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.
