What's After the Movie
Joe Dante
Joe Dante, born Joseph James Dante Jr. on November 28, 1946 in Morristown, New Jersey, is a seminal American filmmaker whose career bridges the worlds of classic B‑movies and mainstream Hollywood. Growing up in nearby Livingston, he was steeped in the culture of Saturday matinees and the horror‑fan magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland, which sparked his lifelong fascination with genre cinema. After an early ambition to become a cartoonist was discouraged, Dante enrolled at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts) where he discovered a passion for filmmaking, later describing his education as more of an apprenticeship under Roger Corman than a formal school. His first professional break came in 1974 when Corman hired him to cut trailers at New World Pictures, a role that taught him the rapid, economical editing techniques that would define his later work. Dante’s directorial debut, Hollywood Boulevard (1975), was a satirical exploitation film made on a shoestring budget, and it set the tone for his inventive, self‑aware style.
Throughout the 1980s he crafted a string of cult classics that blended horror, comedy, and cartoonish visual flair, most notably Piranha (1978), The Howling (1981), and the iconic Gremlins (1984) with its sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). His willingness to subvert genre expectations shone in Explorers (1985), Innerspace (1987), and the suburban black comedy The ‘Burbs (1989). Dante’s later projects, such as Matinee (1993), Small Soldiers (1998), and the hybrid Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), continued to showcase his love for pop‑culture references and reverence for the golden age of cinema. Beyond film, he has contributed to television, founded the commentary series Trailers from Hell, and remained an outspoken advocate for the preservation of genre filmmaking, cementing his legacy as a visionary who bridges nostalgia and modernity.
Biography, Career & Filmography
Learn more about Joe Dante, including a detailed biography, career timeline, personal life insights, and complete filmography. Discover how Joe Dante rose to fame, their major roles, industry impact, and personal milestones in the world of film.
Given Name: Joseph James Dante Jr.
Born: Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Citizenship: American
Birthday: November 28, 1946
Occupations: film director, producer, editor, actor
Years Active: 1968-present
Spouses: Elizabeth Stanley
External Links and Streaming Options
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Awards and Nominations Received by Joe Dante
Explore the awards, honors, and nominations Joe Dante has earned across their acting career. From prestigious wins to critical acclaim, see how their talent has been recognized by the film industry and major award bodies.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Piranha
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Gremlins
Innerspace
Nightmare Cinema
Burying the Ex
The Hole
Explorers
The 'Burbs
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Rock 'n' Roll High School
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
House of Wax: Unlike Anything You’ve Seen Before!
American Grindhouse
Corman’s World
A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!
The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil
We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film
Out of Print
The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry
There Goes the Neighborhood: The Making of The ’Burbs
The Butterfly Room
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Long Live the King
Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years
Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film
24×36
Sad Hill Unearthed
Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf
Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre
It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures
Unleashing the Beast: Making ‘The Howling’
Haunted Lighthouse 4-D
Edgar G. Ulmer – Der Mann im Off
Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters
Cinerama Adventure
Welcome to Werewolfland
Mario Bava: Operazione paura
100 Scariest Movie Moments
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Karloff: The Gentle Monster
Hitchcocked!
The Screwfly Solution
The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
Behind the Tunes: Tish Tash - The Animated World of Frank Tashlin
The Hatching of Spider Baby
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The ‘Plan 9’ Companion
Lugosi: The Dark Prince
Making a Monster Movie: Inside ‘the Howling’
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
In Search of Darkness: Part II
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Tales of the Uncanny
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi
Bugs Bunny’s 80th What’s Up, Doc-umentary!
Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida
In Search of Tomorrow
The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time
Soylent Green and Red Alert: When Reality Catches Up with Fiction
Tales of the Uncanny
The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
Bugs Bunny’s 80th What’s Up, Doc-umentary!
A Century of Cinema
The Movie Orgy
Runaway Daughters
Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX
Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer
Roger Corman: Hollywood’s Wild Angel
The Second Civil War
Small Soldiers
Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror
Splatter
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters
She’s Alive! Creating ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
Hollywood Boulevard
Career Timeline
Track the complete movie timeline of Joe Dante, including all film releases, career breakthroughs, and notable roles. Follow their journey from early performances to recent blockbusters and upcoming projects.
2022
In Search of Tomorrow
Self - Interviewee
Soylent Green and Red Alert: When Reality Catches Up with Fiction
Self
2021
Roger Corman, the Pope of Pop Cinema
Self
Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida
Self [archival]
2020
Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness
Host
In Search of Darkness: Part II
Self
Tales of the Uncanny
Self
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
Host
Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi
Host
Bugs Bunny’s 80th What’s Up, Doc-umentary!
Self (archive footage)
Tales of the Uncanny
Self
Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp
Host
Bugs Bunny’s 80th What’s Up, Doc-umentary!
Self (archive footage)
2019
Nightmare Cinema
Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film
Self
Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf
Self
Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters
Self
2015
Burying the Ex
42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street
Himself
Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex
Self
Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film
2014
We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film
Self
Out of Print
Self
There Goes the Neighborhood: The Making of The ’Burbs
Self
2011
Corman’s World
Self - Filmmaker
A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas!
Self - Interviewee
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
Self
2010
The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth
Self
Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr.
Self
Machete Maidens Unleashed!
Self
American Grindhouse
Himself
The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry
Self
2009
Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer
Self
Nightmares in Red, White and Blue
Self
2007
The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness
Self
The Hatching of Spider Baby
Himself
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
Self
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story
Self
2006
Karloff: The Gentle Monster
Self
Hitchcocked!
Self
The Screwfly Solution
Lugosi: The Dark Prince
Self
2005
Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy
RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World”
Self
Behind the Tunes: Tish Tash - The Animated World of Frank Tashlin
Himself
2004
Edgar G. Ulmer – Der Mann im Off
Self
Welcome to Werewolfland
Mario Bava: Operazione paura
Self
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