John G. Avildsen
Also Known As: not available
Biography: John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1977 for Rocky. Other films he directed include Joe, Save the Tiger, Fore Play, The Formula, Neighbors, For Keeps, Lean on Me, The Power of One, 8 Seconds, Inferno, Rocky V and the first three The Karate Kid films. Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Ivy (née Guilbert) and Clarence John Avildsen. He was educated at The Hotchkiss School and New York University. After starting out as an assistant director on films by Arthur Penn and Otto Preminger, John Avildsen received his first success with the low budget feature Joe (1970) which received critical acclaim for star Peter Boyle and moderate box office business. This was followed by another critical success, Save the Tiger (1973), that was nominated for three Oscars, winning Best Actor for star Jack Lemmon. Avildsen's greatest success was Rocky (1976), garnering ten Academy Award nominations and winning three, including Best Picture and Best Director. He later directed what was expected to be the series' final installment, Rocky V (1990). His other films include Cry Uncle! (1971), Neighbors (1981), The Karate Kid (1984), The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), Lean on Me (1989) and 8 Seconds (1994). Avildsen was the original director for both Serpico (1973) and Saturday Night Fever (1977), but was fired over disputes with producers Martin Bregman and Robert Stigwood, respectively.
Department: Directing
Place of Birth: Oak Park, Illinois, USA
Birthday: December 21, 1935
Deathday: June 16, 2017
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Known For:
Saturday Night Fever: The Ultimate Disco Movie
Overview: John Travolta, Barry Gibb and the Saturday Night Fever cast and crew tell the story behind the mega-hit film. Bruno Tonioli goes through the disco steps that made movie history.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-12-22
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Sports on the Silver Screen
Overview: HBO (in association with the American Film Institute) presents this 1997 anthology, narrated by Liev Schreiber, which looks at sports in cinema from the earliest silent films until the nineties. Watch not for dramatic scenes but for the glimpse of historical figures shown both cinematic and athletic- in this tribute to the merging of sports and Hollywood.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1997-03-16
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Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Overview: A documentary about the rise and fall of the Cannon Film Group, the legendary independent film company helmed by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2014-10-06
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The Real Miyagi
Overview: The life of Fumio Demura, the greatest karate master of a generation.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2015-02-20
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John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs
Overview: An examination of the Oscar-winning director who brought to life some of cinema's most beloved motion pictures.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-08-01
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Ammo for Shooting Clouds: John G. Avildsen Before Rocky
Overview: John G. Avildsen has only recently cemented his reputation as the "king of the underdogs," owing to his having directed both Rocky (1976) and The Karate Kid (1984). Within the last decade, a feature-length biographical documentary was released and a critical study book was published. But before Rocky, he was an astute chronicler of the counterculture, whose films possessed a rugged street aesthetic. Those early films (including Joe, Guess What We Learned in School Today, Cry Uncle, Save the Tiger, and The Stoolie) are evaluated for assuming an alternate posture on the counterculture happenings of the era.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2022-10-26
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Make Your Own Damn Movie!
Overview: South Park's Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Night of the Living Dead's George A. Romero and Spider-Man's Stan Lee share their filmmaking secrets with the legendary Lloyd Kaufman in this step-by-step course for budding filmmakers. From scriptwriting to distribution, Kaufman covers the essentials with his works as examples, and many other notable filmmakers offer their advice. The set features films created using Kaufman's method, and much more.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2005-05-31
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40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic
Overview: Sylvester Stallone and John G. Avildsen narrate behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Rocky" to mark the film's 40th anniversary.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2020-06-09
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The Troma System
Overview: A 30 minute infomercial that originally aired on Comedy Central in 1993. The idea was that by purchasing Troma Inc. movie products you could better yourself as a person.
Genres: Comedy
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1993-01-01
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Greenwich Village Story
Overview: A struggling writer dumps a pregnant dancer for a well-off socialite. Later, he realizes his true feelings and opts to make amends.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: en
Release Date: 1963-07-11
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American Satan
Overview: A young rock band, half from England and half from the US, drop out of college and move to the Sunset Strip to chase their dreams.
Genres: Thriller Drama Music
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-10-13
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Frank Serpico
Overview: In 1972, officer Frank Serpico exposes the corruption which poisons the roots of the NYPD and becomes famous in 1973 when director Sidney Lumet tells his story in the classic film “Serpico,” starring Al Pacino.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2017-11-01
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The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance
Overview: The 35th anniversary of the 1976 Oscar-winning film “Rocky” is marked with a TV retrospective in which Sylvester Stallone and others reminisce about the creation of the movie as well as the other films in the franchise.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2011-12-27
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Tribute To James Crabe
Overview: John G. Avildsen pays tribute to cinematographer James Crabe.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2006-01-01
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The Way of The Karate Kid
Overview: Retrospective documentary on the making of The Karate Kid (1984).
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2005-02-01
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Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon
Overview: Documentary on Jack Lemmon featuring interviews with those who knew him and worked with him.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2002-11-19
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