Joe Dante
Encyclopedia
Joseph "Joe" Dante, Jr. is an American
film director
and producer
of films generally with humorous and science fiction
content.
His films include Piranha (1978) and The Howling
(1981), both from scripts by John Sayles
; Segment 3 of Twilight Zone: The Movie
(1983); Gremlins
(1984), his first major hit, and its sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch
(1990); Explorers
(1985), Innerspace
(1987), Amazon Women on the Moon
(1987); The 'Burbs
(1989), Matinee
(1993), Runaway Daughters
(1994), The Second Civil War
(1997), The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy
(1998), Small Soldiers
(1998), Looney Tunes: Back in Action
(2003), and Homecoming
(2005). In 1995–1996, Dante worked on The Phantom, and when he was removed from the film, he chose screen credit (as executive producer) rather than pay. He was creative consultant
on Eerie, Indiana
(1991–1992) and directed five episodes. He played himself in the series finale.
. His father was a professional golf player. Dante began his movie career working for Roger Corman
, similar to Francis Ford Coppola
and James Cameron
. He worked as an editor on films such as Grand Theft Auto
before codirecting Hollywood Boulevard with Allan Arkush
. His first full feature film, Piranha, was released in 1978. After the release of The Howling, he was noticed by Steven Spielberg
for whom he directed the third segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie
, wherein a woman is 'adopted' by an omnipotent child. His first really big hit, Gremlins, which was also produced by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1984. He would work with Spielberg again on Innerspace and Gremlins 2. His films are well known for their movie in-jokes and their special visual effects.
Dante's long time friend and business associate, Sylvia, portrays one of the nuns at the concert in Arkush's Rock 'n' Roll High School
, which Joe co-wrote and directed five scenes when Arkush was ill. Joe's garage is frequently mentioned in audio commentaries as holding many of the props from his various films, such as the Peltzer Peeler Juicer from Gremlins, and where the mock-pornographic scene in The Howling was shot.
s who worked with him over a long period of time, in the Woody Allen
mode. Dick Miller
, for example, has been in all of Dante's feature films and most of his television work, while Belinda Balaski
, Archie Hahn
, and Robert Picardo
come in at close second, third, and fourth, with one less production each, respectively. Other actors Dante has worked with more than once include John Astin
, Paul Bartel
, Phoebe Cates
, Roger Corman, Cory Danziger
, Rick Ducommun
, Kevin Dunn
, Corey Feldman
, Carrie Fisher
, Joe Flaherty
, Courtney Gains
, Zach Galligan
, Henry Gibson
, Charles S. Haas
, Heather Haase, Phil Hartman
, Bob Holt, Rance Howard
, Chuck Jones
, Jackie Joseph
, Omri Katz
, Denis Leary
, Sarah Lilly, Kevin McCarthy
, Mark McCracken
, Michael McKean
, Don McCloud, Cathy Moriarty
, Shawn C. Nelson
, Ron Perlman
, Jason Presson, Kathleen Quinlan
, Neil Ross
, Diane Sainte-Marie, John Sayles
, Wendy Schaal
, William Schallert
, Michael Scheehaan, Dan Stanton, Don Stanton, Christopher Stone
, Meshach Taylor
, Kenneth Tobey
, Dee Wallace and Alexandra Wilson
. His respect for the screenwriter
extends to the point where, in order to make sure he can confer with the writer on-set and provide some minor, additional remuneration
, he always casts the writer in a small part of the production itself. The studio is normally unwilling to pay to have the writer on-set in any other way.
He has cited among his major influences Roger Corman
, Chuck Jones
, Frank Tashlin
, James Whale
, and Jean Cocteau
, as well as an admiration for the film, Hellzapoppin'
, from which he frequently borrows jokes because of how difficult the film is to see in the United States.
In 2007, Dante launched the web series
Trailers From Hell
, which provides commentary by directors, producers and screenwriters on trailers for classic and cult movies. He is also a contributor to the website.
Dante's 2009 film "The Hole 3D" was awarded the first Premio Persol at the 2009 Venice Film Festival's for the "3-D feature deemed the most creative among those produced globally between September 2008 and August 2009."
Dante produced also alongside Roger Corman
the web series
Splatter for Netflix
, the series stars Corey Feldman
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
of films generally with humorous and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
content.
His films include Piranha (1978) and The Howling
The Howling (film)
The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless...
(1981), both from scripts by John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
; Segment 3 of Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
(1983); Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
(1984), his first major hit, and its sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
(1990); Explorers
Explorers (film)
Explorers is a 1985 family-oriented science-fiction fantasy film written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante. It was the first feature film for both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.It was filmed in 70mm color with 6-track sound, and runs for 109 minutes...
(1985), Innerspace
Innerspace
Innerspace is a 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. The film was inspired by the classic 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Robert Picardo and...
(1987), Amazon Women on the Moon
Amazon Women on the Moon
Amazon Women on the Moon is a 1987 American satirical comedy film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television...
(1987); The 'Burbs
The 'Burbs
The 'Burbs is a 1989 American black comedy thriller film directed by Joe Dante starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman and Henry Gibson. The film was written by Dana Olsen, who also has a cameo in the movie...
(1989), Matinee
Matinee (film)
Matinee is a 1993 period comedy film directed by Joe Dante. It is an ensemble piece about the home front in the Cuban Missile Crisis combined with a tribute to independent filmmaker William Castle. The film stars John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, and Kellie Martin...
(1993), Runaway Daughters
Runaway Daughters (1994 film)
Runaway Daughters is a 1994 television film by Joe Dante, a loose remake of an American International Pictures production from 1956, the year in which both the original and the remake are set...
(1994), The Second Civil War
The Second Civil War
The Second Civil War is a satirical/comedy film made for the HBO cable television network and first shown on March 15, 1997.Directed by Joe Dante, the film is a satire about anti-immigrant sentiment in the melting pot that is the United States....
(1997), The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy
The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy
The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy was a science fiction film which aired on January 27, 1998 on television. The film was written by screenwriter Caleb Carr, who wrote the novel The Alienist, and directed by Joe Dante. It was intended to be the pilot for a series called The Osiris Chronicles that...
(1998), Small Soldiers
Small Soldiers
Small Soldiers is a 1998 American action/science fiction film directed by Joe Dante starring Gregory Smith and Kirsten Dunst. The film revolves around two teenagers , who get caught in the middle of a war between two factions of sentient action figures, the Gorgonites and the Commando...
(1998), Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
(2003), and Homecoming
Homecoming (Masters of Horror episode)
Homecoming is the sixth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror. It originally aired in North America on December 2, 2005. It is loosely based on the 2002 short story "Death & Suffrage" by Dale Bailey.-Plot:...
(2005). In 1995–1996, Dante worked on The Phantom, and when he was removed from the film, he chose screen credit (as executive producer) rather than pay. He was creative consultant
Creative consultant
Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
on Eerie, Indiana
Eerie, Indiana
Eerie, Indiana is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1992 and then on syndication on Fox from 1997 to 1998. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative consultant.-Premise:...
(1991–1992) and directed five episodes. He played himself in the series finale.
Early life
Dante was born in Morristown, New JerseyMorristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
. His father was a professional golf player. Dante began his movie career working for Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, similar to Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
and James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
. He worked as an editor on films such as Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (film)
Grand Theft Auto is a 1977 American comedy chase film directed by Ron Howard. It was Howard's directorial debut and features himself as Sam Freeman and Nancy Morgan as Paula Powers in the leading roles...
before codirecting Hollywood Boulevard with Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush
Allan Arkush is an American cult film and television director and frequent collaborator of Joe Dante....
. His first full feature film, Piranha, was released in 1978. After the release of The Howling, he was noticed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
for whom he directed the third segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
, wherein a woman is 'adopted' by an omnipotent child. His first really big hit, Gremlins, which was also produced by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1984. He would work with Spielberg again on Innerspace and Gremlins 2. His films are well known for their movie in-jokes and their special visual effects.
Dante's long time friend and business associate, Sylvia, portrays one of the nuns at the concert in Arkush's Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
, which Joe co-wrote and directed five scenes when Arkush was ill. Joe's garage is frequently mentioned in audio commentaries as holding many of the props from his various films, such as the Peltzer Peeler Juicer from Gremlins, and where the mock-pornographic scene in The Howling was shot.
Career
Dante developed a stock company of actorActor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s who worked with him over a long period of time, in the Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
mode. Dick Miller
Dick Miller
Richard "Dick" Miller is an American character actor who has appeared in over 100 films, particularly those produced by Roger Corman, and later in films of directors who started their careers with Corman, including James Cameron and Joe Dante, with the distinction of appearing in every film made...
, for example, has been in all of Dante's feature films and most of his television work, while Belinda Balaski
Belinda Balaski
Belinda Balaski is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her large supporting role in Joe Dante's The Howling , and has continued to appear in most of Dante's films including an important role in "Piranha" and cameos in "Gremlins", "Gremlins 2", "Matinee", and Small Soldiers...
