While Joe Dante has been behind some of the greatest movies, he still remains quite an underrated filmmaker. His expertise heavily relied on the horror genre, where he showed the audience his diverse and intensive direction range. Since 1968, when he released the documentary The Movie Orgy, Dante has racked up 40 credits on both the big and small screens. His work has a diverse range that does not only rely on chills and thrills. In fact, he frequently has a humorous element that is seamlessly stitched into his projects. Here are a few of his top films in order to honor his tenure.
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6 Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)
New World Pictures
Unlike many other films on this list, Rock ‘n’ Roll High School is a Joe Dante film that he co-directed with Allan Arkush. This 1979 film tells the tale of a high school where a slew of principals kept quitting their jobs due to children’s love for rock ‘n’ roll music. However, this led to the school hiring an extremely strict principal, Miss Togar, who is played by Mary Woronov. Now, Ramones-obsessed Riff Randell needs to battle it out with her new principal for high school supremacy.
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The movie is exactly like the plot sounds, an absolutely ludicrous, chaotic journey. However, it is arguably one of the most refreshing, funny, and entertaining movies. While it may not have a high-budget set or actors, this movie is a cult classic for a reason! The audience will find themselves having a great time and bobbing their head to all the scores in it. There are many instances, like the exploding mice, which will make them wonder what exactly they are watching, while never feeling the need to stop, something only Joe Dante can do!
5 The ‘Burbs (1989)
Universal Pictures
In 1989, Joe Dante did a movie with the renowned actor, Tom Hanks. The story of the film centers on Ray Peterson, a suburbanite who becomes convinced by his nosy neighbors that the newcomers to the neighborhood are a clandestine family of killers. The sinister activities start happening when the frightening Klopek family shifts into the decaying mansion nearby. When one of their neighbors, Walter, disappears, Ray and his friends set out to establish the Klopek’s involvement in it.
Despite the fact that The ‘Burbsisn’t the best movie for either Hanks or Dante, it’s remarkable because it’s a true black comedy. Additionally, as was evident from a large portion of Dante’s earlier work, comedy plays a significant role in his work. Producing a good black comedy is not an easy feat, as one needs to extract humor in a witty way from some of the most unpleasant circumstances. The ‘Burbs is an exquisite example of not only doing it but also doing it correctly. This movie became a cult classic because of Tom Hanks’ frenetic acting and Dante’s great directing.
4 The Howling (1981)
Embassy Pictures
The Howling is considered to be the breakout movie for Dante. In addition, according to many horror film geeks, it is deemed the greatest werewolf movie to exist! The movie revolves around Karen White, an LA journalist who is being targeted by a serial killer. Due to the stress of her encounter with the killer, her therapist advises her to stay in a secluded campsite in order to unwind her mind. However, she and her husband soon realize the place is not what it seems.
The Howling perfectly encapsulated the terror of the werewolf with one of the best werewolf transition moments in the history of the subgenre—to this day many movies take references from it. The Howling features humor elements like many other Dante works, but its comedy is significantly more overt. It succeeds in many aspects and is undoubtedly one of Dante’s finest works, with a ton of wolf and werewolf references and nods. This is a movie that never gets stale, even after re-watching it many times.
3 Innerspace (1987)
DCU
Innerspace has to go down in the books of movies as the strangest movie in the buddy cop genre. The story revolves around a pilot named Tuck Pendleton, who is played by Dennis Quaid. He volunteers to be miniaturized and be put into a body of a rabbit in order to help with a top-secret assignment. However, things take a bewitching turn when the experiment goes entirely awry as a rival lab attempts to violently rob their technology. As a consequence of that, Tuck gets injected into a grocery store clerk named Jack Putter.
Innerspace is definitely a classic Joe Dante movie in every aspect. Audiences are in for a goofy, zany ride from the get-go. This is one of those films that will not let the audience take their eyes off the screen as it has it all, from comedy to sci-fi to action. Despite being from 1987, the movie uses its budget and technology with such innovation, thanks to Dante’s creative mind.
2 Matinee (1993)
Matinee is acknowledged as one of Dante’s best, and at the same time, most unheralded works. In the movie, John Goodman plays Lawrence Woolsey, a schlocky and cynical horror movie producer who will do everything to advance his project, Mant! In the process, he acts on some of his worst irrational thoughts during the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis. When Lawrence Woolsey brings his movie to Key West for residents to watch, the story takes an interesting series of turns.
There is no denying that William Castle was recognized as a prominent figure in the development of the horror genre. However, this may shock many, but Matinee was a genuine homage to Castle. This film is a fascinating period play with the Cold War as its backdrop. Dante creates an extremely upbeat ode to the United States as it was before Beatlemania’s devastation. Furthermore, through this movie, the audience will get to see one of the best movie depictions of the realm of cinema. While the movie can get quite gloomy and dark at times, it also lets the audience get a breath of fresh air with perfect comedic moments.
1 Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins sits on the throne of being Joe Dante’s best movie. Gremlins is a traditional Christmas movie. While one might expect it to be wholesome due to the time of release, this is precisely what sets it apart from the rest. Gremlins is a horror-comedy in which Billy’s father brings him an extremely enigmatic and adorable pet from Chinatown called a Mogwai, with three fairly clear instructions. However, a swarm of monsters is let loose when Billy and his buddy Gizmo violate the rules.
The film has a perfect balance of being humorous, yet at the very same time, scary. This combination will keep the audience on the edge of their seats. One of the most memorable scenes has to be when Billy warns his mom regarding the Mogwai over the telephone. However, one of the evil Gremlins overhears it and cuts the phone line by putting Bing Crosby’s music on. While this is a happy song, in this case, it quickly becomes unsettling; once again a visionary thing only Dante can do. Doing a horror-comedy with Christmas spirits isn’t easy. However, the only person who can actually pull it off is none other than Dante, and he does a remarkable job.
