedchildren's fantasy about three preteen flies who hitch a ride into space on the Apollo 11 moon mission. The year is 1969, and Americans all across the country are buzzing about the first manned mission to the moon. Even the insects aren't immune to the excitement, as evidenced by the enthusiasm of adolescent flies Nat (voice of Trevor Gagnon), IQ (voice of Philip Daniel Bolden), and Scooter (voice of David Gore). Over the years, Nat's grandpa (voice of Lloyd) has often recalled the time he hitched a ride on Amelia Earhart's airplane during the famed aviator's cross-Atlantic flight, and now Nat's dreams of recreating that feat on a much larger scale are finally set to come true. But while the three young flies only believe that they'll be gone for a few minutes, the fact is that they'll be drifting through space for almost an entire week. Just as they're about to sneak aboard the ship, the flies are spotted by a keen-eyed NASA ground control official and stored in a test tube for future study. Later in the flight, when the ship's engine malfunctions, the only ones capable of fixing the problem are the three tiny stowaways. But their mission isn't accomplished just yet, because grandpa's old flame Nadia (voice of Sheridan) has just arrived from Russia to warn him that a tiny fly-spy named Yegor (voice of Curry) has been assigned the task of traveling to Cape Canaveral and sabotaging the computer flight plans. Should Nat, IQ, and Scooter fail to act in time, Yegor's mission could spell disaster not only for the three thrill-seeking flies, but the entire U.S. space program. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Blair Witch aesthetics merge with dysfunctional family comedy sensibilities in director Drew Filus' intimate look at what happens when a happy young couple attempts to capture a special family event on videotape. Devon and Monica have been happily dating for four years, so when Devon's mother and father make plans to renew their marriage vows, she requests that the pair make the trip to California and videotape the big event. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Monica witnesses firsthand just how contentious Devon's family truly is, and begins to have second thoughts about her recent push to finally legitimize their relationship. Even worse, Devon's outspoken mother seems intent on sabotaging her son's relationship - a development that only serves to justify his girlfriend's doubts about the prospect of marriage. Over the course of the weekend, Devon gradually begins to realize just how lucky he is to have Monica, but is that feeling mutual? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Debuting on Japanese TV in 2000 under the titled FuriKuri (pronounced "Fooley Cooley"), this far-out anime series chronicled the adventures of Naota, a "normal" sixth-grade boy who lived on Earth with his far-from-normal family. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough for his older brother's girlfriend, Mamimi, to flirt with him, Naota also had to deal with looney alien teenaged Haruko, who had descended upon his home armed with a Rickenbacker bass guitar that doubled as a buzzsaw. It seemed that Haruko's mission was to kill all robotic monsters -- especially those that had begun to spring out of Naota's head at an alarming rate. Rounding out the regular cast was Canti, an irascible android. On August 4, 2003, FLCL was brought to American cable television as part of the Cartoon Network's nightly "Adult Swim" programming block. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The popular children's television show comes to the screen in this sci-fi adventure about a group of teenage superheroes battling an evil leader bent on world domination. The film's six heroes lead double existences as normal young teens who, when needed, don color-coded costumes to become the Power Rangers. Under the guidance of the valiant Zordon (Nicholas Bell), the Rangers fight crime with kung-fu skills and specialized attack vehicles. This time, the Rangers are battling Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman), a millennia-old villain who hopes to take over the world with an army of phlegm creatures. The Rangers' only hope for victory is to acquire a special power source, leading to a dangerous journey into outer space. Despite the larger budget, the film remains true to the style of the show, which often recalls Japanese monster movies in its depictions of battling giant monsters through obvious special effects. The fast-paced fantasy action attracted a good portion of its intended youthful audience, while not becoming quite as much of a sensation as the TV series; some adults attacked the film for its reliance on violence (though of a bloodless, cartoon variety) and its status as a blatant promotional tool for the best-selling Power Ranger toys. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

This animated Japanese feature is aimed at adult audiences and features bloodshed and nudity. The story is set in a grim and distant future wherein vampires dominate what is left of the human race. The story centers on a young woman who hires a famous vampire hunter after she is bitten by one herself. If D should fail her, the girl will be forced to join the ranks of the immortal damned. Vampire Hunter D was originally released with Japanese dialogue, but a subsequent English dub (directed by Carl Macek) is also available. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

People come from far and wide to sample Farmer Vincent's distinctively flavored dried, smoked sausages, but one might well ask why there are so few people staying at his nearby motel. This horror comedy provides the graphic answer. It seems that the good farmer only uses the highest quality, specially processed human meat in his treats. To prepare the meat, he first harvests healthy tourists from his hotel. Next, he plants them into the ground up to their necks and with a sharp knife carefully slices their vocal chords. He and his portly sister then feed the victims until the meat is tender and well marbled with fat. Afterward they are promptly slaughtered, minced with a few secret herbs, and stuffed into sausage casings, which are then carefully aged in the smokehouse. His operation is abruptly cut off when Vincent's normal brother, Bruce, learns about the secret ingredients. In the end, the brothers grab chain saws and have a hilarious, blood-soaked showdown. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide