Director John G. Avildsen on the set of “Rocky” with actor/screenwriter Sylvester Stallone. Avildsen would go on to win an Oscar for “Best Director” at the 1977 Academy Awards ceremony. “Rocky” also took home Oscars for “Best Picture” and “Best Editing”.
This week’s episode of The Road to Cinema Podcast features filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson. Johnson is currently editing his new documentary “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs” after shooting through most of 2014. The film profiles the career of Oscar winning “Rocky” director John G. Avildsen. Avildsen also directed “The Karate Kid” trilogy as well as “Save The Tiger”; a film which won the “Best Actor” Oscar for Jack Lemmon. Johnson traveled the country conducting interviews with many of Avildsen’s collaborators and admirers. Among the interviews conducted include: “Rocky” actors Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, and Talia Shire; “Rocky” composer Bill Conti, “The Karate Kid” producer Jerry Weintraub, “Save The Tiger” screenwriter Steve Shagan, “Rocky” stedicam operator Garrett Brown, “The Karate Kid” actor Ralph Macchio, “W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings” actor Burt Reynolds, film critic Leonard Maltin, and director Martin Scorsese.
Listen to episode #18 of The Road To Cinema Podcast with filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson. You can follow Derek Wayne Johnson on Instagram @dwjohnson16 for the latest updates on the film which is aiming for a release later this year. Follow us on Twitter @JogRoad for the latest updates on The Road to Cinema Podcast.
This interview with director John G. Avildsen, conducted by legendary producer Lloyd Kaufman, takes you inside Avildsen’s process as a filmmaker.
Watch “Rocky” director John G. Avildsen win the Oscar for “Best Director” at the 1977 Academy Awards ceremony.