Joe Dante Quotes

Powerful Joe Dante for Daily Growth

About Joe Dante

Joe Dante, born on November 28, 1946, in Newark, New Jersey, is an esteemed American film director, producer, and screenwriter, primarily known for his work in the horror and science fiction genres. Growing up, he was greatly influenced by Universal Monsters films and the works of Alfred Hitchcock. He attended Wesleyan University, where he studied art and filmmaking, which laid the foundation for his future career. In the early 1970s, Dante began working at Hanna-Barbera Productions, contributing to numerous animated television series such as "Scooby-Doo" and "The Flintstones." His first feature film, "Hollywood Boulevard," was a low-budget horror comedy released in 1976. However, his breakthrough came with the release of "Piranha" (1978), a cult classic that showcased Dante's knack for blending horror and humor. Dante achieved wider recognition with the 1984 film "Gremlins," which was a massive commercial success and established him as a significant figure in contemporary fantasy filmmaking. The film's blend of comedy, horror, and heart struck a chord with audiences, becoming a timeless classic. Following "Gremlins," Dante directed several other notable films, including "Explorers" (1985), "Innerspace" (1987), and "The 'burbs" (1989). Throughout his career, Joe Dante has been celebrated for his unique storytelling style, blending humor, horror, and social commentary in innovative ways. His work continues to inspire a new generation of filmmakers, making him an essential figure in the history of American cinema.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"I always say you can't make a horror movie without a social commentary."

Joe Dante's quote emphasizes that effective horror films often include a deeper, social commentary beyond mere fear or shock. This commentary reflects the filmmaker's perspective on society, culture, politics, or human nature, which can enhance the narrative and provide additional layers of meaning for viewers. By integrating societal issues into their works, horror directors can provoke thought, stimulate discussion, and create a more profound impact on audiences.


"Movies are dreams with a little bit of reality thrown in."

This quote by Joe Dante suggests that movies, like dreams, provide an escape from the mundane realities of everyday life, offering an imaginative and creative space where anything is possible. However, they also incorporate elements of reality to make them relatable and engaging for audiences. In essence, movies allow us to explore fantastical ideas while still grounding them in familiar experiences or truths.


"When I was a kid, there were no movies like the ones I wanted to see, so I had to figure out how to make them myself."

This quote highlights the spirit of creativity and self-determination, as well as the desire to express unique ideas. Joe Dante acknowledges that as a child, he couldn't find movies that resonated with him, so instead of passively waiting for them, he took matters into his own hands by learning how to create those very films himself. This demonstrates resilience and ingenuity in pursuing one's passion and vision, which serves as an inspiration for aspiring filmmakers today.


"I've always been more interested in what's under the bed than over it."

Joe Dante's quote, "I've always been more interested in what's under the bed than over it," implies a fascination with the unknown or unseen, rather than the obvious or apparent aspects of life. It suggests a propensity to explore the mysteries, fears, and hidden truths that lurk beneath our everyday perceptions. This quote is deeply symbolic, inviting us to delve deeper into the subconscious, the unexplored realms, and the secrets that lie within ourselves and the world around us.


"Monsters are like any other outsiders: they're afraid of us and we're afraid of them."

This quote by Joe Dante suggests that both monsters (symbolically or literally) and humans share a common fear towards each other, stemming from unfamiliarity and misunderstanding. The "monster" is often viewed as an outsider, feared for its differences, while humans are equally afraid of the unknown, the strange, or the different. This mutual fear can be applied to real-life situations, highlighting the importance of empathy and understanding in dealing with those who may seem scary or threatening at first glance.


A lot of filmmakers from my generation were lucky enough to have their work more or less perpetuated by people who saw them originally on TV and on HBO and certainly on home video.

- Joe Dante

Lucky, TV, Video, HBO

So I've always been kind of an apocalyptic kind of kid, and looking back at the movies I've done, there's some kind of apocalypse in them. So that must be what scares me... besides Republicans.

- Joe Dante

Looking Back, Some, Always, Apocalypse

'Avatar' is the greatest, most comprehensive collection of movie cliches ever assembled, but it's put together in a brand new way with a new technology, and tremendous imagination, making it a true epic and a kind of a milestone.

