Keith Gordon

Directing

Keith Gordon

Born 1961-02-03 · New York City, New York, USA

Keith Gordon (born February 3, 1961) is an American actor and film director. He was born in New York City, the son of Mark, an actor and stage director, and Barbara Gordon. He grew up in an atheist Jewish family. Gordon was inspired to become an actor at the age of twelve, after seeing James Earl Jones in a Broadway production of Of Mice and Men. As an actor, Gordon's first feature film role was that of class clown Doug in Jaws 2 (the 1978 sequel to the blockbuster hit Jaws). In 1979 Gordon appeared in Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical All That Jazz as the teenage version of the film's protagonist Joe Gideon (played by Gordon's Jaws 2 co-star Roy Scheider). Gordon then appeared in two films by Brian De Palma: as a film student in Home Movies (1979) and in the 1980 erotic thriller Dressed to Kill as the son of Angie Dickinson's character. Gordon played Arnie Cunningham, the main character (who buys the titular car Christine), in the 1983 horror film Christine, directed by John Carpenter from the novel by Stephen King. In the 1985 cult film The Legend of Billie Jean Gordon played Lloyd Muldaur, the son of a District Attorney who aspires to be Attorney General. He was in the 1986 Mark Romanek film Static, and he wrote the screenplay. In the 1986 comedy movie Back to School, Gordon played Jason Melon, the son of Rodney Dangerfield's character.[4] In most of these films, he played a nerd. He was named number 1 in Cinematicals' Top 7 Most Convincing Nerds. His most recent onscreen film appearance was in 2001, in the movie Delivering Milo. Gordon left acting for directing, making his debut in 1988 with the movie The Chocolate War, about a student who rebels against the rigid hierarchies in his Catholic school. His other films include the 1992 anti-war film A Midnight Clear, about a group of American soldiers in the Ardennes just before and during the Battle of the Bulge, as well as Mother Night (adapted from the novel by Kurt Vonnegut), Waking the Dead, and the film The Singing Detective. He also directed some of the mini-series Wild Palms and appeared in the 2006 Iraq War documentary Whose War?. His directing credits for television include Homicide: Life on the Street, Gideon's Crossing, Dexter, The Bridge, House and the second and third seasons of Fargo.

Acting credits

All That Jazz poster
7.5

Joe Gideon is at the top of the heap, one of the most successful directors and choreographers in musical theater. But he can feel his world slowly collapsing around him - his obsession with work has almost destroyed his personal life, and only his bottles of pills keep him going.

All That Jazz

1979

Christine poster
6.9

Nerdy high schooler Arnie Cunningham falls for Christine, a rusty 1958 Plymouth Fury, and becomes obsessed with restoring the classic automobile to her former glory. As the car changes, so does Arnie, whose newfound confidence turns to arrogance behind the wheel of his exotic beauty. Arnie's girlfriend Leigh and best friend Dennis reach out to him, only to be met by a Fury like no other.

Christine

1983

Jaws 2 poster
6.0

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

Jaws 2

1978

Dressed to Kill poster
6.9

After witnessing a mysterious woman brutally slay a homemaker, prostitute Liz Blake finds herself trapped in a dangerous situation. While the police thinks she is the murderer, the real killer is intent on silencing her only witness.

Dressed to Kill

1980

Back to School poster
6.3

Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving way to hilarious antics.

Back to School

1986

The Legend of Billie Jean poster
6.6

Average Texas teen, Billie Jean Davy, is caught up in an odd fight for justice. She is usually followed and harrased around by local boys, who, one day, decide to trash her brother's scooter for fun. The boys' father refuses to pay them back the price of the scooter. The fight for "fair is fair" takes the teens around the state and produces an unlikely hero.

The Legend of Billie Jean

1985

I Love Trouble poster
5.5

Rival Chicago reporters Sabrina Peterson and Peter Brackett join forces to uncover a train wreck conspiracy.

I Love Trouble

1994

Delivering Milo poster
5.4

A guardian angel has 24 hours to convince a soul that life on Earth is worth the effort.

Delivering Milo

2001

Home Movies poster
5.4

A cult guru urges a shy disciple to make life a movie and be its star.

Home Movies

1980

Combat Academy poster
5.5

"Police Academy"-style comedy set in a military school. Two errant high-school students are ordered by a judge to spend a year at a prestigious military academy, where one of the cadets finds out who is responsible for a spate of midnight thefts. Written by Mark Lennon

Combat Academy

1986

Hoggs' Heaven poster
10.0

A young poet wins his first prize of $250, but his family is not supportive.

Hoggs' Heaven

1994

Kingdom Come poster
6.2

The documentary, Kingdom Come follows a first-time director (Daniel Gillies) as he tries to raise a million dollars to finance his first film, Broken Kingdom. This emotionally-charged journey is interwoven with over 30 rare interviews from acclaimed indie darlings including Mark Ruffalo, Illeana Douglas, Don Cheadle, Kevin Smith, Edward Burns, Tim Roth, Morgan Spurlock, Selma Blair, Robert Townsend, Bill Pullman and many more.

Kingdom Come

2012

The 'Scarface' Phenomenon poster
7.0

This documentary presents "Scarface" as a unique phenomenon in cinema history. It explores how a film plagued by controversy leading up to its release has become a Hollywood classic, influencing a whole new generation of filmmakers and leaving a lasting imprint on popular culture.

