This son of actor Dan Blocker (remembered for playing Hoss on TV's "Bonanza") attended UC Berkeley and UCLA, where he studied film. While his brother Dirk became an actor, Blocker began by writing and directing short films, including "Scratch Shot", which was honored at the International Film Festival of the Americas. In 1983, he served as production executive on Rudolph's documentary "Return Engagement", which pitted Nixon apologist G Gordon Liddy against 60s guru Timothy Leary. The following year, Blocker produced Rudolph's "Choose Me", which looked at love and relationships in the Los Angeles nightclub scene. He remained with Rudolph throughout the 80s in a collaboration that also reaped "Trouble In Mind" (1985), in which several lives intersect in the hypnotic Rain City, "Made in Heaven" (1987), which dealt with reincarnation, and the critically-acclaimed "The Moderns" (1988), an arty, stylized look at Paris in the 20s. Into the 90s, the pair worked on "Love at Large" (1990) and "Equinox" (1993).

Blocker went on to team with Michael Apted on "Blink" (1994), about a blind witness to a murder who regains her sight. He also served as the film's second unit director. Blocker then joined with actor Bill Paxton to produce "Traveller" (1997), the feature directorial debut of acclaimed cinematographer Jack N Green. Paxton also starred as an Irish grifter who romances Julianna Margulies. The producer made his small screen debut with the HBO biopic, "Tyson" (1995), about the rise and fall of the heavyweight boxing champion.