, Archie Hahn
Archie Hahn (actor)
Archie Hahn is an American character actor and improviser best known for his appearances on the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway?. He is also well known for appearing in This Is Spinal Tap, Phantom of the Paradise, and many Joe Dante films...
, and Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
come in at close second, third, and fourth, with one less production each, respectively. Other actors Dante has worked with more than once include John Astin
John Astin
John Allen Astin is an American actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows, and is best known for the role of Gomez Addams on The Addams Family, and other similarly eccentric comedic characters.-Early years:...
, Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
, Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates
Phoebe Cates is an American film actress, model, and entrepreneur known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins.-Early life:...
, Roger Corman, Cory Danziger
Cory Danziger
Cory Danziger is an American actor and political activist. He is sometimes mis-credited as Cory Danzinger.Danziger was born in Los Angeles County, California. His most notable role was as Dave Peterson, the son of Tom Hanks' character, Ray, in the 1989 cult film The 'Burbs...
, Rick Ducommun
Rick Ducommun
Richard "Rick" Ducommun is a Canadian actor and comedian, often seen in supporting roles on both television and the silver screen.Ducommun was born in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
, Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn
Kevin Dunn is an American actor who has appeared in supporting roles in a number of films since the 1980s. His roles include Colonel Hicks in the 1998 version of Godzilla, Sam Witwicky's father in Transformers, and Oscar Galvin, the primary antagonist in the 2010 action thriller...
, Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Gremlins and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
, Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty
Joe Flaherty is an American-Canadian actor and comedian. He is best known for his work on the Canadian sketch comedy SCTV, from 1976 to 1984, and as Harold Weir on Freaks and Geeks...
, Courtney Gains
Courtney Gains
-Life and career:Gains achieved success during the 1980s with a variety of roles in films such as Children of the Corn, Hardbodies, Lust in the Dust, Back to the Future, Can't Buy Me Love, Colors,Wing Commander III, The 'Burbs and Memphis Belle...
, Zach Galligan
Zach Galligan
Zachary Wolfe "Zach" Galligan is an American actor.-Biography:Galligan was born in New York City, the son of Carol Jean , a psychologist, and Arthur John Galligan, a lawyer who was a founding partner of the law firm of Dickstein Shapiro. He has a sister, Jessica, and attended Columbia University...
, Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
, Charles S. Haas
Charles S. Haas
Charles S. Haas , also known as Charles Haas or Charlie Haas, is an American screenwriter and actor, and novelist....
, Heather Haase, Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
, Bob Holt, Rance Howard
Rance Howard
Rance Howard is an American actor who has starred in film and on television.-Life and career:Howard was born Harold Rance Beckenholdt in Oklahoma, the son of Ethel Cleo and Engel Beckenholdt, a farmer. He changed his name to "Rance Howard" when he became an actor. He married Jean Speegle Howard...
, Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
, Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph is an American character actress, voice artist, and writer known for portraying the film characters of: Audrey Fulquard in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, Sheila Futterman in both Gremlins films, and the voice of Melody in the animated television series Josie and the...
, Omri Katz
Omri Katz
Omri Haim Katz is an American actor. His TV and film credits include Eerie, Indiana; Matinee; Adventures in Dinosaur City; Hocus Pocus; and the CBS prime time soap opera Dallas, in which he played the role of John Ross Ewing III, the son of J.R...
, Denis Leary
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary is an Irish-American actor, comedian, writer and director. Leary is known for his biting, fast paced comedic style and chain smoking...
, Sarah Lilly, Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy (actor)
Kevin McCarthy was an American stage, film, and television actor, who appeared in over two hundred television and film roles. For his role in the 1951 film version of Death of a Salesman, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of...
, Mark McCracken
Mark McCracken
Mark McCracken is an American actor.McCracken was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He appeared in the films We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson, Joe Dante's horror/comedy Matinee, and also portrayed Pumpkinhead in Pumpkinhead II: Blood...
, Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
, Don McCloud, Cathy Moriarty
Cathy Moriarty
-Career:Her first film credit was Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull in 1980, as Vikki LaMotta, the wife of Robert De Niro's lead character. Her performance earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared opposite Andrew Dice Clay in the short-lived CBS...
, Shawn C. Nelson
Shawn C. Nelson
Shawn Clement Nelson is an American actor and acting coach.-Biography:Nelson was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He began teaching acting in New Orleans, Louisiana in his early twenties after attending Louisiana State University and graduating from the North Carolina School of the Arts in Drama....
, Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
, Jason Presson, Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Quinlan
Kathleen Denise Quinlan is an Academy Award and Golden Globe-nominated American actress, mostly seen on television and in motion pictures.-Personal life:...
, Neil Ross
Neil Ross
Theodoric Neilson "Neil" Ross is an English voice actor and announcer, born in London, England and now resident and working in Los Angeles, in the United States. He has provided voices for in many American cartoons, particularly those based on Hasbro products and Marvel Comics, and numerous...
, Diane Sainte-Marie, John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
, Wendy Schaal
Wendy Schaal
Wendy Schaal is an American actress and voice actress. She is best known as the voice of Francine Smith in the TV series American Dad!.-Personal life:...
, William Schallert
William Schallert
William Joseph Schallert is an American actor who has appeared in many films and in such television series as The Smurfs, The Rat Patrol, Gunsmoke, The Patty Duke Show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Waltons, Bonanza, Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Love, American Style, Get...
, Michael Scheehaan, Dan Stanton, Don Stanton, Christopher Stone
Christopher Stone (actor)
Christopher Stone was an American actor.Stone appeared on film and television from the early 1970s and married actress Dee Wallace in 1980. Together, they appeared in a number of films including the classic horror films The Howling and Cujo...
, Meshach Taylor
Meshach Taylor
Meshach Taylor is an American actor.He is perhaps best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the sitcom Designing Women. He also had a major role on the sitcom Dave's World, playing Sheldon Baylor, and appeared in Buffalo Bill.-Personal life:Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of...
, Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Tobey
Kenneth Tobey was an American stage, television, and film actor.-Early years:Born in Oakland, California, Tobey was headed for a law career when he first dabbled in acting at the University of California Little Theater...
, Dee Wallace and Alexandra Wilson
Alexandra Wilson
Alexandra Wilson is an American actress, best known for being the original actress to play the role of "Josie Watts" on the soap opera Another World. Wilson played the role from 1988 to 1991...
. His respect for the screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
extends to the point where, in order to make sure he can confer with the writer on-set and provide some minor, additional remuneration
Remuneration
Remuneration is the total compensation that an employee receives in exchange for the service they perform for their employer. Typically, this consists of monetary rewards, also referred to as wage or salary...
, he always casts the writer in a small part of the production itself. The studio is normally unwilling to pay to have the writer on-set in any other way.
He has cited among his major influences Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
, Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
, Frank Tashlin
Frank Tashlin
Frank Tashlin, born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, also known as Tish Tash or Frank Tash was an American animator, screenwriter, and film director.-Animator:...
, James Whale
James Whale
James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his work in the horror film genre, having directed such classics as Frankenstein , The Old Dark House , The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein...
, and Jean Cocteau
Jean Cocteau
Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau was a French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. His circle of associates, friends and lovers included Kenneth Anger, Pablo Picasso, Jean Hugo, Jean Marais, Henri Bernstein, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel, Erik Satie, María...
, as well as an admiration for the film, Hellzapoppin'
Hellzapoppin' (film)
Hellzapoppin' is a 1941 Universal Pictures adaptation of the musical of the same name directed by H.C. Potter. The cast includes Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson , Martha Raye, Mischa Auer, Shemp Howard, and The Six Hits.The credits for the movie assert that "any resemblance between Hellzapoppin and a...
, from which he frequently borrows jokes because of how difficult the film is to see in the United States.
In 2007, Dante launched the web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
Trailers From Hell
Trailers From Hell
Trailers From Hell! is a web series featuring trailers from cinema classics ranging from silent comedy to the splatter flicks of the 1980s, with a particular focus on horror and exploitation films. Trailers are accompanied by commentaries from Hollywood screenwriters, producers and directors...
, which provides commentary by directors, producers and screenwriters on trailers for classic and cult movies. He is also a contributor to the website.
Dante's 2009 film "The Hole 3D" was awarded the first Premio Persol at the 2009 Venice Film Festival's for the "3-D feature deemed the most creative among those produced globally between September 2008 and August 2009."
Dante produced also alongside Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
the web series
Web series
A web series is a series of episodes released on the Internet or also by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television. A single instance of a web series program is called an episode .While the popularity of web series is continuing to rise, the concept...
Splatter for Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
, the series stars Corey Feldman
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman is an American film and television actor. He became known during the 1980s, with roles in the Hollywood films Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream, Gremlins and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...
.
Director
- The Movie OrgyThe Movie OrgyThe Movie Orgy is a 1968 film, created by Joe Dante and Jon Davison It is a seven-hour-long compilation of movie clips, commercials, and film trailers assembled by Dante while a college student....
(1968) - Hollywood Boulevard (with Allan ArkushAllan ArkushAllan Arkush is an American cult film and television director and frequent collaborator of Joe Dante....
) (1976) - Piranha (1978)
- Rock 'n' Roll High SchoolRock 'n' Roll High SchoolRock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
(with Allan ArkushAllan ArkushAllan Arkush is an American cult film and television director and frequent collaborator of Joe Dante....
) (1979) (uncredited) - The HowlingThe Howling (film)The Howling is a 1981 werewolf-themed horror film directed by Joe Dante. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the screenplay is written by John Sayles and Terence H. Winkless...
(1981) - Police Squad!Police Squad!Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
(1982) (TV) - Twilight Zone: The MovieTwilight Zone: The MovieTwilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 science fiction horror film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis as a theatrical version of The Twilight Zone, a 1959 and '60s TV series created by Rod Serling. Those starring in the film are: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow, Scatman Crothers,...
(with Steven SpielbergSteven SpielbergSteven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, George Miller and John LandisJohn LandisJohn David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
) (1983) - GremlinsGremlinsGremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
(1984) - ExplorersExplorers (film)Explorers is a 1985 family-oriented science-fiction fantasy film written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante. It was the first feature film for both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.It was filmed in 70mm color with 6-track sound, and runs for 109 minutes...
(1985) - The Twilight ZoneThe New Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is the first of two revivals of Rod Serling's acclaimed 1950/60s television series of the same name. It ran for two seasons on CBS before producing a final season for syndication.-Series history:...
(1985) (TV) - Amazing StoriesAmazing StoriesAmazing Stories was an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction...
(1986) (TV) - InnerspaceInnerspaceInnerspace is a 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. The film was inspired by the classic 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Robert Picardo and...
(1987) - Amazon Women on the MoonAmazon Women on the MoonAmazon Women on the Moon is a 1987 American satirical comedy film that parodies the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television...
(with John LandisJohn LandisJohn David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
, Carl GottliebCarl GottliebCarl Gottlieb is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian and executive. He is probably best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws, as well as directing the 1981 low-budget cult film Caveman.-Early life:...
, Peter HortonPeter HortonPeter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
& Robert K. WeissRobert K. WeissRobert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the “Z. A. Z.” team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science-fiction TV series Sliders...
) (1987) - The 'BurbsThe 'BurbsThe 'Burbs is a 1989 American black comedy thriller film directed by Joe Dante starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman and Henry Gibson. The film was written by Dana Olsen, who also has a cameo in the movie...
(1989) - Gremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
(1990) - Eerie, IndianaEerie, IndianaEerie, Indiana is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1992 and then on syndication on Fox from 1997 to 1998. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative consultant.-Premise:...
(1991–1992) (TV) - MatineeMatinee (film)Matinee is a 1993 period comedy film directed by Joe Dante. It is an ensemble piece about the home front in the Cuban Missile Crisis combined with a tribute to independent filmmaker William Castle. The film stars John Goodman, Cathy Moriarty, Simon Fenton, Omri Katz, Lisa Jakub, and Kellie Martin...
(1993) - Rebel HighwayRebel HighwayRebel Highway was a short-lived revival of American International Pictures created and produced by Lou Arkoff, the son of Samuel Z. Arkoff and Debra Hill for the Showtime channel in 1994. The concept was 10-week series of 1950s "drive-in classic" B-movies remade "with a '90s edge"...
: Runaway DaughtersRunaway Daughters (1994 film)Runaway Daughters is a 1994 television film by Joe Dante, a loose remake of an American International Pictures production from 1956, the year in which both the original and the remake are set...
(1994) (TV) - Picture Windows (1994) (TV)
- The Second Civil WarThe Second Civil WarThe Second Civil War is a satirical/comedy film made for the HBO cable television network and first shown on March 15, 1997.Directed by Joe Dante, the film is a satire about anti-immigrant sentiment in the melting pot that is the United States....
(1997) (TV) - The Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy was a science fiction film which aired on January 27, 1998 on television. The film was written by screenwriter Caleb Carr, who wrote the novel The Alienist, and directed by Joe Dante. It was intended to be the pilot for a series called The Osiris Chronicles that...
(1998) (TV) - Small SoldiersSmall SoldiersSmall Soldiers is a 1998 American action/science fiction film directed by Joe Dante starring Gregory Smith and Kirsten Dunst. The film revolves around two teenagers , who get caught in the middle of a war between two factions of sentient action figures, the Gorgonites and the Commando...
(1998) - Night VisionsNight VisionsNight Visions is an American television anthology series created in the style of The Twilight Zone. Each 43 minute episode was made up of two 21 to 22 minutes stories that dealt with themes of the supernatural or simply explored the dark side of human nature. Henry Rollins was the uncredited host...
(2001) (TV) - Haunted LighthouseHaunted LighthouseR.L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse is a short 4-D film. It debuted in several United States theme parks, including SeaWorld San Diego & SeaWorld San Antonio, in 2003, and stars Sara Paxton, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Matt Weinberg, and Bobby Edner. "Weird Al" Yankovic has a bit...
(2003) - Looney Tunes: Back in ActionLooney Tunes: Back in ActionLooney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
(2003) - Trapped Ashes (2004)
- Masters of HorrorMasters of HorrorMasters of Horror is an informal social group of international film writers and directors specializing in horror movies and an American television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network.- Origin :...
(2005–2006) - The Greatest Show Ever (2007) (TV)
- CSI: NYCSI: NYCSI: NY is an American police procedural television series that premiered on September 22, 2004, on CBS. The show follows the investigations of a team of NYPD forensic scientists and police officers as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths as well as other crimes...
(2007) (TV) - The Hole 3DThe Hole (2009 film)The Hole 3D is a 2009 American fantasy-thriller film directed by Joe Dante and stars Teri Polo, Chris Massoglia and Haley Bennett.-Plot:...
(2010) - Hawaii Five-0 (2011) (TV)
Producer
- (1994) Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror
- (1996) The PhantomThe PhantomThe Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
- (1998) The Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the GalaxyThe Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy was a science fiction film which aired on January 27, 1998 on television. The film was written by screenwriter Caleb Carr, who wrote the novel The Alienist, and directed by Joe Dante. It was intended to be the pilot for a series called The Osiris Chronicles that...
- (2002) JeremiahJeremiah (TV series)Jeremiah is an American television series starring Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner that ran on the Showtime network from 2002 to 2004. The series takes place in a post-apocalyptic future where most of the adult population has been wiped out by a deadly virus.Developed by Babylon 5 creator J...
Actor
- (1975) Japan Sinks - (American version "Tidal Wave" only)
- (1976) Hollywood Boulevard - Party Waiter
- (1976) CannonballCannonball (film)Cannonball, also known as Carquake, is a 1976 film starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 that were based on a real illegal cross-continent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States...
- Kid - (1978) Piranha - Scuba Diver #2
- (1978) Corvette SummerCorvette SummerCorvette Summer is an American film, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1978 starring Mark Hamill and Annie Potts. It tells the story of a lonely, car-obsessed California teenager and the theft of his beloved customized Corvette Stingray.-Plot summary:...
- Mr. Lucky - (1984) GremlinsGremlinsGremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
- voices of Gremlins - (1987) InnerspaceInnerspaceInnerspace is a 1987 science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. The film was inspired by the classic 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Robert Picardo and...
- Vectorscope Employee - (1990) Gremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New BatchGremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker...
- Grandpa Fred Director/voices of Beanie Gremlin and Wicked Witch Gremlin - (1991) Eerie, IndianaEerie, IndianaEerie, Indiana is an American television series that aired on NBC from 1991 to 1992 and then on syndication on Fox from 1997 to 1998. The series was created by José Rivera and Karl Schaefer, with Joe Dante serving as creative consultant.-Premise:...
- Himself
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- Episode 19: "Reality Takes a Holiday"
- (1991) OscarOscar (1991 film)Oscar is a 1991 American comedy film directed by John Landis. Based on the Claude Magnier stage play, it is can be considered a remake of the 1967 film of the same name, but the settings has been moved to the Depression era New York City and centers around a mob boss trying to go straight...
- Face on the Cutting Room Floor - (1992) SleepwalkersSleepwalkers (film)Sleepwalkers is a 1992 American horror film based on an original screenplay by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris.-Plot summary:...
- Lab Assistant - (1994) Beverly Hills Cop IIIBeverly Hills Cop IIIBeverly Hills Cop III is a 1994 action-comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on Trading Places and Coming to America...
- Jailer - (1994) Silenzio dei prosciutti, Il - Dying Man
- (1991) Oscar
- Episode 19: "Reality Takes a Holiday"
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