The 'Scarface' Phenomenon

2011

It's Richard I Love poster
NR

A neurotic love story about a woman obsessed with a man who doesn’t love her.

It's Richard I Love

1988

Kent State poster
6.0

Dramatization of the four days of events leading up to the historic tragedy at Kent State University in May 1970, during the confrontation between National Guardsmen and students staging antiwar demonstrations.

Kent State

1981

Starz Inside: Sex and the Cinema poster
4.5

Unzips america’s obsession with sex and takes us on a steamy trip through the milesones of erotic cinema. Discover how movies have reflected our changing attitudes towards sex over the decades, and how they inspire our own sexual liberation.

Starz Inside: Sex and the Cinema

2009

Single Bars, Single Women poster
6.0

Men and women gather at local singles bars in search of lasting love or casual action.

Single Bars, Single Women

1984

Big John poster
7.7

French documentary on the films of John Carpenter

Big John

2006

Static poster
6.3

Ernie Blick has just lost his job at a crucifix factory. Luckily, for Ernie, this allows him more time to devote to his invention. Yes, Ernie is an inventor -- and he's come up with something big. So big, in fact, Ernie's convinced it will change the way people look at life and death. With the support of his drummer friend Julia and his ex-Green Beret-evangelist cousin, Ernie unveils it to the world. But even he isn't prepared for the public's reaction.

Static

1986

Silent Rebellion poster
8.5

A Greek immigrant and his son return to Greece, where they reunite with mother and brother and re-discover their heritage and each other. Cross-cultural misunderstandings abound.

Silent Rebellion

1982

Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment poster
NR

Charlie Barnett shows you how to succeed in college without trying.

Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment

1986

The Making of 'Dressed to Kill' poster
7.0

Produced as part of the DVD release for 'Dressed to Kill', this documentary gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this thrilling murder mystery. Includes interviews with director Brian De Palma and star Angie Dickenson, as well as other members of the cast and crew, who relate their experiences of working on the film.

The Making of 'Dressed to Kill'

2001

Hitchcocked! poster
6.0

A tribute to the work of Alfred Hitchcock, featuring contemporary filmmakers, writers, performers, and cultural critics.

Hitchcocked!

2006

Working with a Master: John Carpenter poster
6.0

Documentary by Frank H. Woodward.

Working with a Master: John Carpenter

2006

Behind the camera

The Chocolate War poster
6.3

Jerry, a new student at an elite Catholic prep school, must face the hazing practices handed down by the Vigils, a group of powerful students. When teacher Brother Leon pushes the students to sell chocolates for a fundraiser, the head of the Vigils, Archie, gets Jerry to reject selling for 10 days. However, Jerry decides to keep up the refusal past the original time frame, which pits him against the Vigils and the school staff.

The Chocolate War

1988

The Chocolate War poster
6.3

Jerry, a new student at an elite Catholic prep school, must face the hazing practices handed down by the Vigils, a group of powerful students. When teacher Brother Leon pushes the students to sell chocolates for a fundraiser, the head of the Vigils, Archie, gets Jerry to reject selling for 10 days. However, Jerry decides to keep up the refusal past the original time frame, which pits him against the Vigils and the school staff.

The Chocolate War

1988

The Singing Detective poster
5.1

Tormented and bedridden by a debilitating disease, a mystery writer relives his detective stories through his imagination and hallucinations.

The Singing Detective

2003

A Midnight Clear poster
6.5

In 1944 France, an American Intelligence Squad locates a German Platoon wishing to surrender rather than die in Germany's final war offensive. The two groups of men, isolated from the war at present, put aside their differences and spend Christmas together before the surrender plan turns bad and both sides are forced to fight the other.

A Midnight Clear

1992

A Midnight Clear poster
6.5

In 1944 France, an American Intelligence Squad locates a German Platoon wishing to surrender rather than die in Germany's final war offensive. The two groups of men, isolated from the war at present, put aside their differences and spend Christmas together before the surrender plan turns bad and both sides are forced to fight the other.

A Midnight Clear

1992

Waking the Dead poster
6.1

A congressional candidate questions his sanity after seeing the love of his life, presumed dead, suddenly emerge.

Waking the Dead

2000

Waking the Dead poster
6.1

A congressional candidate questions his sanity after seeing the love of his life, presumed dead, suddenly emerge.

Waking the Dead

2000

Mother Night poster
6.6

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

Mother Night

1996

Mother Night poster
6.6

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

Mother Night

1996

Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls poster
2.0

Go behind the scenes of the second season of Fargo.

Waffles and Bullet Holes: A Return to Sioux Falls

2016

Shadow Realm poster
4.5

Shadow Realm is a compilation of two episodes planned for the short-lived Fox Network television series Night Visions. Each episode contained two stories and were originally hosted by musician/actor/writer Henry Rollins. The Sci-Fi Channel acquired the rights to broadcast the episodes, including the last three unaired episodes and strung two of them together as an anthology movie. Title sequences and end credits were changed and the Henry Rollins introductions were removed from the final product.

Shadow Realm

2002

Static poster
6.3

Ernie Blick has just lost his job at a crucifix factory. Luckily, for Ernie, this allows him more time to devote to his invention. Yes, Ernie is an inventor -- and he's come up with something big. So big, in fact, Ernie's convinced it will change the way people look at life and death. With the support of his drummer friend Julia and his ex-Green Beret-evangelist cousin, Ernie unveils it to the world. But even he isn't prepared for the public's reaction.

Static

1986