8 Seconds 1994  PG-13, 104 min.
Genre: Drama
aka: Eight Seconds to Glory
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Luke Perry, Stephen Baldwin, Red Mitchell, Cynthia Geary, James Rebhorn, Carrie Snodgress, Ronnie Claire Edwards, Linden Ashby, Cameron Finley, Dustin Mayfield, Gabriel Folse, Joe Stevens, Clint Burkey, Danny Spear, Jonathan Joss
Lane Frost was a champion bull rider who won a rodeo world championship in 1987 at the tender age of 21. This is Frost's (Luke Perry) story, which includes his marriage to Kellie (Cynthia Geary) and his determination to make ends meet without using the money from his wife's family. He dies in a rodeo accident in 1989.
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For Keeps 1988  PG-13, 98 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Randall Batinkoff, Kenneth Mars, Miriam Flynn, Conchata Ferrell, Sharon Brown, Jack Ong, Sean Frye, Renee Estevez, J. Trevor Edmond, John Zarchen, Pauly Shore, Michelle Downey, Patricia Barry, Janet MacLachlan
Darcy (Molly Ringwald) and her boyfriend Stan (Randall Batinkoff) are about to finish high school and have been accepted in good colleges. When Darcy finds that she is pregnant, Darcy's mother (Miriam Flynn) tries to talk them into an abortion, and Stan's parents (Kenneth Mars and Conchata Ferrell) try to talk them into giving up the baby for adoption. Darcy and Stan want to keep the baby, but realize that this would jeopardize their college careers. What will the decision be?
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The Formula 1980 R, 117 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: George C. Scott, Marthe Keller, Marlon Brando, John Van Dreelen, John Gielgud, G.D. Spradlin, Richard Lynch, Beatrice Straight, Jan Niklas, Robin Clarke, Ike Eisenmann, Marshall Thompson, Dieter Schidor, Werner Kreindl, Wolfgang Preiss
When LAPD Lt. Barney Caine (George C. Scott) investigates his friend's murder, he discovers a murderous plot involving the production of synthetic fuel that was devised by the Nazis during World War II. The synthetic fuel would mean that oil and oil companies will no longer be necessary, and a major oil company wants to destroy the formula.
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Inferno 1999  R, 95 min.
Genre: Action
aka: Desert Heat
Coyote Moon
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Pat Morita, Larry Drake, Vincent Schiavelli, Danny Trejo, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, Jaime Pressly, Ford Rainey, Paul Koslo, Priscilla Pointer, David "Shark" Fralick, Silas Weir Mitchell, Jonathan Avildsen, Bill Erwin, Kevin West
The Hogan brothers–Matt (David "Shark" Fralick), Jessie (Silas Weir Mitchell), and Petey (Jonathan Avildsen)–are bullies in the desert town of Inferno, Nevada. When they find Eddie Lomax (Jean-Claude Van Damme) trying to commit suicide in the scorching desert sun, the brothers beat him up and steal his Moto Guzzi VII Sport motorcycle. Jubal Early (Pat Morita) finds Eddie and nurses him back to health. Now, revenge is all that is on Eddie's mind as he seeks revenge against the brothers.
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Joe 1970  R, 107 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Peter Boyle, Audrey Caire, K Callan, Dennis Patrick, Patrick McDermott, Susan Sarandon, Reid Cruickshanks, Tim Lewis, Estelle Omens, Bob O'Connell, Marlene Warfield, Mary Case, Jenny Paine, Rudy Churney, Robert Emerick
After Melissa (Susan Sarandon, in her film debut) ends up in the hospital from a drug overdose, her business executive father Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick) is enraged and accidentally kills her junkie lover Frank (Patrick McDermott). Shaken by the murder, Bill heads into a bar and meets factory worker Joe (Peter Boyle) who shares Bill's prejudices about minorities and hippies of the 1960s' era. Bill tells Joe that he just killed a drug dealer, but Joe doubts Bill's assertion. Later, after watching news reports of the murder scene, Joe holds Bill in esteem. They form a friendship that will lead to a tragic confrontation with hippies–including Melissa.
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The Karate Kid 1984  PG, 126 min.
