John G. Avildsen

Saturday Night Fever: The Ultimate Disco Movie

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.

Sports on the Silver Screen

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.

Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films

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.

The Real Miyagi

The life of Fumio Demura, the greatest karate master of a generation.

John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs

An examination of the Oscar-winning director who brought to life some of cinema's most beloved motion pictures.

Ammo for Shooting Clouds: John G. Avildsen Before Rocky

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.

Make Your Own Damn Movie!

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.

40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic

Sylvester Stallone and John G. Avildsen narrate behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Rocky" to mark the film's 40th anniversary.

The Troma System

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.

Greenwich Village Story

A struggling writer dumps a pregnant dancer for a well-off socialite. Later, he realizes his true feelings and opts to make amends.

American Satan

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.

Frank Serpico

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.

The Rocky Saga: Going the Distance

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.

Tribute To James Crabe

John G. Avildsen pays tribute to cinematographer James Crabe.

The Way of The Karate Kid

Retrospective documentary on the making of The Karate Kid (1984).

Magic Time: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon

Documentary on Jack Lemmon featuring interviews with those who knew him and worked with him.