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Joe Dante Appreciation Thread

post #1 of 101
1/24/09 at 2:49pm
Thread Starter 
Doing a search of past threads, I see that we have discussions on Gremlins, The Howling, Innerspace, and The Burbs. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find one that focuses on Joe Dante, the director of all these wonderful movies. Dante has had a career that has gone from cutting trailers for Roger Corman to directing movies produced by Amblin. His last couple of times as a director were for movies that didn't set the box office on fire. But even Small Soldiers and Looney Tunes: Back in Action have moments that are full of the same cartoonish energy and obscure film references that his fans love. I'm hoping that The Hole, a 3D horror movie that he is currently filming, taps into Dante's love of old William Castle flicks and it finds an audience.

Any other fans of Dante want to share their thoughts?
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post #2 of 101
1/25/09 at 3:42am
I'm ashamed to admit that I only know Dante from Innerspace (from an old TV recording on VHS), some of the Explorers, his episodes of Eerie, Indiana, and a trailer of Matinee that I saw when it came out and haven't forgotten about since. Not exactly enough to say anything of substance about him.
But after watching his commentaries on Trailers From Hell (http://www.trailersfromhell.com/grindhousegurus/#1), he seems like a great person, really knowledgeable about movies. So I hope that The Hole does well.
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post #3 of 101
1/25/09 at 6:46pm
The Burbs is pretty damn good. Makes me long for the days when Tom Hanks was still doing comedies.

In an recent issue of Video Watchdog Joe Dante revealed that hes been working on a biopic of Roger Corman. The script is supposed to be really good, but the film is stuck in development hell for some reason. Hopefully he can get the financing for it.
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post #4 of 101
1/25/09 at 7:05pm
Matinee really is his masterpiece.
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post #5 of 101
1/25/09 at 7:36pm
I haven't seen everything Dante's done, but I dig the guy. Matinee, Gremlins and The Howling are probably my favs from him. I was never too big on his segment for Twilight Zone: The Movie, but I certainly don't hate it either. The 'Burbs is really funny, and was a huge favorite of mine as a kid. It's actually been awhile since I've last seen it, so I think I should throw in the DVD soon.

I don't think I ever saw Innerspace, and I barely remember Explorers. Germlins 2 is what it is. I just plain don't like Small Soldiers and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

I hate the two episodes of "Masters of Horror" he did, but I hate most of that series anyway.

Definitely looking forward to The Hole.
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post #6 of 101
1/25/09 at 7:43pm
The heir to Tashlin, Dante is a masterclass subversive, and truly one of the great B movie directors of the modern era. He's also a great raconteur, and a charming and affable film fanatic. As much as I loved Edgar Wright's fest at the New Bev, I had the most fun at Dante's, not least of all because of the All Night Movie festival. I hope he shows that again at some point.
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post #7 of 101
1/25/09 at 7:55pm
I love Innerspace to death. Joe Dante's career is the proof that talent isn't the key to success. He's better than half the directors getting steady work today. More than anyone else, he's the one I really want to see get a second shot at the big time.
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post #8 of 101
1/25/09 at 8:30pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Iron Maiden View Post
I don't think I ever saw Innerspace, and I barely remember Explorers.
You need to correct this soon. Especially in seeing Innerspace, which I think has held up very well compared to most sci-fi movies of the 80s.

Great cast, impressive special effects, and it has moments that make me wish that Dante could have made a James Bond movie.
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post #9 of 101
1/25/09 at 8:43pm
The last act of Innerspace should be a lesson to George Lucas in how to intercut action on multiple fronts. The blending of what's going on inside and outside Martin Short's body is both hilarious and exciting, and transits at just the right times.
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post #10 of 101
1/25/09 at 8:56pm
Dre summed up my feelings on Joe.I would think that any of us that were born late 70's/early 80s would have grown up on Dante's films and love the guy to bits.

It sounds slightly crass but what's really great is that Dante made films for the whole family,entertaining enough for kids(and of course adults) but also they dealt with serious issues and were filled with subtext and innuendos that is really interesting to see when watching again as an adult as all that would have flown over our heads when we were children.If anything it makes you appreciate what he achieved in his films even more as he was able to balance the fun with the dark brilliantly.
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post #11 of 101
1/25/09 at 10:15pm
One of the most criminally underrated directors of the last 30 years. He has several legitimately great movies to his name: both Gremlins, Innerspace, The Howling and Matinee. Even some of his lesser movies like Small Soldiers or Explorers are interesting near-misses.

