简介: JoeDanteisagraduateofthePhiladelphiaCollegeofArt.Afterastintasafilmreviewer,hebeganhisfilmmakingapprenticeshipin1974astrailereditorforRogerCorman'sNewWorldPictures.Hemadehisdirectorialdebutin1976withHollywoodBoulevard(co-directedwithAllanArkush),athinlydisguisedspoofofNewWorldexploitationpictures,shotintendaysfor$60,000.
In1977DantemadehissolodebutasafilmdirectorwithPiranha,whichwentontobecomeoneofthecompany'sbiggesthitsandwasdistributedthroughouttherestoftheworldbyUnitedArtists.DuringhistenureatNewWorld,DanteeditedRonHoward'sdirectorialdebutGrandTheftAuto(1977)andco-wrotetheoriginalstoryforRock'n'RollHighSchool(1979).
ForAvco-EmbassyDantenextdirectedthehighlypraisedwerewolfthrillerTheHowling(1981),followedbytheIt'saGoodLifesegmentoftheepisodicTwilightZone:TheMovie(1983).
HavingworkedwithStevenSpielbergonTwilightZone,DantewaschosentohelmoneofthefirstAmblinProductionsforWarnerBros.Gremlins(1984)becamearunawayhitandgrossedmorethan$200millionworldwide.
DantefollowedupwithExplorers(1985)forParamount,asci-fifantasyaboutthreekidswhobuildtheirownspaceship,andthenInnerspace(1987)forGuber/Peters,AmblinandWarnerBros.,anactioncomedyinwhichminiaturizedtestpilotDennisQuaidisinjectedintothebodyofsupermarketclerkMartinShort.
TomHanksstarredinDante'snextfilmforImagine/Universal,The'Burbs(1989),whichwasfollowedbyGremlins2:TheNewBatch(1990)forWarnerBros.in1990._Matinee(1993)_featuringJohnGoodmanasahuckstershowmanpremieringhisnewhorrorfilmduringtheCubanMissileCrisis,wasaproductionofDanteandpartnerMikeFinnell'sRenfieldProductionsforUniversalin1993.