Richard Hughes Movies
- 1999
A newspaper columnist is murdered, thereby reopening a 20-year-old homicide case. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) track down the central character in the original case, who was a juvenile at the time. This leads to a tricky dilemma for the D.A.'s office -- a dilemma eagerly pounced upon by the defense attorney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Two people are shot, one fatally, in a restaurant restroom. It may be that only one of them was the intended target -- or perhaps both victims were shot by mistake. Once he is in custody, the killer pleads not guilty, claiming that he was in a "dissociative state" at the time of the murder. The DA's office soon discovers that the accused is not the only member of his family to have employed this unorthodox legal strategy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
What at first seems to be a random shooting is eventually revealed to be a deliberate murder attempt. Furthermore, the victim's wife had been previously wed to a man who died in an inadequately investigated accident. When the original case is re-opened, the detectives and the lawyers find themselves with overabundant evidence of a deadly and long-standing vendetta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This updated adaptation of the novel by Feodor Dostoevsky features Paul Babiak as Peter, a distraught man who arrives in Toronto with a young girl (Emma Davey) in tow. Peter has come to the city to find and confront Alex (Richard Hughes); Peter used to be friends with Alex and his late wife, and he once took a vacation with them to Quebec. At that time, Peter had an affair with Alex's spouse and fathered the child who travels with him; now overcome with guilt and grief, Peter has decided that he must meet with Alex to resolve their issues. The Eternal Husband was the debut film for Canadian director Chris Philpott, who produced the movie on a thrifty $87,000 budget. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Hughes, Paul Babiak, (more)
- 1996
Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) find themselves traveling in illustrious company when they investigate the mysterious death of a valuable show horse. The animal was killed during an apparently unforeseen delay in Manhattan, leading Briscoe to quip that "New York is really a tough town for tourists." But it is no laughing matter when the ensuing investigation unearths a sting operation, an insurance fraud, and the disappearance of a wealthy horse owner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A rousing Disney dog-sled adventure based on a real life event -- a 522-mile dog-sled race between Winnipeg, Canada and St. Paul, Minnesota that occurred in 1917. When his father is accidentally killed, South Dakota farmboy Will Stoneman (Mackenzie Astin) decides to enter the dog-sled race in order to save his family from financial ruin. His mother (Penelope Windust) wants Will to use part of the prospective $10,000 race winnings for college, but Will just wants to save the farm. With the help of Indian handyman Ned Dodd (August Schellenberg), Will begins to train for the race. But the rich mogul underwriting the race, J.P. Harper (David Ogden Stiers), doesn't want Will to enter, thinking the competition too arduous and too dangerous for such a young boy. To Will's aid comes yellow journalist Harry Kingsley (Kevin Spacey), who convinces Harper to permit Will to enter the race. But Harry also has his own agenda -- he sees a great story in Will and thinks it will sell newspapers and advance his journalistic career. With his father's best dog Gus at the head of his dog team, Will is ready and determined to win the race. But Will discovers that winning the race is only half his battle. Dealing with the petty and malevolent human beings involved in the race -- in particular, the egotistical Scandinavian champion Borg Guillarson (George Gerdes) and the wealthy gambler Angus McTeague (Brian Cox) -- prove to be as much of a challenge to his mettle than any natural obstacles Will might encounter. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- MacKenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, (more)
"For God's sake, GET OUT!" was the ad campaign for the 1979 shocker The Amityville Horror. The film was based on the allegedly true story of the luckless Lutz family, who move lock, stock, and barrel into a new home, only to find that it is possessed by the demonic spirits of its previous owners. Variations of the Seven Deadly Plagues emanate from virtually every household fixture, while other forms of otherworldly mischief are suffered by the Lutz children. Enter kindly Father Delaney (Rod Steiger), who does his utmost to exorcise the house. The Amityville Horror was frequently greeted with laughs from its first-run audiences, especially after it was discovered that the "actual" events depicted in the film (based on a book by Jay Anson) were complete fabrications. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brolin, Margot Kidder, (more)
Based on a novel by Richard Hughes, this drama takes an unusual look at both seafaring pirates and the true nature of children. The Thorntons, a British family living in Jamaica, decide to pull up stakes and sail back to England after Frederick Thornton (Nigel Davenport) and his wife (Isabel Dean) decide that life in the Caribbean is having a negative effect on her children's sense of order and discipline. While returning home, their ship is attacked by Capt. Chavez (Anthony Quinn), who along with his first mate Zac (James Coburn), begins to loot the ship for valuables. However, in the midst of the confusion of the pirate raid, the Thornton children scurry onto the pirate ship, and it's not until they've left the other ship behind that Chavez and Zac discover that they have new passengers. While most of the pirates are unenthusiastic about having a pack of kids on board, Chavez declares that they must be allowed to stay on board until they can be taken to a safe port. As they get to know each other, Chaven develops a soft spot for the children, especially ten-year-old Emily (Deborah Baxter), but in time, the kids' mischievous playfulness begins to transform itself into something more sinister. The supporting cast includes Dennis Price, Lila Kedrova, and Gert Frobe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, (more)
- 1954
Based on a true story, The Divided Heart is an effective, high-gloss British soap opera. Cornell Borchers stars as Inga, a young German woman who disappears and is presumed killed during WW2. Inga's infant son is placed in an orphanage; years later, the boy is adopted by childless couple Sonja (Yvonne Mitchell) and Franz (Armin Dahmen). The adoptive parents' future happiness is shattered when Inga returns, insisting that the child be returned to her. The film is scrupulously fair to both Inga and Sonja, giving generous screen time to the wartime horrors experienced by the former and the eminent parental suitability of the latter. Of the supporting cast, Alexander Knox stands out as the judge presiding over the climactic custody battle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cornell Borchers, Yvonne Mitchell, (more)
- 1949
In this comedy, two brothers, both of them Welsh coal-miners, win a contest and get to go on a day trip to London. Upon their arrival in the town, they miss their newspaper escort and get separated. Mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Guinness, Donald Houston, (more)