Genre: Family / Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Randee Heller, William Zabka, Larry B. Scott, Bruce Malmuth, Ron Thomas, Rob Garrison, Chad McQueen, Tony O'Dell, Israel Juarbe, William Bassett, Juli Fields
A new kid in town, Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio), finds himself the target of bullies. After meeting his apartment building's maintenance man Mr. Kesuke Miyagi (Pat Morita), the boy realizes that karate may be his way for revenge. Only when he appreciates the true spirit of karate, however, will Mr. Miyagi teach him the sport. Morita, as the wise maintenance man, is wonderful.
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The Karate Kid, Part II 1986 PG, 113 min.
Genre: Family / Drama / Action / Romance
aka: Karate Kid II
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Nobu McCarthy, Martin Kove, Danny Kamekona, Yuji Okumoto, Tamlyn Tomita, Bruce Malmuth, Pat E. Johnson, Will Hunt, Evan Malmuth, Joey Miyashima, Raymond Ma, Charlie Tanimoto, Marc Hayashi
In this sequel, Mr. Kesuke Miyagi (Pat Morita) is summoned to Okinawa where his father (Charlie Tanimoto) is dying, and he takes his student Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) with him. Upon arrival, Miyagi reunites with his childhood sweetheart Yukie (Nobu McCarthy) who Miyagi believes married his rival Sato (Danny Kamekona). Now, Sato wants to resume fighting with Miyagi, and Danny is challenged to a fight with Sato's nephew Chozen (Yuji Okumoto). The test of wills is on in an action-packed climax. The soundtrack includes "Glory of Love," which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.
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The Karate Kid, Part III 1989 PG, 111 min.
Genre: Family / Drama / Action
aka: The Karate Kid III
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Robyn Lively, Thomas Ian Griffith, Martin Kove, Sean Kanan, Randee Heller, Jonathan Avildsen, Christopher Paul Ford, Pat E. Johnson, Rick Hurst, Frances Bay, Jan Triska, Diana Webster, Joseph V. Perry
Miyagi (Pat Morita) is still tutoring Daniel (Ralph Macchio), but problems arise, and Daniel must work with Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith) while training for an the All-Valley Championship against "the bad boy of karate" Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan). But, Terry is really working for Daniel's nemesis, John Kreese (Martin Kove), who, as Daniel will soon learn, will stop at nothing to take the title away from Daniel.
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Lean on Me 1989 PG-13, 109 min.
Genre: Drama / Action
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Beverly Todd, Robert Guillaume, Lynne Thigpen, Jermaine "Huggy" Hopkins, Karen Malina White, Alan North, Robin Bartlett, Michael Beach, Regina Taylor, Ethan Phillips, Sandra Reaves-Phillips, Sloane Shelton, Karina Arroyave, Ivonne Coll
This is the true story of high-school principal Joe Clark (Morgan Freeman) and how he turned Eastside High School in Patterson, New Jersey, from a den of drugs into a model school where students could expect to get a good education. State superintendent Dr. Frank Napier (Robert Guillaume) gives Clark the assignment of reforming the high school, and, with baseball bat in hand, Clark walks the halls and restores order to the school. Although parents and teachers question his tactics, the students respect him, and Clark gets results.
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A Night in Heaven 1983  R, 83 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Christopher Atkins, Lesley Ann Warren, Robert Logan, Deborah Rush, Deney Terrio, Sandra Beall, Alix Elias, Carrie Snodgress, Amy Lyndon, Fred Buch
College professor Faye Hanlon (Lesley Ann Warren) accompanies her friends to a strip joint where she discovers one of her students, Rick (Christopher Atkins), performing a striptease, and a heated affair between the two ensues.
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The Power of One 1992 PG-13, 126 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, Fay Masterson, Simon Fenton, Guy Witcher, Daniel Craig, Alois Moyo, Ian Roberts, Marius Weyers, Nomadlozi Kubheka, Agatha Hurle
When he is seven years old, South African P.K. (Guy Witcher) is sent to an Afrikaan boarding school where he suffers abuse as the only White boy at the school. By the time he is 18 years old, P.K. (Stephen Dorff) has been influenced by Geel Piet (Morgan Freeman) who has taught him to box. With his new expertise as a boxer and his fluidity with languages, P.K. gains the reputation of the myth of the Rainmaker who will bring peace to all the African tribes, and his work continues in building a better future for Africa.
