"There go the goddamn brownies!"
About Joe Dante
Joe Dante — Life and Legacy
Joe Dante is a prominent filmmaker recognized for his distinctive ability to merge horror and comedy, creating a unique cinematic experience. His notable works, such as 'Gremlins' and 'The Howling,' showcase his talent for crafting stories that both entertain and provoke thought. Dante's core philosophy revolves around the idea that humor can coexist with horror, allowing audiences to confront their fears in a more accessible way. He famously stated that 'the best horror films are the ones that make you laugh,' highlighting his belief in the power of laughter as a tool for storytelling. Dante's quotes often reflect his critical view of the film industry, where he advocates for artistic integrity over commercial success. He challenges filmmakers to embrace creativity and take risks, arguing that the most memorable films are those that break conventional molds. His perspective encourages a deeper exploration of genre, suggesting that blending elements can lead to richer narratives. Today, Joe Dante's insights remain relevant as filmmakers navigate the complexities of storytelling in a rapidly changing industry. His work continues to inspire a new generation of creators who seek to balance humor and horror, proving that innovative storytelling can resonate across different audiences.
Quote collection
Joe Dante quotes (page 1 of 2)
40 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"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."
"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."
"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."
"When the first movie to show the anger people have about the war is a grade Z zombie movie, that tells you all you need to know about how afraid of ruffling anyone's feathers people in the movie business are today."
"You don't paint pictures to put them in your attic. You want people to look at them."
"You do form a cadre of people that you trust and who are good at their jobs and who know you and what your quirks and foibles are. It makes making movies very collegial and a lot more fun."
"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."
"There's a way of thinking that comes with being an editor that is incredibly useful on the set. It's not just a vocabulary thing or a right-to-left thing or script supervisor stuff. It's a way of thinking about the film and the shots and the way they fit together, what you need and what you don't need, and what you can get away with if you have to."
"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."
"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."
"Movies cost so much that studios really try to impose their personality over yours. A lot of times, you can get swallowed up in that and end up making movies that are indistinguishable from anybody else's. One of the things I've always tried to do is to inject myself as much as possible into the movie, so I feel like it's mine. But that also comes from what you choose to do and what you choose not to do. There are certain projects I could have said yes to, and I know exactly how they would have turned out: exactly the way they turned out when someone else did them."
"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."
"Movies get found in the editing room. The movie that you make is not always necessarily the movie that comes out of the editing room. The trick is to perfect the movie that you have and make it the best version of what you've shot, regardless of what the intent may have been."
"Finding a writer who can write decent kids' dialog and finding kids that can act realistically and not 'cute' is an effort."
"I think that anybody that wants to direct, particularly writers, should spend some time in an editing room, whether it's a film of theirs or someone else's, or shoot their own picture on video and cut it."
"I like working with kid actors because they surprise you constantly. I mean, all actors do - but kids particularly."
"I love 'Evil Dead 2!' Who doesn't love 'Evil Dead 2?"
"When filmmakers are kept from making films, there's a lot of different reasons why. Sometimes you work on a film and cast it and do all the work and can be just a month away from shooting, and all of a sudden, the whole thing goes up in smoke. But I do think the advent of a digital revolution is going to provide people with opportunities to make films that they never would have had before. I think you can do some pretty credible stuff now with very, very little money. Which I think is great for young filmmakers."
"I'm always looking for films, but the horror scripts that I get tend to be very repetitive and often not that interesting."