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.
Recommendations
view all
Directed by John Ford
The Class of ‘92
A Decade Under the Influence
Champs
In Search of the Last Action Heroes
Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown
Seduced and Abandoned
Drew: The Man Behind the Poster
Spider-Man: All Roads Lead to No Way Home
More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead
Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora
Louis Theroux: Twilight of the Porn Stars
The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
The Battered Bastards of Baseball
The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story
6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story
Jim: The James Foley Story
The Irishman: In Conversation
Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin