 Other films he directed include "Joe" (1970), "Save the Tiger" (1973), "The Formula" (1980), "Neighbors" (1981), "Lean on Me" (1989), "Rocky V" (1990), "8 Seconds" (1994), and the first three "The Karate Kid" films.Avildsen was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Ivy (née Guilbert) and Clarence John Avildsen.He was educated at The Hotchkiss School and New York University.