Joe Dante (born November 28, 1946 in Morristown, New Jersey) is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and scifi content. His films include Piranha (1978) and The Howling (1981), both from scripts by John Sayles; Gremlins (1984), his first major hit, and its sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990); Innerspace (1987); Amazon Women on the Moon (1987); and Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003).
Joe Dante began his movie career working for Roger Corman, similar to Francis Ford Coppola and James Cameron. He worked as an editor on films such as Grand Theft Auto before codirecting Hollywood Boulevard with Allan Arkush. His first full feature film, Pirahna, was released in 1978. After the release of The Howling, he was noticed by Stephen Spielberg and he directed the third segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie for him. His first really big hit, Gremlins, which was also produced by Steven Spielberg, was released in 1984. He would work with Spielberg again on Innerspace and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. His films are well known for their movie injokes and their special visual effects.
Small Soldiers (1998)
