Joe Dante's Battle With Hollywood

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Sources / Further Reading:
The AV Club Interview with Dante (Nov 2000) - bit.ly/36MW5j5
SuicideGirls Interview with Dante (June 2007) - bit.ly/3kFoDCY
DenOfGeek Interview with Dante (Feb 2008) - bit.ly/3zhYkXF
Mubi Interview with Dante (May 2009) - bit.ly/3iuzTzu
Fangoria Interview with Dante (Oct 2009) - bit.ly/3wQTQ8N
Chicago Reader Interview with Dante (Aug 2012) - bit.ly/3ioEfIg
SyFy Interview with Dante (May 2016) - bit.ly/3xWlwdI
Joe Dante speaks about Explorers' troubled production - bit.ly/3zjR91b
Brad Bird talks about The Iron Giant's production - bit.ly/3Bo8Uyf
Quest for Camelot's troubled production - bit.ly/3kKqd6V
Cats Don't Dance's troubled production - bit.ly/3hUDTdK
Hints of Osmosis Jones' troubled production - bit.ly/3hSSrdL
The Sublime Satire of Gremlins 2 by Witney Seibold - bit.ly/3kSj2JZ
Music:
Lukrembo - "Beat Store", "Flowers", "Teapot", "Wine"- / lukrembo
Beethoven - "Symphony No. 8 in F Major Op 93"
Lex Villena - "11"
Chris Zabriskie - "CGI Snake", "Candlepower", "Rewound" - chriszabriskie...
Franz Schubert - "Symphony No. 3 in D Major D 200"
You can follow me through:
Twitter- andymsaladino
Vimeo- vimeo.com/theroyaloceanfilmsociety

[@pcm1011]

Finally someone giving the respect this movie deserves. Shoutout to Brendan Fraser, Hollywood did him dirty

[@SirBlackReeds]

Ah, but how much respect does it really deserve?

[@MicahMicahel]

they haven't trusted or understood the characters since the old days. Nowadays they think humans are more fun than the toons.

[@iwasanangryyoungman]

Speaking of Fraser, he and Timothy Dalton are back together in Doom Patrol

[@Mr_Givik]

@@SirBlackReeds more than it got, that much is obvious

[@CarbyGuuGuu]

Then, he got his redemption with Doom Patrol.

[@idontlikethis980]

My dad worked on this movie as an animator (animated daffy, casino shots, and much more) Him and all his co-workers were never credited. The making of this film was hell for the animators some times you would take months to finish whole shots just for it to be cut. Workers spent months in the studio Sleeping less then 4 hours a day My dad went through hell for this movie so it's really nice to see people starting to notice this film and liking it

[@BugsyFoga]

It always was a film I enjoyed watching as a kid.

[@anisomniac5931]

I feel really bad for your father in this scenario. I've never done any professional creative work _(and due to horror stories like this I hear about it I'm very scared of it),_ but I do animate as a hobby, and _my_ father was even a CGI artist back in the 2000's. I can often spend multiple weeks or months on making a single animated video, polishing it as much as possible because I like doing that, so I can imagine working a lot harder on animation for such a long time, with hardly any creative freedom, on very little sleep, would be a hellish experience alone, but then if you're also constantly told by strict higher ups, who have little to no understanding of how your field works, to modify and/or scrap something that you poured your heart and soul into, and especially to not even receive ANY credit for it in the end, would be mentally scarring. That can make anyone feel like absolute garbage. He's really talented and deserved at the very least to be credited for the stuff he painstakingly worked on. Hand-drawn animation _(especially for a production like this)_ is the absolute hardest thing to pull off. Art and corporatism often goes horribly together because they're so opposed in nature. That's something I notice all too often in life, even with this website. They can go together well, but only in rare cases where the artist is given enough control to feel comfortable and dedicated to the project, and where the overseer of that project is given enough control to keep their artistic vision and even have it polished by the artists. It's a tough balancing act, and if either group has too much control, the final product and/or the production of it can turn out horribly.

[@cjm866]

What's his name and the studio he worked in?

[@noahbossier1131]

What’s his name and what studio did he work at

[@smoage]

Excellent work! That's infuriating he never got credited!