Fun fact: my mother was an extra on Matinee and talked to Dante in the lunch line. She said he was incredibly nice and down-to-earth.
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post #12 of 101
1/25/09 at 10:26pm
Matinee's probably one of the best films about what it means to grow up loving movies/being a geek out there. Like Freaks and Geeks, Dante gets it. I watched that film so much growing up, and yeah, like Elvis said, it really is his masterpiece.

"You think adults got it all figured out? That's a hustle kid. Grownups are making it up as they go along, just like you do. You remember that, you'll be fine."
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post #13 of 101
1/25/09 at 10:46pm
Gremlins 2 should have done to sequels what Watchmen should have done to superheroes. That the movie made its points while still being funny, light, and short - and without ruining the first film - is a testament to Dante's awesomeness.
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post #14 of 101
1/25/09 at 10:55pm
That Dante managed to pull off not just the subversive Gremlins 2, but the more straight forward but still equally awesome FIRST Gremlines should make any cinema enthusiast a fan. It's one thing to deconstruct something; it takes real brass and talent to deconstruct something you yourself made.
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post #15 of 101
1/25/09 at 11:15pm
The thing that keeps me from wholeheartedly loving the first Gremlins is the way the story was compromised in the name of cuteness. It was pretty obvious that the story was supposed to involve Gizmo turning into Stripe, but that someone had decided to go for a less mean-spirited "a boy and his dog" vibe, and changed it. Years later, I had this confirmed in the audio commentary, and learned that the alteration was Spielberg's influence. What's weird is that he suggested that change, but kept the Santa story.

Writer Chris Columbus, not surprisingly, didn't participate in the commentary.
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post #16 of 101
1/25/09 at 11:18pm
The Santa story becomes the Lincoln story in part two, possibly the funniest bit in the movie.
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post #17 of 101
1/25/09 at 11:22pm
In a lot of ways, I actually prefer the sequel. It's more up-front about its intentions, and consistent in its tone.
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post #18 of 101
1/25/09 at 11:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg David View Post
The thing that keeps me from wholeheartedly loving the first Gremlins is the way the story was compromised in the name of cuteness.
I can understand 100% where you are coming from with this but one of the things I love about Gremlins, especially after watching it for the first time in zillions of years just a few months ago is how perfectly balanced the cutsie pie stuff is with the more mean spirited tone the film revels in.
I think having Gizmo turn into Spike and eventually turned to ick would tilt it to far in the darker direction and lose some of the effortless tension Dante is spinning.
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post #19 of 101
1/26/09 at 12:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg David View Post
The last act of Innerspace should be a lesson to George Lucas in how to intercut action on multiple fronts. The blending of what's going on inside and outside Martin Short's body is both hilarious and exciting, and transits at just the right times.

Man, I haven't seen Innerspace in ages and yet I can perfectly remember the sequence of events going on in that final act and how well they were interwoven. I think it's time to revisit an old favorite to see how well the whole film holds up.
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post #20 of 101
1/26/09 at 12:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg David View Post
The last act of Innerspace should be a lesson to George Lucas in how to intercut action on multiple fronts. The blending of what's going on inside and outside Martin Short's body is both hilarious and exciting, and transits at just the right times.
Agreed. Quaid's battle with robo-suited Vernon Wells is genuinely exciting for such a "light" comedy.
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post #21 of 101
1/26/09 at 11:46am
Thread Starter 
If you read Bruce Campbell's "If Chins Could Kill", Dante at one point was attached to direct The Phantom with Campbell in the running to play the title character. We ended up with Simon Wincer directing Billy Zane.

Ponder that and weep.
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post #22 of 101
1/26/09 at 11:56am
'Innerpsace' is proof that, in the right hands, Martin Short can be extremely funny. It's a forgotten gem of a movie.

I disliked 'Gremlins' but loved the sequel.
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post #23 of 101
1/26/09 at 12:02pm
Also in the "Joe Dante is awesome" column: Eerie, Indiana, where he was 'creative consultant', directed a bunch of episodes, and even played himself in the series finale.

"Item: Elvis lives on my paper route."
"Thank you, lil paperboy."
"Item: Bigfoot eats out of my trash."

"Still don't believe me? You will."

