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.
| 2025 | The Creeps |
| 2024 | Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters as Self |
| 2024 | Sharksploitation as Self |
| 2024 | Ishiro Honda: Memoirs of a Film Director as Himself |
| 2024 | The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee as Self |
| 2022 | In Search of Darkness: Part III as Self |
| 2022 | Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story as Self - Interviewee |
| 2022 | Razzennest as Joe Dante |
| 2022 | Soleil vert et alerte rouge : quand Hollywood sonnait l'alarme as Self |
| 2022 | In Search of Tomorrow as Self - Interviewee |
| 2021 | Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida as Self [archival] |
| 2021 | Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster as Self |
| 2021 | Roger Corman, le pape du pop cinéma as Self |
| 2020 | Bugs Bunny's 80th What's Up, Doc-umentary! as Himself (archive footage) |
| 2020 | Tales of the Uncanny as Self |
| 2020 | In Search of Darkness: Part II as Self |
| 2020 | Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies as Self |
| 2020 | Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp as Host |
| 2020 | Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi as Host |
| 2020 | Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness as Host |
| 2019 | Class of '79: 40 Years of Rock 'N' Roll High School |
| 2019 | Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf as Self |
| 2019 | Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters as Self |
| 2019 | Love, Antosha as Self |
| 2019 | In Search of Darkness as Self |
| 2019 | Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film as Self |
| 2018 | Sad Hill Unearthed as Self - Filmmaker |
| 2018 | The Fear is Real as Self |
| 2018 | King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen as Self |
| 2018 | Hammer Horror: The Warner Bros. Years as Self |
| 2017 | Monstres, l'ennemi de l'intérieur as Self |
| 2016 | Long Live the King as himself |
| 2016 | 24×36 as Self |
| 2016 | Unspeakable Horrors: The Plan 9 Conspiracy as Himself |
| 2015 | Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex as Self |
| 2015 | Cadılar Bayramı Hikayeleri as Prof. Milo Gottlieb |
| 2015 | 42nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America's Most Notorious Street as Himself |
| 2015 | Eaten Alive! The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film |
| 2014 | Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous: Making Gremlins as Self |
| 2014 | From Gizmo to Gremlins: Creating the Creatures as Self |
| 2014 | There Goes the Neighborhood: The Making of The 'Burbs as Self |
| 2014 | Out of Print as Self |
| 2014 | ¡Zarpazos! Un viaje por el spanish horror as Self - Director |
| 2014 | We Come In Pieces: The Rebirth of the Horror Anthology Film as Self |
| 2014 | That Guy Dick Miller as Self |
| 2013 | House of Wax: Unlike Anything You've Seen Before! as Self |
| 2013 | A Fuller Life as Self - Reader (segment "Sicily Black and Blue") |
| 2013 | Blast Vegas as Salesman #2 |
| 2012 | Trailer War as Himself |
| 2012 | The Birds: Hitchcock's Monster Movie as Self |
| 2012 | Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan as Self |
| 2012 | Kelebek Odası as Cab Driver |
| 2012 | The Flesh and the Fury: X-posing Twins of Evil |
| 2012 | To Be... A Film Favorite |
| 2011 | Corman's World as Self - Filmmaker |
| 2011 | A Night at the Movies: Merry Christmas! as Self - Interviewee |
| 2011 | The Future of Fear as Self |
| 2011 | Produce Your Own Damn Movie! as Self |
| 2011 | American Grindhouse as Himself |
| 2010 | The Bloodiest Show on Earth: Making Vampire Circus as Self |
| 2010 | Machete Maidens Unleashed! as Self |
| 2010 | El hombre que vio llorar a Frankenstein as Self |
| 2010 | La RKO, une aventure hollywoodienne as Himself |
| 2010 | Pure in Heart: The Life and Legacy of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Self |
| 2010 | The Wolf Man: From Ancient Curse to Modern Myth as Self |
| 2009 | Amerikan Korku Filmleri as Self |
| 2009 | Fulci in the House: The Italian Master of Splatter as Himself |
| 2009 | Direct Your Own Damn Movie! as Self |
| 2009 | Monsterland as Self |
| 2009 | Coming Attractions: The History of the Movie Trailer as Self |
| 2008 | RKO Production 601: The Making of “Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World” as Self |
| 2008 | Fantastic Flesh: The Art of Make-Up EFX as Self |
| 2007 | Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story as Self |
| 2007 | Spider Stravinsky: The Cinema Sounds of Ronald Stein as Himself |
| 2007 | The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness as Self |
| 2007 | Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman as Self |
| 2007 | The Hatching of Spider Baby as Himself |
| 2006 | Amazing! Exploring the Far Reaches of Forbidden Planet as Self |
| 2006 | Robby the Robot: Engineering a Sci-Fi Icon as Self |
| 2006 | Lugosi: The Dark Prince as Self |
| 2006 | Hitchcocked! as Self |
| 2006 | Karloff: The Gentle Monster as Self |
| 2005 | The Perfect Scary Movie as Self |
| 2005 | Behind the Tunes: Bosko, Buddy and the Best of Black and White as Himself |
| 2005 | Behind the Tunes: Looney Tunes Go to War! as Himself |
| 2005 | Behind the Tunes: Tish Tash - The Animated World of Frank Tashlin as Himself |
| 2005 | Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy |
| 2004 | Männer im Trenchcoat, Frauen im Pelz as Self |
| 2004 | Edgar G. Ulmer – Der Mann im Off as Self |
| 2004 | Mario Bava: Operazione paura as Self |
| 2004 | Welcome to Werewolfland |
| 2003 | Unleashing the Beast: Making ‘The Howling’ |
| 2002 | Cinerama Adventure as Self |
| 2001 | Making The Earth Stand Still as Self |
| 2001 | It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures as Self |
| 2000 | Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation as Self |
| 2000 | Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre as Self |
| 1999 | Ray Harryhausen: Working with Dinosaurs as Self |
| 1999 | She's Alive! Creating 'The Bride of Frankenstein' as Self / Host |
| 1997 | Les deniers du culte as Self |
| 1994 | Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror as Self |
| 1994 | Sosyete Polisi 3 as Jailer |
| 1994 | Il silenzio dei prosciutti as Dying Man |
| 1994 | A Century of Cinema as Self |
| 1992 | The Magical World of Chuck Jones as Self |
| 1992 | Dönüşüm as Lab Assistant |
| 1992 | Flying Saucers Over Hollywood: The 'Plan 9' Companion as Himself |
| 1991 | Kızıma Dokunma as Face on the Cutting Room Floor |
| 1990 | Gremlinler 2 as Grandpa Fred Director (uncredited) |
| 1987 | İçimde Biri Var as Vectorscope Employee (uncredited) |
| 1986 | The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal as Self |
| 1982 | Eating Raoul as Busboy (uncredited) |
| 1981 | Making a Monster Movie: Inside 'the Howling' as Self |
| 1978 | Piranha as Scuba Diver #2 (uncredited) |
| 1978 | Roger Corman: Hollywood's Wild Angel as Self |
| 1976 | Yüzde Yüz Ölüm as Kid |
| 1976 | Hollywood Boulevard as Party Waiter (uncredited) |
| 1975 | Tidal Wave |
| Mary Woronov: Cult Queen |
| The Reality Trip as self |
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