[@krisinsaigon]

that shot of Elmer Fudd chasing Bugs and Daffy into a Salvador Dali painting and then them all starting to melt into shapes was fantastic. If that is any indication of the rest of it you might be right

[@Malkmusianful]

eh, you like watching Brendan and Jenna try to flirt and get their jobs back?

[@krisinsaigon]

@@Malkmusianful maybe not

[@Kirbychu1]

That's definitely the stand-out segment in the movie. But yeah the rest of the movie is pretty much like the other guy said, though the Looney Tunes are still great throughout the film.

[@studiodaeera]

STAAAWWWP OOORRHH EYE'LL FFFIIIIYAAAAHHH!!!

[@erikbihari3625]

@@studiodaeera. Imagine if he'd make a fully animated looney tunes movie!

[@cbullwinkel]

Surprised you didn't mention the Chuck Jones cameo in the beginning of Gremlins! Joe Dante truly showed his admiration for C Jones in every film.

[@RiainRamblez]

There's lots of Looney Tunes love in InnerSpace as well, a bunny names Bugs, an actual Bugs Bunny doll, and Chuck Jones himself

[@Bizarro69]

There's always a "surprised you didn't mention blah blah blah" Just inform us of said blah blah blah

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

One of my personal heroes too! =)

[@AgsmaJustAgsma]

"Back in Action is better than Space Jam." My Man!

[@SirBlackReeds]

Them's fighting words.

[@wellesradio]

@@SirBlackReeds No, they’re not. Joe Dante said he hated Space Jam and felt it was disrespectful to the legacy of Warner cartoons, which immediately got my attention. It was a film made with artistic integrity. Space Jam was a cash-grab piece of garbage with absolutely no merit whatsoever. No one with an appreciation for films and animation thinks Space Jam was good. No one.

[@Wired4Life2]

@@wellesradio _"No one with an appreciation for films and animation thinks Space Jam was good. No one."_ Sounds rather snobbish. Also, having just seen _Looney Toons: Back in Action..._ yeah, I don't think I'll ever put it above the bizarre yet lasting alchemy that is _Space Jam._

[@wellesradio]

@@Wired4Life2 Oh, Back in Action is flawed and disappointing for sure, but that was the result of a lot of tampering and a difficult production. The end result is not a great film. But Space Jam is just visual excrement. It’s Freddy Got Fingered levels of bad.

[@Salsmachev]

@@wellesradio Nah, Space Jam is entertaining. I'd say that "excrement" has to at least fall short of that mark. If Space Jam is visual excrement, think I prefer that to the visual masturbation that dominates art films and Oscar bait dramas. They set out to make an entertaining film and they achieved that. Is it great? No. Do I prefer Back in Action? Yes. Does that make Space Jam literal shit? Not by a long shot.

[@Pfisiar22]

Brad Bird's quote about building a team is so on point it almost hurts. Walt Disney didn't start out making feature animated films. there was doubt that such a thing could ever be done in a way that's financially viable. But Disney had a plan. The Silly Symphony shorts became a testing ground for expanding what could be done with narrative through animation. And as the series got further on, the shorts become longer and more elaborate. They used the shorts as a dry run for developing talent and figuring out what needed to come together for shorts. Point is that Bird's right. It was a gradual process that let Disney develop an animation department capable of doing these things. Also, interesting to point out is that Disney almost had to start from scratch all over again in the late 70s and early 80s when Black Cauldron was a huge flop. There was talk about scrapping the animation division all together.

[@981zASDF]

There was talk of animation going down, but Roy Disney wouldn't have let that happen. Roy was a force throughout his time at Disney, despite being shunned by Walt himself. Walt and Roy Sr died at a... Normal age for the time, but Roy was the rock. You should check out Michael Eisners biography, it details a lot of his life at paramount and Disney, I'm about 3/4 of the way through

[@981zASDF]

Also omg, the video actually mentions Eisner around the 16 minute mark. Him, Katzenberg, and Diller were all good friends (But absolute assholes to each other)

[@oldmanlogan9616]

When I was a kid I was OBSESSED with Back in Action, I would rent it on the video store every single weekend. I loved it. Never understood why people talk about so much about Space Jam but never gave BIA the love it deserves.

