Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Joe Dante, director began as trailer editor for Roger Corman's New World Pictures making directorial debut in 1976 with Hollywood Boulevard co-directed with Allan Arkush. Piranha marked his solo directorial debut 1977 and went on to become one of the company's biggest hits. He edited Ron Howard's directorial debut Grand Theft Auto and co-wrote the original story for Rock n Roll High School. He next directed The Howling, followed by the It’s a Good Life segment of the Twilight Zone: The Movie. Spielberg chose Joe to direct Gremlins which became a runaway hit and grossed more than $200 million worldwide. The sci-fi fantasy Explorers followed and then Innerspace staring Dennis Quaid and Martin Short. Tom Hanks starred in his next film for Imagine/Universal, The ‘Burbs , followed by Gremlins 2:The New Batch. Joe and partner Mike Finnell's company Renfield's Productions produced Matinee featuring John Goodman for Universal then came Dreamworks/Universal's Small Soldiers followed by Looney Tunes: Back in Action. Am