Such a good show. I watched it a few years back, and it really does hold up.
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post #24 of 101
1/26/09 at 12:47pm
Joe Dante is one of the few directors that seemed to be making movies just for me and I adore most of his output. I'd love to hang out and talk movies with the guy. Can't wait for THE HOLE and hope he gets a comeback in a big way.
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post #25 of 101
1/26/09 at 9:18pm
I confess I haven't seen Argento or Miike's entry into the series, but Dante's two Masters of Horror episodes pissed on most others from a great height. Not only did he not embarrass himself like a few others did, he knocked his efforts screaming out of the park. Was fun to watch, not just because of the fact the episodes were legitimately cool, but the feeling of "fuck yes, he's still got it" made my soul warmer.
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post #26 of 101
1/26/09 at 9:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8 View Post
Joe Dante is one of the few directors that seemed to be making movies just for me and I adore most of his output.
Or did growing up with his films kinda nurture my tastes? Chicken & egg maybe? A bit of both I say.
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post #27 of 101
1/26/09 at 10:26pm
I liked Small Soldiers more then Gremlins.
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post #28 of 101
1/26/09 at 10:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCallaghan View Post
I confess I haven't seen Argento or Miike's entry into the series, but Dante's two Masters of Horror episodes pissed on most others from a great height. Not only did he not embarrass himself like a few others did, he knocked his efforts screaming out of the park. Was fun to watch, not just because of the fact the episodes were legitimately cool, but the feeling of "fuck yes, he's still got it" made my soul warmer.
Yeah, his and Stuart Gordon's episodes are the only really good ones from the series in my opinion.
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post #29 of 101
4/16/09 at 10:05am
Was rooting through my attic and came across a box full of my old books, look what was sitting on the top;



Here's the last paragraph, which is a doozy;

Frank Forster had met his Waterloo.
He'd managed to escape to a conference room all the way near the top of the building, but she'd followed him.
The Gremlin in the Dress...
"What a hunk!" she was saying as she closed in on him. "Don't be afraid of what you feel!"
Forster was back in the room as far as he could go.
And she was coming for him.
"No," he whimpered. "Please!"
"I need you, Frank. Is that wrong?"
She was undulating toward him, her hips pumping beneath her tight sequined dress, her breasts thrust out before her like offerings. Her lips worked in kissy-kissy motion, hungry for him.
"Roll over me with your hot love...What about my needs? Intimacy...We never talk. Why can't you commit?"
Daniel Clamp hung up, leaving him all alone.
She was coming for him...
Frank Forster looked down at the Gremlin with the Dress and the breasts and her long purple hair.
He Shrugged and closed his eyes and sank into surrender onto the floor.

"Please be gentle," he said.

(Brilliant)
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post #30 of 101
4/16/09 at 12:04pm
I've never seen Gremlins 2 or Matinee and it has been a long, long time since I watched any of Dante's other stuff. This thread has prompted me to head over to Netflix and fix that immediately. I'm gonna line up a string of Dante movies and see if my wife (who generally has a Chewer's taste without being much into the details) picks up on the common thread.

Well done, JPL & Co.
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post #31 of 101
4/16/09 at 12:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
Even some of his lesser movies like Small Soldiers or Explorers are interesting near-misses.
Absolutely.
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post #32 of 101
4/16/09 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eenin View Post
I liked Small Soldiers more then Gremlins.
This makes precisely the kind of sense that doesn't.
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post #33 of 101
4/16/09 at 12:14pm
Yep.
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post #34 of 101
4/16/09 at 1:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianM View Post
I've never seen Gremlins 2 or Matinee and it has been a long, long time since I watched any of Dante's other stuff. This thread has prompted me to head over to Netflix and fix that immediately. I'm gonna line up a string of Dante movies and see if my wife (who generally has a Chewer's taste without being much into the details) picks up on the common thread.

Well done, JPL & Co.
You should also get ahold of the original Rock N Roll High School which Dante essentially co-directed and co-wrote. It's glorious.
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post #35 of 101
4/16/09 at 2:38pm
What, no love for Piranha?
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post #36 of 101
4/16/09 at 9:25pm
He's recorded several fun, chatty commentaries for his own movies (i'd kill for a Matinee one!), as well as a solid track for the '53 War of the Worlds. Along with Quentin Tarantino, Edgar Wright and a few select others, Dante is a guy i love to listen to just talk about movies. His love (and knowledge) shine though loud and clear.

Though a fair amount of his style edged it's way into Back in Action, a "Gremlins 2"-style Joe Dante Looney Tunes movie would be incredible. (Granted Gremlins 2 was pretty much a live action WB cartoon, but still.)
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post #37 of 101
4/25/09 at 4:17am
Joe Dante is the man and I'd kill to see that Corman biopic. S'funny, when I was an intern a while back around the time of Wright and Dante's New Bev screenings, I was fighting tooth and nail urging the development people to go after Dante for one of their projects. Who did they want instead? Wright of course, the next big thing, and naturally his people probably instantly turned them down as his slate is probably planned for the next 10 years. Here's hoping in a couple decades Wright doesn't have the same difficulties getting movies off the ground Dante now does.
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post #38 of 101
7/2/09 at 4:54pm
Well, I looked around for a The Howling thread and couldn't find it because I am stupid. I did find this and since the John Landis in Director's Jail thread was turning into an arguement over the best werewolf movie ever I thought I would put my thoughts here.