[@billygoatguy3960]

Sounds like you spent more money on that movie renting it than if you were to just buy it. Though I might have grew up at the ending years of rental stores and they were just more expensive in general.

[@dmen7280]

Yooo me too, when I was like 6 someone got me space jam and looney tunes BIA in a bundle and that was MY movie I watched it like everyday for a year I can't hate either of those movies because I'm tottaly nostalgia blind

[@josuepatino8179]

Yeah, I also used to watch it on TV every time

[@CinemaSeven]

And now Warner Bros is not crediting a Puerto Rican animator I know for the new Space Jam, even still using frames and designs he worked on.

[@ickyvicky3817]

oh yeah im pretty sure i saw a tiktok about an animator who wasnt paid a lot and even got their name spelled wrong in the credits who worked on the new space jam as well. cant find it now tho

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Also, it doesn’t help that WB is using AI to make movies now!

[@ickyvicky3817]

@@SlapstickGenius23 oh? Can you elaborate?

[@SlapstickGenius23]

@@ickyvicky3817 the reason why the voice actors and a single Puerto Rican animator aren’t credited for this film is that WB has a crowd of Computer AI preferring big name celebrities over voice actors or even anything in between.

[@arran4285]

@@SlapstickGenius23 I can't tell if you're joking?

[@Transmission_Rory]

Hearing about Dante's career kind of depresses me. Starting out as a Roger Corman protégé, promoted to a blockbuster filmmaker, and was downgraded to television directing. The man couldn't catch a break. Outside of a couple of independent films and his podcast, we haven't really seen him make a grand comeback like Spike Lee or Clint Eastwood.

[@oldmanlogan9616]

Or George Miller

[@iwasanangryyoungman]

Yup...can't believe he would wind up directing episodes of Hawaii Five-0 (the rebooted version)

[@symbiote1982pk]

It doesn't particularly sound like he wants a big comeback. If he doesn't want anything to do with the studio system then more power to him I say.

[@unluckytourist]

I think the spark is gone, like with John Carpenter. He had some bad luck starting with Explorers.

[@jsc315]

Well Hollywood pretty much blacklisted him and he was just tired of all the BS politics and wanted no part of that

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

I’ve always loved Joe Dante’s ability to capture the zaniness and anarchy of cartoons in live action. One can tell he’s quite the anarchic filmmaker and it’s a shame how some of his talents have gone underappreciated. He also made what might be the best movie in a movie ever made: Mant!

[@SirBlackReeds]

Probably helped that Eric Goldberg was the animation director.

[@mathewguglielmi8451]

Joe Dante has said he modelled the zany , frenetic pace for Gremlins 2: The New Batch on comedy movie Hellzapoppin.

[@devenscience8894]

Mant! was hilarious. It's biggest issue is that it was 1000x better than the movie it was inside of.

[@christophernuzzi2780]

"Half man, half ant - ALL TERROR!" :)

[@mariobabbo3497]

The late Jerry Goldsmith did an okay job composing the score hence he is Joe Dante’s associated composer.

[@Harukurochan]

I honestly wish “What’s Up Flop” was a legit book that I could read. We need more writing examining the history of animation in the 90s, not just the Disney Renaissance.

[@RariettyC]

I stand by my opinion that the scene in Back in Action where Elmer Fudd is chasing Bugs and Daffy through the Louvre is one of the most masterfully directed scenes in any feature-length American animated film

[@Wired4Life2]

Having just seen _Back in Action_ for the first time, I'll admit that the Louvre chase was easily my favorite moment of the film. That said, I'll also admit that it doesn't exactly forward the story much and you're watching it while aware that the story has to pause for it to occur.

[@kacklina]

6:14 Fun fact, what made the looney Tunes what they are now was exactly that. For a long time no one on the top cared how things were been done, they let the animators and directors do as they wanted, and the characters they wanted to do. I feel like now there are too many restrictions, and to keep the magic of this characters is a struggle, and a lost fight, because they are never going to find the same freedom to be absolutly anarchist.

