Barbara Wilson Movies

The world's most famous team of astronauts-cum-superheroes returns in the effects-heavy sequel Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. As the story opens, Sue Storm (aka The Invisible Girl [Jessica Alba]) and Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic [Ioan Gruffudd]) prepare for their upcoming, superhero-studded wedding celebration. But Reed cannot stay focused on the nuptials -- he's distracted by wire reports of a bizarre, comet-like object hurtling toward the Earth with tremendous force, triggering brownouts, blackouts, tropical storms, and various other climatological disasters. When the said object hits the island of Manhattan, destroying much of the city in its wake, its identity becomes resoundingly clear. "It" is actually a "he" -- a psychotic villain known as The Silver Surfer (voice of Larry Fishburne) who intends, for some unascertainable reason, to destroy much of the Earth, just as he obliterated dozens of planets before it. Feeling compelled to rally their old gang and save the day, Sue and Reed summon Ben Grimm (aka The Thing [Michael Chiklis]) and Johnny Storm (aka The Human Torch [Chris Evans]) to take on the Surfer -- and end up battling not only him, but an obnoxious Army general (Andre Braugher) and the cantankerous Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon), who has broken out of his icy prison that held him captive at the end of the first movie. Tim Story returns to direct this sequel. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Alan Rudolph directed and co-wrote this eccentric comedy about a woman who bumbles her way into fighting crime. Trixie Zurbo (Emily Watson) is a well-meaning but scatter-brained casino security guard, who dreams of a career as a private detective. Her ambition accidentally becomes reality when she's thrown into the middle of a series of events involving double-dealing state senator Avery (Nick Nolte), crooked real estate developer Red Rafferty (Will Patton), and his sleazy girlfriend Dawn Slotnick (Lesley Ann Warren). Along the way, Trixie finds romance with the suave Dex Lang (Dermot Mulroney). Nathan Lane appears in a supporting role as Kirk Stans, a flamboyant lounge singer. Trixie had its world premiere at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Diane Wilson (Barbara Wilson) experiences an extraterrestrial visit one night while sleeping, awakening to a horrible, ear-splitting sound that only she can hear. Overcome by confusion, panic, and pain, she runs outside in her nightgown and sees weird lights in the sky. By the time paramedics take her to the hospital, she is catatonic, no longer able to explain what she has experienced. Doctors cannot explain this mystery seizure, since Diane has never shown any signs of insanity before. Could it have something to do with the UFO sightings that were reported the same night as her attack? Before it can be determined, Diane recovers suddenly and completely from her coma, then decides to follow her dream of becoming an Olympic figure skating champion. She moves to Sweden, where she meets up with her uncle, famous geologist Dr. Vance Wilson (Robert Burton), who has ventured there to help investigate a recent meteor landing. Diane is courted by her uncle's associate, the handsome Dr. Erik Engstrom (Sten Gester), though she aggressively plays hard to get. Their romance is interrupted by the discovery of a herd of mutilated reindeer, and the scientists decide to immediately fly to the site of the meteor crash, far north in the Arctic mountains of Lapland. Much to the irritation of the men, Diane stows away aboard their plane, though when it is determined that the meteor is actually an alien spaceship, she realizes just how dangerous a decision she has made. Soon an enormous hairy creature with powerful jaws and massive feet is menacing the scientists and the native Lapland villagers. The beast destroys the airplane, tears houses apart with its bare hands, and causes avalanches. But when this extraterrestrial monster catches up with Diane, it begins displaying tender feelings for the terrified figure skater, and even the elusive pilots of the spacecraft show her kindness. Invasion of the Animal People consists mostly of footage from a Swedish sci-fi film called Rymdinvasion i Lappland that director Jerry Warren bought and edited together with new scenes, plus narration by the distinguished John Carradine. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

A meteor crashes into the frozen mountains of Northern Sweden, though the Laplanders who witness the event swear that it flew horizontally for hundreds of feet and left skidmarks in the snow. American scientist Dr. Vance Wilson (Robert Burton) is called overseas to help investigate, and joins dashing young geologist Erik Engstrom (Sten Gester) in Stockholm to discuss the phenomenon. Erik meets Wilson's niece, Diane (Barbara Wilson), an Olympic ice skater in training, and the two of them begin flirting heavily both on the slopes and the dancefloor. The scientists are called to the scene of the interstellar accident when an entire herd of reindeer are found mutilated nearby, and Diane stows away on their plane to get close to the action. When Erik and Dr. Wilson examine the meteor closely, however, it's clear to them that it's actually some sort of vessel from outer space. Before they can fly back to the city and alert the authorities, a 20-foot tall behemoth with shaggy fur and gruesome fangs kills a guard and destroys their airplane. Erik and Diane ski off for help, but she injures her knee and finds herself a captive of the enormous monster. Strangely, the creature treats her with gentleness despite her screams. What is the origin of this unearthly beast, and what is its connection to the alien spacecraft? This Swedish-made sci-fi picture was purchased by American producer Jerry Warren, who changed the narrative with new footage and released it to state-side audiences as Invasion of the Animal People in 1962. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide

The secret to immortality is thus: to rejuvenate tired bones and muscles and retain that youthful feeling forever, simply place nubile young women in a vat filled with chemicals, attach wires to their heads and suck out their life forces Warning: If after the first dosage subsequent treatments are not promptly administered, irreversible petrification will occur in all cases. These side-effects create the dilemma faced by the scientists who invented the process and this sci-fi horror movie tells how they solved their problem. Fortunately for the women involved, a hero shows up, saves them, and leaves the evil professors stoned for life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide