Joe Dante

Suburban America overrun by monsters, with cartoon jokes on top. A bank teller gets a new pet in Gremlins, and the small town of Kingston Falls pays for it. The 'Burbs has Ray Peterson and his neighbours convinced that the secretive family next door is up to something. Dante learned his trade cutting trailers for Roger Corman, and his films are packed with references to old B-movies.

Signature

• Monster comedy in small-town America (Gremlins).
• Suburban paranoia (The 'Burbs).
• In-jokes, cameos and cartoon logic.
• A segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie.