History Creator / JoeDante

Film director known for a string of cult 1980's sci-fi/fantasy films that oftentimes ran on pure [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs crazy moon-logic.]]

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[Ride/TwilightZoneTowerOfTerror]].

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Twilight Zone Tower of Terror]].

* ''Film/{{Explorers}}''

* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'' (1984)
* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' (1990)
* ''Film/TheHowling''

* ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction''
* ''Film/{{Piranha}}''
* ''Film/SmallSoldiers''
* ''Film/{{Matinee}}''

Dante's work is notable for the strong affection he has for [[AuthorAppeal '40s and '50s horror movies]] (''Film/{{Matinee}}'' is a love letter to William Castle, for example), and his taste for black comedy and political commentary. He first got attention for ''The Movie Orgy'', a seven-hour-long collection of weird film clips, ads and trailers that Dante still curates and screens around the country. After a few smaller successes, he directed ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', which launched a long, contentious relationship with Hollywood, which didn't seem to understand that Dante had [[StrawmanPolitical a few axes to grind]], especially with the political climate celebrating the '50s as a happy Golden Age and the suburbs as a great place to be. With [[Series/MastersOfHorror a few exceptions]], though, he's relatively subtle about his opinions.

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[DisneyThemeParks Twilight Zone Tower of Terror]].

* CreatorBreakdown: Arguably only Creator/TerryGilliam has had a harder time making the movies he wants to make.

* {{Hypocrite}}: He hates ''[[MST3K Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' because of the show's tendency to poke fun at B-movies, despite the fact that Dante has occasionally done this himself in his own works.

* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''(1984)

* ''Film/{{Innerspace}}''(1987)

* ''Film/TheBurbs''(1989)

* {{Hypocrite}}: He hates [[MST3K Mystery Science Theater 3000]] because of the show's tendency to poke fun at B-movies, despite the fact that Dante has occasionally done this himself in his own works.

* {{Hypocrite}}: He hates [[MST3K MysteryScienceTheater3000]] because of the show's tendency to poke fun at B-movies, despite the fact that Dante has occasionally done this himself in his own works.

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* ''{{Innerspace}}''(1987)

* ''SmallSoldiers''

* ''TheBurbs''(1989)

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''Series/MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[DisneyThemeParks Twilight Zone Tower of Terror]].

* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}''

* ''{{Innerspace}}''

* ''TheBurbs''

* HeyItsThatGuy: RogerCorman alumnus Dick Miller has popped up in virtually every movie Dante's made.

Dante's work is notable for the strong affection he has for [[AuthorAppeal '40s and '50s horror movies]] (''Film/{{Matinee}}'' is a love letter to William Castle, for example), and his taste for black comedy and political commentary. He first got attention for ''The Movie Orgy'', a seven-hour-long collection of weird film clips, ads and trailers that Dante still curates and screens around the country. After a few smaller successes, he directed ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', which launched a long, contentious relationship with Hollywood, which didn't seem to understand that Dante had [[StrawmanPolitical a few axes to grind]], especially with the political climate celebrating the '50s as a happy Golden Age and the suburbs as a great place to be. With [[MastersOfHorror a few exceptions]], though, he's relatively subtle about his opinions.

Actually probably better known to people of a certain age for ''EerieIndiana'' than for his movies; he was an executive producer and directed five episodes.

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[DisneyThemeParks Twilight Zone Tower of Terror]].

He also directed segments of the {{Anthology Film}}s ''TwilightZoneTheMovie'' and ''AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'', as well as the ''MastersOfHorror'' episodes "Homecoming" and "The Screwfly Solution" and the pre-show for the [[DisneyThemeParks Twilight Zone Tower of Terror]].

Dante's work is notable for the strong affection he has for [[AuthorAppeal '40s and '50s horror movies]] ({{Matinee}} is a love letter to William Castle, for example), and his taste for black comedy and political commentary. He first got attention for ''The Movie Orgy'', a seven-hour-long collection of weird film clips, ads and trailers that Dante still curates and screens around the country. After a few smaller successes, he directed ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', which launched a long, contentious relationship with Hollywood, which didn't seem to understand that Dante had [[StrawmanPolitical a few axes to grind]], especially with the political climate celebrating the '50s as a happy Golden Age and the suburbs as a great place to be. With [[MastersOfHorror a few exceptions]], though, he's relatively subtle about his opinions.

* ''{{Matinee}}''

Tropes present in Dante's work include:

Actually probably better known to people of a certain age for EerieIndiana than for his movies; he was an executive producer and directed five episodes.