Mark L. Lester

Biography

Mark L. Lester is an American writer, producer, and director of action films. Following his first film, Twilight of the Mayas, Lester worked on films such as Stunts, Steel Arena, and Bobby Jo and the Outlaw. His next film Roller Boogie with Linda Blair was a modest success, which he built on with reasonably received exploitation thriller Class of 1984, and Stephen King's Firestarter. His biggest hit came in 1985 with Commando, an Arnold Schwarzenegger action film that grossed over $57 million worldwide. He also produced Armed & Dangerous starring Meg Ryan and John Candy. In 1989 he directed Class of 1999, a very loose science fiction sequel to Class of 1984. Mark Lester married Dana Dubovsky, who he now works with and had two children, Jason and Justin. He also founded American World Pictures, and independent production and distribution company. Recent films include The Base, an action film, the thrillers Blowback and Hitman's Run, and television film Pterodactyl (produced for the Sci Fi Channel). Other credits include Showdown in Little Tokyo starring Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee, Night of the Running Man, Extreme Justice, Misbegotten, The Ex, Double Take, and Truck Stop Women…

Directed

1. Commando (1985) — Director
2. Firestarter (1984) — Director
3. Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991) — Director
4. Class of 1984 (1982) — Director
5. Class of 1999 (1990) — Director
6. Armed and Dangerous (1986) — Director
7. Pterodactyl (2004) — Director
8. Poseidon Rex (2014) — Director
9. Night of the Running Man (1995) — Director
10. Roller Boogie (1979) — Director
11. Bobbie Jo and the Outlaw (1976) — Director
12. The Base (1999) — Director
13. Extreme Justice (1993) — Director
14. Truck Stop Women (1974) — Director
15. Betrayal (2003) — Director
16. Stealing Candy (2003) — Director
17. Groupie (2010) — Director
18. Public Enemies (1996) — Director
19. Blowback (2000) — Director
20. Stunts (1977) — Director
21. Misbegotten (1998) — Director
22. Sacrifice (2000) — Director
23. White Rush (2003) — Director
24. The Ex (1996) — Director
25. The Dragons of Camelot (2014) — Director
26. The Base 2: Guilty as Charged (2000) — Director
27. Hitman's Run (1999) — Director
28. Gold of the Amazon Women (1979) — Director
29. Double Take (1998) — Director
30. Steel Arena (1973) — Director
31. White House Madness (1975) — Director

Also appeared in

1. In Search of the Last Action Heroes (2019) — Self
2. King on Screen (2023) — Self
3. Teen Spirit: Teenagers and Hollywood (2009) — Self
4. Blood and Blackboards (2006)
5. Masters of the Grind (2023) — Self