Versatile writer and sporadic producer-director of offbeat genre features of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Richter debuted as a screenwriter and associate producer with "Slither" (1973), a quirky yet popular caper/road movie starring James Caan. The success of this film propelled him to the front ranks of Hollywood screenwriters and, for awhile, Richter was one of the industry's highest paid writers.

Richter's next several projects were affectionate genre pastiches. "Peeper" (1975) was a failed satire of 40s detective movies. He collaborated with director Peter Bogdanovich on "Nickelodeon" (1976), a