Mark L. Lester

Lester worked across film director, film producer, screenwriter, writer and director. This article rests on 1 published texts and 46 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Mark L. Lester • Born — 26 November 1946 • Birthplace — Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. • Notable Works — * Roller Boogie • Class of 1984 • Firestarter • Commando • Armed and Dangerous • Showdown in Little Tokyo • Occupation — Film director, film producer, screenwriter

Mark L. Lester was born 26 November 1946 in Cleveland, Ohio.

"Now people want to make films to get into festivals, we made films to get into drive-ins." - Mark L. Lester After his debut in 1970 with the documentary film Twilight of the Mayas, Lester quickly became a prolific B-movie director/producer/writer, initially making his mark with a trio of road movies designed for the drive-in market: Steel Arena (1973), Truck Stop Women (1974), and Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976). 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 capitalized on the disco trend with Roller Boogie, starring Linda Blair. The film had a significantly higher budget than his previous films and was the first to be distributed by a major studio, to modest success. 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. He then made the exploitation action crime-thriller Class of 1984, a film revolving around 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. "...many of my films have a revenge theme. It’s something I’ve only recently noticed, but revenge and conflict are elements that often return in my stories and the final act is usually the resolution of that conflict. I come from a very visual, not a word-based, way of conceiving films, and to me that resolution must articulate itself visually and in the most spectacular way possible. What you are underlining is essentially the manifestation of the character’s, or characters’, inner anger and frustration, which end up exploding. I think Class of 1984 (1982) is a perfect example of this." - Mark L. Lester (2021) Lester entered the mainstream in 1984 with the Stephen King adaptation Firestarter. I was at the "Midsummer Night’s Dream" Playboy Mansion party, sitting in my pajamas next to Joel Silver. He said he had this script, and maybe I could direct it. I said, "Fabulous, can I read the script? He said, "No, if you read the script you’re not gonna want to do the movie." - Mark L. Lester (2015) Lester had his biggest hit the following year with Commando, a big-budget, Joel Silver-produced, Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that grossed over $57 million worldwide. In 1986, he directed and produced his first comedy, Armed and Dangerous, starring John Candy, Eugene Levy and Meg Ryan. In 1986, he formed Original Pictures, replacing his original production company Mark L. Lester Pictures, he had earlier established in the late 1970s, and had five films planned, source from the work of public domain with a $66 million budget. In 1987, he, by way of Mark Lester Films, had signed with upstart film production company Davis Entertainment for production of $5–10 million action films, which Davis produced, Lester directed and independently funded by two independent studios, and 70% of each pictures could be obtained for presale use. In 1990, he directed Class of 1999, a semi-sequel to Class of 1984, starring Malcolm McDowell, Pam Grier, and Stacy Keach. In 1991, he directed the cult classic Showdown in Little Tokyo, starring Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee. Lester also founded American World Pictures, an independent production and distribution company. Other films include the thrillers Hitman's Run (1999) and Blowback (2000), and the TV movie Pterodactyl (2005), produced for the Sci Fi Channel. In 2012, he formed a new distribution company called Titan Global Entertainment. In January 2013, almost ten years after directing his last picture, Lester helmed the film Poseidon Rex on location in Belize. The production was disrupted briefly when lead actor Corin Nemec was severely injured during a boating accident while the Belizean Coast Guard was transporting the cast to set; Nemec was later replaced by Charmed co-star Brian Krause. A critic describes his career as having an exploitation period, a commercial period and a DTV period.

On 14 March 1992, Lester married Dana Dubovsky, with whom he had two children: Jason and Justin. The couple divorced in 2010. Lester also has a daughter from a prior relationship, Janessa (James) Lester, who is a musician and singer-songwriter.

• Year — Title — Director — Producer • 1996 — Public Enemies • 1997 — The Ex • 1999 — The Base • 2000 — The Base 2: Guilty as Charged

• Year — Title — Director — Producer • 1979 — Gold of the Amazon Women • 2000 — Sacrifice • 2004 — Pterodactyl • 2007 — Wraiths of Roanoke • 2011 — Sinbad and the Minotaur • Jabberwock Executive producer • Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon (2008) (Also story writer) • Dragonwasps (2012)

Lester was born on 26 November 1946 in Cleveland. Lester held the nationality of United States. Lester worked as film director, film producer, screenwriter and writer, and the authority record catalogues a further 1 occupations under the same name, among them director. Lester worked in English.

Lester worked for the screen, as film director, film producer and screenwriter. 31 films survive in the institutional catalogues, spanning 1973 to 2014. Among them are Steel Arena (1973), Truck Stop Women (1974), White House Madness (1975), Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976), Stunts (1977) and Roller Boogie (1979). The whole run is set out in the catalogue below.

Director • Year — Title — Director — Producer — Writer • 1971 — Twilight of the Mayas • 1973 — Steel Arena —. • 1974 — Truck Stop Women • 1975 — White House Madness • 1976 — Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw • 1977 — Stunts • 1979 — Roller Boogie • 1982 — Class of 1984 — Executive • 1984 — Firestarter • 1985 — Commando • 1986 — Armed and Dangerous • 1990 — Class of 1999 — Story • 1991 — Showdown in Little Tokyo • 1993 — Extreme Justice • 1995 — Night of the Running Man • 1998 — Double Take • Misbegotten • 1999 — Hitman's Run • 2000 — Blowback • 2003 — Betrayal • Stealing Candy — Story • White Rush • 2010 — Groupie — Executive • 2013 — Poseidon Rex • 2014 — Dragons of Camelot • Executive producer * The Funhouse (1981) * Instinct to Kill (2001) * Bad Karma (2002) * The Wisher (2002) * Day of Wrath (2006) * Jurassic Attack (2013) * Toxin (2015) * The Gardener (2020) — Producer * Tricia's Wedding (1971) (Short film) * Devil's Prey (2001) * Beauty and the Beast (2009) * Sand Sharks (2012) * Social Animals (2018) * High Resolution (2018) * Sleeping With My Student (2019)