- Joe Dante

Movie, Tremendous, Put, Brand

Repetitiveness is one of the things that's most difficult to get away from in genre pictures, because people come specifically to see certain kinds of things but get disappointed if they're presented in the same way. So to try to find a new way to show old stuff is always the challenge.

- Joe Dante

Away, One Of The Things, Specifically

Editing is where movies are made or broken. Many a film has been saved and many a film has been ruined in the editing room.

- Joe Dante

Broken, Saved, Been, Ruined

I think 'Pan's Labyrinth' is genius.

- Joe Dante

Genius, Think, I Think, Pan

I'm always looking for films, but the horror scripts that I get tend to be very repetitive and often not that interesting.

- Joe Dante

Always, Very, Films, Scripts

It's very hard to have lived through the Sixties and not be political.

- Joe Dante

Political, Through, Very, Sixties

Finding a writer who can write decent kids' dialog and finding kids that can act realistically and not 'cute' is an effort.

- Joe Dante

Effort, Act, Realistically, Dialog

Daffy, of course, wants to go on the journey with him but the studio decides they want Daffy back, so Bugs and a young studio executive heroine have to go out and try to bring him back.

- Joe Dante

Journey, Young, Studio, Heroine

I mean, movies are all geared to be basically under 25, and they're all tentpoles, explosions, excitement and all that - they take advantage of the big screen, which is great.

- Joe Dante

Big, Which, Advantage, Excitement

What's the shelf life of a 1931 movie? If it still exists, there will always be film buffs and a niche audience who will want to see it. But in terms of people even understanding in common usage, some of the words we use to describe these movies, I don't know how long that's going to last.

- Joe Dante

Some, Movie, Use, Shelf

There's so little difference between television and features as far as you make the film. I mean, you have less money and it's a little quicker, but the concept is all on television.

- Joe Dante

Television, Less Money, As Far As

The dynamic is extremely similar to Gremlins and the hero is very similar, plus the small town atmosphere. It really is in a way the third Gremlins movie.

- Joe Dante

Small, Atmosphere, Similar, Plus

When you make a 3-D movie you actually have to plan the way the visuals look because there's a parallax issue, and there's an issue of editing; you can't edit very quickly in 3-D because the eye won't adjust fast enough for it.

- Joe Dante

Movie, Very, Visuals, Adjust

I grew up in New Jersey and my father was a golf pro, so I was groomed for sports, but I wasn't very good, so my interests lay elsewhere.

- Joe Dante

Sports, New, Very, Jersey

I don't believe that you can judge the worth of a movie in the atmosphere in which it comes out the first time. There's just so many reasons why some pictures don't catch on.

- Joe Dante

Some, Atmosphere, Which, Catch

I've sort of closed my mind off to reality shows: I just don't watch them, don't care about them, don't know who the characters are, but they're all in general usage.

- Joe Dante

Mind, Usage, Reality Shows, Closed

You don't paint pictures to put them in your attic. You want people to look at them.

- Joe Dante

Want, Paint, Them, Attic

My generation remembered going to the movies as an event. We would see these things, we would bring them home, and we would think about them for years because it would take a long time before they would go on television where you could re-experience the fun that you had when you watched them.

- Joe Dante

Bring, Before, About, Watched

I've made a lot of movies with kids in them. I don't know why that is, but it's something I've noticed.

- Joe Dante

Why, Made, Them, Noticed

I don't think you can ever be ahead of your time with cynicism about that subject. No, I don't think it was ahead of its time. I think it was very much a product of its time.

- Joe Dante

Think, Product, Very, Cynicism

Editing is kind of a solitary job.

- Joe Dante

Job, Kind, Solitary, Editing

When I was growing up in the '60s I would have thought that westerns would last forever.

- Joe Dante

Growing Up, Growing, Would, Westerns

If you're doing a family movie, you don't want it to be stupid. Farting chihuahuas is not my idea of entertainment for kids or adults. So you try to make a movie that adults can see on one level, and kids can see on another.

- Joe Dante

Stupid, Doing, Movie, Entertainment

I like working with kid actors because they surprise you constantly. I mean, all actors do - but kids particularly.

- Joe Dante

Kid, Like, Particularly, Surprise

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