Roger William Corman is an American director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Much of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of low-budget cult films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe.
Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante. The story follows a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters that all wreak havoc on a whole town on Christmas Eve. It draws on legends of folkloric mischievous creatures that caused malfunctions — "gremlins" — in the British Royal Air Force going back to World War II. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, with the film being produced by Michael Finnell and released by Warner Bros.
The 'Burbs is a 1989 American black comedy film directed by Joe Dante, starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Corey Feldman, Wendy Schaal and Henry Gibson, and co-starring Gale Gordon. The film was written by Dana Olsen, who also has a cameo in the movie. The film pokes fun at suburban environments and their sometimes eccentric dwellers.
Innerspace is a 1987 American science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. It was inspired by the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage. It stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short and Meg Ryan, with Robert Picardo and Kevin McCarthy, with music composed by Jerry Goldsmith. It earned $42 million in worldwide theatrical rentals and won an Oscar, the only film directed by Dante to do so.
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 American musical comedy film directed by Allan Arkush, produced by Michael Finnell, and starring P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, Clint Howard and Dey Young. The film featured the punk rock group Ramones.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American comedy horror film, and the sequel to the 1984 film Gremlins. It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker. Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, and Keye Luke reprise their roles from the first film. New cast members include John Glover, Robert Prosky, Haviland Morris, Robert Picardo, and Christopher Lee; additionally, the film features Tony Randall providing the voice for one of the gremlins. The story continues the adventures of the creature Gizmo, who spawns numerous small monsters when wet. In the first film, Gizmo's offspring rampaged through a small fictional town. In Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Gizmo multiplies within a skyscraper in New York City. The new creatures thus pose a serious threat to the city should they be able to leave the building, and much of the story involves the human characters' efforts to prevent this disaster.
Joseph James Dante Jr. is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably Gremlins (1984)—often mix fantastical storylines with comedic elements.
The Howling is a 1981 American horror film directed by Joe Dante and starring Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, and Robert Picardo. Based on the novel of the same name by Gary Brandner, the film follows a television newswoman sent to a remote mountain resort after a near-fatal incident with a serial killer, unaware that the resort's residents are werewolves.
Richard Miller was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corman, including Joe Dante, James Cameron, and Martin Scorsese, with the distinction of appearing in every film directed by Dante. He was known for playing the beleaguered everyman, often in one-scene appearances. Miller's main roles have been in films such as Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Explorers, Piranha, The Howling, A Bucket of Blood, The Little Shop of Horrors, Not of This Earth, Chopping Mall, Night of the Creeps, The Terminator, The 'Burbs, Small Soldiers and Quake.
The Gremlins is a book written by Roald Dahl and published in 1943.
Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.
Piranha II: The Spawning is a 1982 independent horror film directed by James Cameron in his feature directorial debut. It is written by Charles H. Eglee and stars Tricia O'Neil and Lance Henriksen, who would later star in Cameron's The Terminator and Aliens. Part of the Piranha film series, it is the sequel to the film Piranha (1978) directed by Joe Dante.
Humanoids from the Deep is a 1980 American science fiction monster movie starring Doug McClure, Ann Turkel and Vic Morrow. Roger Corman served as the film's uncredited executive producer, and his company, New World Pictures, distributed it. Humanoids from the Deep was directed by Barbara Peeters and an uncredited Jimmy T. Murakami.
Charles Stephen Haas, also known as Charles Haas or Charlie Haas, is an American screenwriter, actor, and novelist.
Allan Arkush is an American director and producer of films, television and videos. He is a collaborator of Joe Dante.
Jeffrey Schwarz is an American Emmy Award-winning producer and director known for an extensive body of documentary film work. His feature documentaries include The Fabulous Allan Carr, Tab Hunter Confidential, I Am Divine, Vito, Wrangler: Anatomy of an Icon and Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story.
Kent Beyda is an American film editor.
Trailers from Hell is a web series in which filmmakers discuss and promote individual movies through commenting on their trailers. While the series emphasizes horror, science fiction, fantasy, cult, and exploitation cinema, films from a wide variety of genres have been covered. Trailers from Hell launched as a website in October 2007, as a collaborative project by film director Joe Dante, new media entrepreneur Jonas Hudson, graphic artist Charlie Largent, web developer Tom Edgar, and producer Elizabeth Stanley. It also premiered at SXSW in 2009.
The Wild Racers is a 1968 American film directed by Daniel Haller and starring Fabian, Mimsy Farmer, and Judy Cornwell. The screenplay concerns a Grand Prix racing car driver.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is an upcoming animated comedy fantasy streaming television series, to be released on WarnerMedia's new streaming service, HBO Max. The series will consist of 10 episodes and serve as a prequel to the 1984 film Gremlins and its 1990 sequel The New Batch. Set in 1920s Shanghai, East China, Secrets of the Mogwai will tell the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing met Gizmo, a young Mogwai. It will be written and executive produced by Tze Chun. Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sam Register, and Brendan Hay also serve as executive producers.
