Mark L. Lester
| Mark L. Lester | |
|---|---|
| Born |
November 26, 1946 United States |
| Occupation | Film director, film producer, screenwriter |
Mark L. Lester (born November 26, 1946) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known as a prolific director of cult films including the disco musical Roller Boogie, the vigilante thriller film Class of 1984, the Stephen King-adaptation Firestarter (1984), the Arnold Schwarzenegger action film Commando (1985), and the action-comedy Armed and Dangerous (1986), starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Meg Ryan.
After his debut in 1970 with the film Twilight of the Mayas, Lester quickly became a prolific B-movie director, initially making his mark with a trio of road movies designed for the drive-in market, Steel Arena, Truck Stop Women, and Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw. In 1977, he directed the high-concept thriller Stunts, an early outing for New Line Cinema starring Robert Forster, Joanna Cassidy, and Richard Lynch with a score composed by Michael Kamen. Two years later, he jumped on the disco bandwagon with Roller Boogie starring Linda Blair. The film had a significantly higher budget then his previous films and was the first to be distributed by a major studio. While it received negative reviews upon its initial release, it has since gained cult status as a proverbial time capsule of the bygone Disco Era. to modest success. He then made the exploitation action crime-thriller Class of 1984, a film revolving around a violence in an inner-city school. The Canadian-made production, which featured an early appearance by Michael J. Fox, was controversial at the time of release, but has since gained cult status.
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