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Rocky 1976 PG, 125 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Romance
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, Thayer David, Joe Spinell, Jimmy Gambina, Bill Baldwin, George Memmoli, Al Silvani, Jodi Letizia, Larry Carroll, Diana Lewis, George O'Hanlon
Sylvester Stallone not only starred as the title character, he wrote the original script. This is a fairy-tale story about Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa who experiences the American dream when he gets a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship. The movie won three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Director (John G. Avildsen), and Film Editing; it also received seven other nominations, including Best Actor (Stallone), Actress (Talia Shire), and two for Supporting Actor (Burgess Meredith and Burt Young).
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Rocky V 1990 PG-13, 100 min.
Genre: Action / Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Tommy Morrison, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Sage Stallone, Burgess Meredith, Richard Gant, Tony Burton, Jimmy Gambina, Delia Sheppard, Mike Girard Sheehan, Michael Williams, Kevin Connolly, Elisabeth Peters, Hayes Swope
Director John G. Avildsen is back at the helm for this last (?) Rocky Balboa film. This time, Rocky Balboa is suffering brain damage caused by one too many fights. However, he is badly in need of funds–his wife Adrian (Talia Shire) is forced to go to work, and teenage son Rocky Jr. (Sage Stallone) is having problems adjusting to high school in Rocky's old, run-down neighborhood in Philadelphia. Tommy "Machine" Gunn (Tommy Morrison) asks Rocky to train him, and Rocky agrees. All goes well until Tommy leaves Rocky and signs a deal with boxing promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), which leads to a street fight between Tommy and Rocky.
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Save the Tiger 1973  R, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Jack Lemmon, Jack Gilford, Laurie Heineman, Norman Burton, Thayer David, Lara Parker, Patricia Smith, William Hansen, Harvey Jason, Liv Lindeland, Eloise Hardt, Janina, Ned Glass, Pearl Shear, Biff Elliot
Jack Lemmon won the Oscar for Best Actor as troubled businessman Harry Stoner who, despite arguments with his partner Phil Greene (Jack Gilford), opts for hiring an arsonist to burn down his factory so that he can collect the insurance. Jack Gilford received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Slow Dancing in the Big City 1978 PG, 101 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical / Romance
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Paul Sorvino, Anne Ditchburn, Nicolas Coster, Anita Dangler, Hector Mercado, Jack Ramage, Thaao Penghlis, Linda Selman, Adam G., Tara Mitton, Dick Carballo, Brenda Starr, Daniel Faraldo, Michael Gorrin, Matt Russo
A gruff newspaper columnist, Lou Friedlander (Paul Sorvino), falls for struggling ballerina Sarah Gantz (Anne Ditchburn) who has been told that her dancing days will end before they really begin.
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W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings 1975 PG, 91 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Burt Reynolds, Conny Van Dyke, Jerry Reed, Ned Beatty, James Hampton, Mel Tillis, Art Carney, Fred Stuthman, Bill McCutcheon, Hal Needham
Con artist W.W. Bright (Burt Reynolds) takes on a struggling Country-Western band and is determined to make it a force in 1950s Nashville.
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| Oscar: Best Director for Rocky (1976) |
1. 8 Seconds (1994)
aka: Eight Seconds to Glory
2. For Keeps (1988)
3. The Formula (1980)
4. Inferno (1999)
aka: Desert Heat
aka: Coyote Moon
5. Joe (1970)
6. The Karate Kid (1984)
7. The Karate Kid, Part II (1986)
aka: Karate Kid II
8. The Karate Kid, Part III (1989)
aka: The Karate Kid III
9. Lean on Me (1989)
10. Neighbors (1981)
11. A Night in Heaven (1983)
12. The Power of One (1992)
13. Rocky (1976)
14. Rocky V (1990)
15. Save the Tiger (1973)
16. Slow Dancing in the Big City (1978)
17. W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975)
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