Not much, really. I have always preferred Dante's film to Landis's mainly because I think The Howling has a low budget charm and truly frightening atmosphere that AAWIL only captures occasionally. The balance of humor and horror is well done here and the cameos (John Carradine, Dick Miller) and film clips work for me in a way that Landis's clever song choices do not. The effects in The Howling have a really odd atmosphere (lighting, sound, etc.) and the werewolves just freak my shit out. They resemble live action cartoons (something he returns to in his Twilight Zone segment). I just love this film and Dante's work in general. Gremlins, Matinee Piranha all of it just makes me a happy horror nerd. Landis always seemed to want to be making something else. Innocent Blood doesn't get a lot of love these days, does it?
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post #39 of 101
7/2/09 at 5:12pm
I'll go out on the figurative limb here and say that Looney Tunes Back In Action is pretty darn entertaining.

Even if you're predisposed not to appreciate Brendan Fraser or the weird Heather Locklear cameo, Dante captures the manic energy and frantic pace of the Looney Tunes characters. The script is credited to Larry Doyle, former Simpsons writer and "I Love You Beth Cooper" scribe. It has Steve Martin's only 'Steve Martin-ish" performance in over a decade at the very least...

And Daffy's force-field-penetrating apple bit belongs in one of Chuck Jones' original shorts - that's not hyperbole.
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post #40 of 101
7/2/09 at 5:21pm
I like Looney Tunes: BIA for what it is, thought I haven't watched it in a while. It's fun. I think The Howling is the better shot transformation, but WiL has the better version of it. I worry for all future Werewolf films in that CGI is an easy tool, but the physical is undeniable in either.
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post #41 of 101
7/2/09 at 5:21pm
I recently viewed Trapped Ashes, and I highly disliked it. He only directed a portion of it, though.
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post #42 of 101
7/2/09 at 5:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte View Post
I like Looney Tunes: BIA for what it is, thought I haven't watched it in a while. It's fun.
I'm a sucker for the Area 52 scene with the classic scifi cameos. Makes me kinda want Dante to direct more love letters like MATINEE.
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post #43 of 101
7/2/09 at 6:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andre Dellamorte View Post
I like Looney Tunes: BIA for what it is, thought I haven't watched it in a while. It's fun. I think The Howling is the better shot transformation, but WiL has the better version of it. I worry for all future Werewolf films in that CGI is an easy tool, but the physical is undeniable in either.
I think this is a concern we all have. Interesting distinction between realization and shooting styles in the two films. I am inclined to agree. Landis has said that he shot AWiL's transformation in a deliberately flat manner and this is bourne out in the sequence. Interesting choices in both films but I'll be damned if Dante doesn't have an edge for me. I recall reading about a "mash-up/collage" thing he did many years ago that may have played at the New Beverly. Anyone catch that?

Edit: Shit. Now I am going to have to watch LT:BIA. I trust you guys....
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post #44 of 101
7/3/09 at 12:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse Custer View Post

And Daffy's force-field-penetrating apple bit belongs in one of Chuck Jones' original shorts - that's not hyperbole.
As is the bit where Elmer Fudd chases Bugs through all the paintings in The Louvre.
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post #45 of 101
7/3/09 at 3:54am
Those of you in Los Angeles should be made aware that the New Beverly is planning another festival of Joe Dante. And they will be screening his "Movie Orgy", several of his films along with select favorites.
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post #46 of 101
7/3/09 at 4:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnycinco View Post
Those of you in Los Angeles should be made aware that the New Beverly is planning another festival of Joe Dante. And they will be screening his "Movie Orgy", several of his films along with select favorites.
Well, I know when and where I'm taking my vacation now.
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post #47 of 101
7/3/09 at 4:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Strangefist View Post
What, no love for Piranha?
No shit. What's up with that?
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post #48 of 101
7/3/09 at 5:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnycinco View Post
Those of you in Los Angeles should be made aware that the New Beverly is planning another festival of Joe Dante. And they will be screening his "Movie Orgy", several of his films along with select favorites.
Holy shit. I will be at every one of these again.
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post #49 of 101
7/3/09 at 9:27am
Dre, it was announced at the screening of Purple Rain. I'm honestly a little stunned that you weren't there. The show was packed an everyone was singing along...
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post #50 of 101
7/3/09 at 1:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by johnnycinco View Post
Those of you in Los Angeles should be made aware that the New Beverly is planning another festival of Joe Dante. And they will be screening his "Movie Orgy", several of his films along with select favorites.
Sweet! Maybe this will play during my birthday!
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