David Richards Movies

A ten year old boy decides that if being a little angel can't save his parent's crumbling marriage he should perhaps try the opposite approach in darkly comic family drama from director David Richards (Alibi). Young Ollie may have only been walking this earth for a decade, but he's smart enough to realize that his folks are heading for divorce. Try as they might to shield their son from the ugly truth, mom and dad can't cover up the fact that their relationship is failing and they're about to go their separate ways. Ollie hopes that by being a good little boy he can somehow keep his parents together, but as hard as the well-meaning youngster tries he always seems to screw up. When the simmering tensions between Ollie's parents erupt into a violent boil, the frustrated boy decides that the only way to restore the peace is to become a household hellion the likes of which mom and dad have never seen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The two-part, two-hour British TV drama This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper was inspired by a true crime story which held Northern England in thrall in the late '70s. Alun Armstrong starred as Asst. Chief Constable George Oldfield, the Yorkshire police official who made it his mission in life to track down the person responsible for the murder and mutilation of 13 prostitutes. When a tape recording purportedly made by the perpetrator was sent to Oldfield's office, the press declared that the case was practically closed -- but Oldfield had been sent on too many false leads and wild goose chases to declare victory. Also appearing was Craig Cheetham as principal suspect Peter Sutcliffe. This production was presented by Granada Television on January 26 and February 2, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this low-budget screwball-mystery, the death of an L.A. woman leads to a surreal murder investigation on the outer fringes of la-la land. When Molly McMannis (Justine Bateman) turns up dead, still impaled with the murder weapon -- a carrot -- the police launch a probe into the colorful world Molly inhabited. The suspects range from her ex-con brother to her roommate to her high-strung friend (Heather Graham). But a more likely culprit lurks among the ranks of a therapy group full of off-the-wall serial killers and the shrinks who coddle them. The fetishistic police detectives -- including sadistic interrogator Angela Pierce (Jill Hennessy) -- prove as disturbing as the people they're investigating. In fact, their unorthodox procedures leave the door open for the killer to strike again. Written, produced, and directed by Jordan Alan, who previously helmed the similarly offbeat Love and Happiness, Kiss and Tell features a who's who of obscure and indie Hollywood talent, including veteran actor Lewis Arquette and his three famous sons. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide