Joe Dante

Director

Joseph James Dante Jr. (born November 28, 1946) is an American filmmaker, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably Gremlins (1984) alongside its sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)—often mix the 1950s-style B movie genre with 1960s radicalism and cartoon comedy.

Dante’s output includes the films Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), Explorers (1985), Innerspace (1987), The ‘Burbs (1989), Matinee (1993), Small Soldiers (1998), and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003). His work for television and cable include the social satire The Second Civil War (1997), episodes of the anthology series Masters of Horror (“Homecoming” and “The Screwfly Solution”) and Amazing Stories, as well as Police Squad! and Hawaii Five-0.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Joe Dante, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Gremlins 2: The New Batch Not in library

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

1990

Beverly Hills Cop III Not in library

Beverly Hills Cop III

1994

Innerspace Not in library

Innerspace

1987

Piranha Not in library

Piranha

1978

Sleepwalkers Not in library

Sleepwalkers

1992

Oscar Not in library

Oscar

1991

Tales of Halloween Not in library

Tales of Halloween

2015

The Silence of the Hams Not in library

The Silence of the Hams

1994

Eating Raoul Not in library

Eating Raoul

1982

The Butterfly Room Not in library

The Butterfly Room

2012

Acting

2025 The Creeps as Uncle John In Library
2025 Boorman and the Devil as Self
2025 The Vincent Price Legacy as Himself
2024 Sharksploitation as Self
2024 The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee as Self
2024 Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Self
2024 Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director as Himself
2022 In Search of Darkness: Part III as Self
2022 Razzennest as Joe Dante
2022 Soylent Green and Red Alert: When Reality Catches Up with Fiction as Self
2022 Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story as Self - Interviewee
2022 In Search of Tomorrow as Self - Interviewee
2022 The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time as Self (8 episodes)
2022 Charles Band’s Full Moon Freakshow
2021 Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida as Self [archival]
2021 Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema as Self
2021 Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster as Self
2020 Bugs Bunny's 80th What's Up, Doc-umentary! as Self (archive footage)
2020 Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness as Host
2020 Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi as Host
2020 Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies as Self
2020 Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp as Host
2020 In Search of Darkness: Part II as Self
2020 Tales of the Uncanny as Self
2019 In Search of Darkness as Self
2019 Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf as Self
2019 Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters as Self
2019 Class of '79: 40 Years of Rock 'N' Roll High School
2019 Love, Antosha as Self
2019 Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film as Self
2018 The Fear is Real as Self
2018 King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen as Self
2018 Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years as Self
2018 Sad Hill Unearthed as Self - Filmmaker
2018 Eli Roth's History of Horror as Self (5 episodes)
2017 Monstres, l'ennemi de l'intérieur as Self
2016 24×36 as Self
2016 Long Live the King as himself
2016 Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy as Himself
2015 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street as Self
2015 Tales of Halloween as Prof. Milo Gottlieb
2015 Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex as Self
2015 Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film
2014 We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film as Self
2014 Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror as Self - Director
2014 That Guy Dick Miller as Self
2014 Out of Print as Self
2014 There Goes the Neighborhood: The Making of The 'Burbs as Self
2014 From Gizmo to Gremlins: Creating the Creatures as Self
2014 Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous: Making Gremlins as Self
2014 The Real History of Science Fiction as Himself (1 episode)
2013 Blast Vegas as Salesman #2
2013 House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before! as Self
2013 A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Sicily Black and Blue")
2012 The Butterfly Room as Cab Driver
2012 Trailer War as Himself
2012 The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie as Self
2012 The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil
2012 To Be... A Film Favorite
2012 Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan as Self
2011 American Grindhouse as Himself
2011 A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! as Self - Interviewee
2011 Corman's World as Self - Filmmaker
2011 Produce Your Own Damn Movie! as Self
2011 The Future of Fear as Self
2010 The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth as Self
2010 Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Self
2010 Machete Maidens Unleashed! as Self
2010 The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry as Self
2010 The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus as Self
2010 RKO, A Story made in Hollywood as Himself
2009 Nightmares in Red, White and Blue as Self
2009 Monsterland as Self
2009 Direct Your Own Damn Movie! as Self
2009 Fulci in the House: The Italian Master of Splatter as Self
2009 Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer as Self
2008 Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX as Self
2008 RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World” as Self
2007 Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman as Self
2007 The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness as Self
2007 Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein as Himself
2007 The Hatching of Spider Baby as Himself
2007 Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story as Self
2006 Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon as Self
2006 Hitchcocked! as Self
2006 Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet as Self
2006 Karloff: The Gentle Monster as Self
2006 Lugosi: The Dark Prince as Self
2005 Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
2005 Behind the Tunes: Tish Tash - The Animated World of Frank Tashlin as Himself
2005 The Perfect Scary Movie as Self
2005 Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go to War! as Himself
2005 Behind the Tunes: Bosko, Buddy and the Best of Black and White as Himself
2005 Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection as Self
2004 Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz as Self
2004 Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen as Self
2004 Welcome to Werewolfland
2004 Mario Bava: Operazione paura as Self / Host
2004 The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing as Self
2004 The Art of Crime as Himself
2004 100 Scariest Movie Moments as Self (5 episodes)
2004 Leçon de Cinéma as Self (1 episode)
2003 Unleashing the Beast: Making ‘The Howling’
2002 Cinerama Adventure as Self
2001 It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures as Self
2001 Making The Earth Stand Still as Self
2000 Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre as Self
2000 Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation as Self
1999 She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein' as Self / Host
1999 Ray Harryhausen: Working with Dinosaurs as Self
1997 Hollywood Rated 'R' as Self
1994 Beverly Hills Cop III as Jailer
1994 The Silence of the Hams as Dying Man
1994 Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror as Self
1994 A Century of Cinema as Self
1992 The Magical World of Chuck Jones as Self
1992 Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion as Himself
1992 Sleepwalkers as Lab Assistant
1991 Oscar as Face on the Cutting Room Floor
1991 Eerie, Indiana as Director (1 episode)
1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch as Grandpa Fred Director (uncredited)
1987 Innerspace as Vectorscope Employee (uncredited)
1986 The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal as Self
1982 Eating Raoul as Busboy (uncredited)
1981 Making a Monster Movie: Inside 'the Howling' as Self
1978 Piranha as Scuba Diver #2 (uncredited)
1978 Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel as Self
1976 Cannonball as Kid
1976 Hollywood Boulevard as Party Waiter (uncredited)
1975 Tidal Wave
1971 Great Performances as Self (1 episode)
— Mary Woronov: Cult Queen as Self
— The AckerMonster Chronicles!
— Mamie Exposed! The Life and Loves of the Last Blonde Bombshell

Directing

2018 Nightmare Cinema Director
2016 MacGyver Director
2016 DC's Legends of Tomorrow Director
2014 Burying the Ex Director
2013 Witches of East End Director
2010 Hawaii Five-0 Director
2009 The Hole Director
2009 Splatter Director
2009 Splatter Director
2006 Trapped Ashes Director
2006 The Screwfly Solution Director
2005 Homecoming Director
2005 Masters of Horror Director
2004 CSI: NY Director
2003 Looney Tunes: Back in Action Director
2003 Haunted Lighthouse 4-D Director
2001 Night Visions Director
1998 Small Soldiers Director
1997 The Second Civil War Director
1996 The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy Director
1995 Picture Windows: Lightning Director
1995 Picture Windows Director
1994 Runaway Daughters Director
1994 The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - Preshow Director
1994 Rebel Highway Director
1993 Matinee Director
1993 Mant! Director
1991 Eerie, Indiana Director
1990 Gremlins 2: The New Batch Director
1989 The 'Burbs Director
1987 Innerspace Director
1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Director
1985 Explorers Director
1985 The Twilight Zone Director
1985 Amazing Stories Director
1984 Gremlins Director
1983 Twilight Zone: The Movie Director
1982 Police Squad! Director
1981 The Howling Director
1978 Piranha Director
1976 Hollywood Boulevard Director
1968 The Movie Orgy Director
— Labrintus Director
— Fear Paris Director
— The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes Director

Writing

1991 Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever Characters
1979 Rock 'n' Roll High School Story

Production

2023 Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai Consulting Producer
2018 Camp Cold Brook Executive Producer
2017 Trafficked Executive Producer
2011 Trail of Blood Producer
1996 The Warlord: Battle for the Galaxy Producer
1994 Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror Associate Producer
— The Man with Kaleidoscope Eyes Producer

Editing

1981 The Howling Editor
1978 Piranha Editor
1977 Grand Theft Auto Editor
1976 Hollywood Boulevard Editor
1974 The Arena Editor
1968 The Movie Orgy Editor

Crew

2011 Corman's World Thanks
2010 Embryo Thanks