Joseph James "Joe" Dante, Jr. (born November 28, 1946) is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably Gremlins (1984)—often mix fantastical storylines with comedic elements.
Dante's films include Piranha (1978) and The Howling (1981) (both from scripts by John Sayles), Gremlins (1984) and its sequel (1990), 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 includes immigration satire The Second Civil War (1997) and episodes of anthology series Masters of Horror (Homecoming and The Screwfly Solution) and Amazing Stories, as well as Hawaii Five-0. More: en.wikipedia.org.