1980s
In 1983, Kwapis directed Revenge of the Nerd for CBS' Afternoon Playhouse, followed by Summer Switch for ABC's Afterschool Special. Starring Robert Klein, Summer Switch is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, the sequel to a young adult fantasy, Freaky Friday. For the Scholastic Book Company, Kwapis directed The Beniker Gang, starring Andrew McCarthy.
Kwapis’ first feature film was Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird (Warner Bros., 1985). The film was not only Kwapis’ big-screen debut, but also the big-screen debut of the Sesame Street ensemble (Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Bert & Ernie, et al.). Follow That Bird tells the story of Big Bird’s quest to live with a family of his own kind; namely, birds. A social worker arranges for Big Bird to move in with a family of Dodo Birds in Oceanview, Illinois.
In 1987, Kwapis made his prime time television debut, directing an installment of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories.
Kwapis’ second feature Vibes (Columbia, 1988) was made under Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's fledgling Imagine banner. Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, Vibes is the tale of two psychics (Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper) who are enlisted by a fortune hunter (Peter Falk) to divine the whereabouts of a treasure hidden in the Andes. The film was shot on location in Ecuador, and features a pan pipe-flavored score by James Horner.
Read more about this topic: Ken Kwapis, Career