Mark L. Lester

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Mark L. Lester is an American film director, producer, and writer born on November 26, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for a string of cult movies from the late 1970s to the 1990s, including Roller Boogie, Class of 1984, Firestarter, Commando, Armed and Dangerous, and Showdown in Little Tokyo.

Lester’s career began with the documentary Twilight of the Mayas (1970) and he became a prolific B-movie maker, directing road-themed thrillers for the drive-in era such as Steel Arena (1973), Truck Stop Women (1974), and Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976). In 1977 he directed Stunts for New Line Cinema, and in 1979 he released Roller Boogie, a disco-era film with a bigger budget and major studio distribution. Although Roller Boogie received mixed reviews at first, it has since become a cult classic.

He followed with Class of 1984 (1982), a violent inner-city school thriller that sparked controversy but later gained cult status. In 1984 he directed Firestarter, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel. His biggest hit came in 1985 with Commando, an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that earned worldwide success. In 1986 he directed Armed and Dangerous, a comedy starring John Candy, Eugene Levy, and Meg Ryan.

Around this time he formed Original Pictures and later worked with Davis Entertainment to develop mid-budget action films. He directed Class of 1999 in 1990, a semi-sequel to Class of 1984, and Showdown in Little Tokyo in 1991. He also founded American World Pictures to produce and distribute his projects. Later works include Hitman’s Run (1999), Blowback (2000), and the TV movie Pterodactyl (2005) for the Sci-Fi Channel.

In 2012 he started Titan Global Entertainment, and in 2013 he shot Poseidon Rex in Belize. The production faced a setback when lead actor Corin Nemec was badly injured; he was later replaced by Brian Krause.

Critics describe Lester’s career as having three phases: exploitation, mainstream cinema, and direct-to-video work. He emphasizes a highly visual style and themes of revenge and conflict, often resolving in spectacular, visual finales.

Personal life: Lester married Dana Dubovsky in 1992, and they have two sons, Jason and Justin; they divorced in 2010. He also has a daughter, Janessa (James) Lester, who is a musician.