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Stephen F. Kesten

Producer · Died December 20, 2001, aged 66 · New York City, New York, USA

Born
August 9, 1935
Died
December 20, 2001 (aged 66)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Producer
Titles
12 on MovieCove · 15 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 4% in 30 days

What are Stephen F. Kesten's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
34%
Survival
25%
Bonds
20%
Society
10%
Self
8%
Power
3%
Justice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 7 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 3 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 8 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
8
Dread
4
Thrilling
4
Bittersweet
3
Cold
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Unsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 2 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet5
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Stephen F. Kesten's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 12 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stephen F. Kesten's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

15 credits, 12 with a MovieCove page.

  • Thinner(1996)

    Executive Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Whispers in the Dark(1992)

    Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Million Dollar Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Producer

  • Conan the Destroyer(1984)

    Executive Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Amityville 3-D(1983)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • A Little Sex(1982)

    Associate Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Four Friends(1981)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Gloria(1980)

    Associate Producer · Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Night of the Juggler(1980)

    Associate Producer · Unit Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Godfather(1972)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • A Safe Place (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    First Assistant Director

  • End of the Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Producer

  • Hurry Sundown(1967)

    Production Manager

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Ladybug Ladybug(1963)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 15 titles from 1963 to 1996.

Biggest box office

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

$31M worldwide

Highest rated

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Producing12 of 15: 7 only producing, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thOther crew8 of 15: 3 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score42nd

15 titles, 5 with more than one role — producing and other crew overlap on 5 of them.

By decade

1960s2 · crew1970s4 · crew1980s7 · crew1990s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Stephen F. Kesten's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

51stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 12 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

None of their 12 titles divides audiences: 4 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed3

Most loved · producer

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Stephen F. Kesten's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, 1 of the 5 categories sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 66 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles10–60 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 54 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Stephen F. Kesten work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stephen F. Kesten's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard Fleischer shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors