Joe Dante

Biography

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

Great Performances

Eerie, Indiana

Gremlins

Eli Roth's History of Horror

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

The Real History of Science Fiction

Sleepwalkers

Innerspace

All Movies (128)

• Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern2026
• Shrinkage: The Making of Innerspace2026 · as Self
• The Creeps2025 · as Uncle John
• The Vincent Price Legacy2025 · as Himself
• Boorman and the Devil2025 · as Self
• Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters2024 · as Self
• Sharksploitation2024 · as Self
• Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director2024 · as Himself
• The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee2024 · as Self
• In Search of Darkness: Part III2022 · as Self
• Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story2022 · as Self - Interviewee
• Razzennest2022 · as Joe Dante
• Soylent Green and Red Alert: When Reality Catches Up with Fiction2022 · as Self
• In Search of Tomorrow2022 · as Self - Interviewee
• Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida2021 · as Self [archival]
• Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster2021 · as Self
• Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema2021 · as Self
• Bugs Bunny's 80th What's Up, Doc-umentary!2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• Tales of the Uncanny2020 · as Self
• In Search of Darkness: Part II2020 · as Self
• Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies2020 · as Self
• Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp2020 · as Host
• Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi2020 · as Host
• Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness2020 · as Host
• Class of '79: 40 Years of Rock 'N' Roll High School2019
• Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf2019 · as Self
• Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters2019 · as Self
• Love, Antosha2019 · as Self
• In Search of Darkness2019 · as Self
• Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film2019 · as Self
• Sad Hill Unearthed2018 · as Self - Filmmaker
• The Fear Is Real2018 · as Self
• King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen2018 · as Self
• Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years2018 · as Self
• Monstres, l'ennemi de l'intérieur2017 · as Self
• Long Live the King2016 · as himself
• 24×362016 · as Self
• Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy2016 · as Himself
• Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex2015 · as Self
• Tales of Halloween2015 · as Prof. Milo Gottlieb
• 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street2015 · as Self
• Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film2015
• From Gizmo to Gremlins: Creating the Creatures2014 · as Self
• Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous: Making Gremlins2014 · as Self
• There Goes the Neighborhood: The Making of The 'Burbs2014 · as Self
• Out of Print2014 · as Self
• Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror2014 · as Self - Director
• We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film2014 · as Self
• That Guy Dick Miller2014 · as Self
• House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before!2013 · as Self
• A Fuller Life2013 · as Self - Reader (segment "Sicily Black and Blue")
• Blast Vegas2013 · as Salesman #2
• Trailer War2012 · as Himself
• The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie2012 · as Self
• Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan2012 · as Self
• The Butterfly Room2012 · as Cab Driver
• The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil2012
• To Be... A Film Favorite2012
• Corman's World2011 · as Self - Filmmaker
• A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!2011 · as Self - Interviewee
• The Future of Fear2011 · as Self
• Produce Your Own Damn Movie!2011 · as Self
• American Grindhouse2011 · as Himself
• The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus2010 · as Self
• Machete Maidens Unleashed!2010 · as Self
• The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry2010 · as Self
• RKO, A Story made in Hollywood2010 · as Himself
• The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth2010 · as Self
• Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.2010 · as Self
• Nightmares in Red, White and Blue2009 · as Self
• Fulci in the House: The Italian Master of Splatter2009 · as Self
• Direct Your Own Damn Movie!2009 · as Self
• Monsterland2009 · as Self
• Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer2009 · as Self
• RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”2008 · as Self
• Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX2008 · as Self
• Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story2007 · as Self
• Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein2007 · as Himself
• The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness2007 · as Self
• Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman2007 · as Self
• The Hatching of Spider Baby2007 · as Himself
• Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon2006 · as Self
• Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet2006 · as Self
• Lugosi: The Dark Prince2006 · as Self
• Hitchcocked!2006 · as Self
• Karloff: The Gentle Monster2006 · as Self
• The Perfect Scary Movie2005 · as Self
• Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy2005
• Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection2005 · as Self
• Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz2004 · as Self
• The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing2004 · as Self
• Edgar G. Ulmer: The Man Off-Screen2004 · as Self
• The Art of Crime2004 · as Himself
• Mario Bava: Operazione paura2004 · as Self / Host
• Welcome to Werewolfland2004
• Unleashing the Beast: Making ‘The Howling’2003
• Cinerama Adventure2002 · as Self
• Making The Earth Stand Still2001 · as Self
• It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures2001 · as Self
• Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation2000 · as Self
• Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre2000 · as Self
• Ray Harryhausen: Working with Dinosaurs1999 · as Self
• She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein'1999 · as Self / Host
• Hollywood Rated 'R'1997 · as Self
• Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror1994 · as Self
• Beverly Hills Cop III1994 · as Jailer
• The Silence of the Hams1994 · as Dying Man
• A Century of Cinema1994 · as Self
• The Magical World of Chuck Jones1992 · as Self
• Sleepwalkers1992 · as Lab Assistant
• Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion1992 · as Himself
• The Horror Hall of Fame II1991 · as Self
• Oscar1991 · as Face on the Cutting Room Floor
• Gremlins 2: The New Batch1990 · as Grandpa Fred Director (uncredited)
• Innerspace1987 · as Vectorscope Employee (uncredited)
• The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal1986 · as Self
• Gremlins1984 · as Mogwai / Gremlins (voice) (uncredited)
• Eating Raoul1982 · as Busboy (uncredited)
• Making a Monster Movie: Inside 'the Howling'1981 · as Self
• The Orson Welles Show1979 · as Member of Studio Audience
• Piranha1978 · as Scuba Diver #2 (uncredited)
• Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel1978 · as Self
• Cannonball1976 · as Kid
• Hollywood Boulevard1976 · as Party Waiter (uncredited)
• Tidal Wave1975
• Mary Woronov: Cult Queen— · as Self
• The AckerMonster Chronicles!—
• Mamie Exposed! The Life and Loves of the Last Blonde Bombshell—

All TV Shows (9)

• The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time2022 · as Self
• Charles Band’s Full Moon Freakshow2022
• Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time2020 · as Self - Host
• Eli Roth's History of Horror2018 · as Self
• The Real History of Science Fiction2014 · as Himself
• 100 Scariest Movie Moments2004 · as Self
• Leçon de Cinéma2004 · as Self
• Eerie, Indiana1991 · as Director
• Great Performances1971 · as Self