Synopsis
Discover the unknown legend behind Rocky & The Karate Kid
An examination of the Oscar-winning director who brought to life some of cinema's most beloved motion pictures.
John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs
2017 Directed by Derek Wayne Johnson
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Alternative Title
John G. Avildsen - Una vita all'ombra di Rocky
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USA
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USA
01 Aug 2017
- Theatrical Source: IMDb
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MGM just released the trailer for the Rocky IV Director's Cut today, "Rocky vs. Drago", so I had to watch something Rocky related.
This is a solid enough documentary about the director of Rocky, The Karate Kid and other films: John G. Avildsen. Why is he not a household name? This attempts to answer that and many other questions and includes interviews with Martin Scorsese, Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Ralph Macchio and many others.
This is never remarkable but it's enjoyable while it lasts and you get an idea of a director who never really grabbed the spotlight. He just had an eye for low budget movies, his heart in the right place and it clicked.…
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There's an early scene in this documentary where people on the street are asked if they know who directed Rocky and nobody can give the right answer. I knew John Avildsen directed Rocky, but to be fair, I had forgotten he also directed The Karate Kid (and Parts II & III). But it does give you pause to think how someone who won the Oscar for directing one of the most popular movies of all time can be so easily forgotten.
It was also noteworthy to find out that a young Martin Scorsese worked on one of Avildsen's early short films and learned from the unheralded director.
So it's understandable how in telling the story of the man who made Rocky…
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Devolves into rambling mid-way through. My rating feels harsh, but I think a better editor would’ve filtered out the interviews into a more coherent narrative, cutting about 15 mins at least.
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"King of the Underdogs" pays homage to Avildsen's remarkable contributions to the world of cinema, particularly as a director. The documentary provides an intimate look into Avildsen's journey, from his early days as a struggling filmmaker to his rise to prominence. It delves into Avildsen's unique style, his creative process, and the impact he had on the film industry.
"King of the Underdogs" showcases Avildsen's most iconic films, including "Rocky" (1976), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director, and "The Karate Kid" (1984). It also explores his lesser-known works and highlights his ability to tell stories that resonate with audiences. Interesting to see Burt Reynolds regret that he didn't get along better with him on WW AND THE…
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Entertaining documentary covering the career of director John G. Avildsen that features interviews with the man himself as well as Martin Scorsese, Sylvester Stallone, Ralph Macchio, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Kevin Connolly ,Sigourney Weaver, Burt Reynolds and several others.
Several times throughout the film Avildsen and others talk about how he wants to still be working and there are questions on why he hasn't been able to work more. It seems like this documentary was put together as somewhat of a promo reel to try and get the director more work but sadly he would pass away the same year this was released.
Overall the documentary does a nice job at showing what makes Avildsen's work so special to so…
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In my opinion, there are a few things that you really look for that add up to a great documentary - are you educated, are you entertained, was it fairly told?
I think this one scores high in two out of three of those questions...
Like most other folks out there, I had no idea who directed some of my favorite movies (and as a fan of movies, that's hard to admit!). I had no idea who this guy was and this doc did a great job (to a point) of introducing him and telling the story of how he came to directing and how he works as a director.
With the question of "is it entertaining?" - this is… -
2018 Movie #125. Dear Lord, there's a great doc in there somewhere. Oh how I want to get a digital copy and edit it properly, kill the lame music (except for the movie soundtrack stuff), and put a mic on Leonard Maltin. They must have been in a big hurry to get this one out after Avildsen's death. Only explanation there can be.
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Amazing documentary about the master of underdog stories. The movie does a great job telling John G. Avildsen's both personal life and filmmaking career. Even though he's not a big name director like Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan, the dude left an important impact on pop culture.
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Great documentary about the vastly underrated John G. Avildsen, who gave us both ROCKY and THE KARATE KID, two of the greatest underdog movies of all time!
Fascinating biographic story as told primarily by Avildsen and the people he worked with. I love the movie magic tidbits revealed; how lack of resources led to inspired choices in all the movies, including the ice skating rink scene in ROCKY. Or even a quick impromptu moment where Daniel bows to Miyagi in a scene that the producers wanted cut from KARATE KID, but went on to earn Pay Morita his well deserved Oscar nomination.
Avildsen was obsessed with video taping everything. There's the infamous VHS rehearsal version of THE KARATE KID on…
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Quickie Review
Many know classic movies like Rocky, Joe, The Karate Kid, The Power of One and Lean On Me, among others, but do you know who was behind the camera making these movies? His name was John G. Avildsen. He was the director of these films and he won an Oscar for helming Rocky, not to mention that the actors who starred in the films he directed earned either an Oscar nomination or a Oscar win. His films have inspired and gave hope to many of those who have seen them, earning him the reputation as the king of the underdog story. Now, filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson shines a spotlight on the man who introduced the world to screen… -
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A lot of info I didn't know (never knew he was fired from "Serpico" and "Saturday Night Fever"), and a lot of great stories (specifically how the ending to "Rocky V" changed during production).
If it has one flaw, I wish it would have focused a bit more on some his films that didn't work and gotten his in-depth thoughts on them. A lot of these types of docs just focus on the high points.