[@SirBlackReeds]

His argument is actually really easy to shoot down. Two simple words and a letter: American History X.

[@gabe_s_videos]

Yes, Greg Ford told me that a few years ago (a former employee of his was my first year professor at SVA, and Ford came to talk to my class once). According to him, their film "(Blooper) Bunny" was withheld from release for about six years because WB would let them release it with Daffy's line "WB doesn't have an original bone in their body!" and this is something a classic short could get away with because nobody at WB actually watched the films, they just bankrolled and released them. The Merry History of Looney Tunes also gives credit to the original producers, namely Leon Schlesinger and Eddie Selzer but also their successors, for cultivating the environment that allowed their artists to work undisturbed. It wasn't that interference from studio brass WASN'T a threat, it was that the producers were very good at staving them off and believed that the animators did their best work when they were just left alone to do their jobs, and just trusted them to do so ("trust" being a key word here). See also Ralph Bakshi on "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures," the cartoons Spielberg produced with WB in the 90s, Linda Simensky's time at both Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, all producers who were very good at negotiating, shared the philosophy that people do their best work when they're trusted to do so without being micromanaged and were willing to shoulder most of the burdens that came with it (that's what a great leader is expected to do: take credit for success and blame for failure). Plus, being trusted just makes you feel good, and the guarantee of both that positive response AND proper compensation makes you want to work harder; that's why screen credit was one of the reasons the Disney artists fought to unionize in the 40s: being paid for your hard work is great, but why work that hard if that's all you get from it? Artists should be able to defend their decisions, but their job isn't to negotiate, and forcing them to shoulder that responsibility gives them less energy to do their ACTUAL job. I equate it to teachers being expected to buy their own school supplies: putting that responsibility on them means less energy to focus on their actual job of teaching, and when students turn out poorly, the detached superiors either blame the kids for being "too difficult" or blame the teachers for not working hard enough. No one is infallible, obviously, but I think we can all agree that it's better to take risks trusting someone than to not trust anyone out of fear of risk.

[@DanJackson1977]

That Back in Action is "more seamless" than Roger Rabbit is not nearly as impressive given the advent of digital compositing. The fact that Roger Rabbit is 100% analog.. even the character shading... still puts it head and shoulders above any other animation / live action hybrid. Also, the fact that the Humans in Roger Rabbit are just as interesting as the toons (especially Hoskins) is a triumph.

[@motor4X4kombat]

You forgot the fact how much hoskins Is really good at convincing us that he Is looking at cartoon. Like you think its Easy, but Is not, he has to work with NOTHING on set and he act His hardest to make us belieave he Is really Is looking at cartoon. And for an actor working with nothing Is harder than working with a guy in a suit, at least with something like Gollum or other other motion capture character the live action actors know what the hell to look at before acting like they are watching a monster or something. With nothing for most of the Time can cause you schizophrenia attacks because of the lack of focus from the eye, even Hopkins admited he had took therapy sections after shotting the entire toon town section on a Green screen. Something that Jordan, freiser and at Times Lebron didn't have since they didn't act that much that they were staring at cartoons, and most of the times they weren't even in the same shot.

[@SirBlackReeds]

@@motor4X4kombat Ah yes, Hoskins once saw a cartoon weasel with a big prick. Also, the special features reveal that Jenna Elfman and Brendan Fraser interacted with plushes and stuff.

[@motor4X4kombat]

@@SirBlackReeds even if they acted with plushes they never convice us that they were really looking at them since they eyes there always unfocus with the animation.

[@StickFigureStudios]

Yeah, that was the one assertion of this otherwise excellent video that I vehemently disagree with. BACK IN ACTION is a terrific movie, but it is not a more "seamless" combination of live-action and animation than ROGER RABBIT is. Not even close.

[@aaronsarchive82]

AGREED! Back in Action did a decent job given the new technology available at the time, but WFRR perfected the art to a degree that has never been matched before or since.

[@untitledjunk03]

You should talk about the 2005 Blue Sky animated film, Robots. There’s VERY little info about what happened during the development, and production of the film.

[@mohammedashian8094]

Probably for a reason

[@braydynniewiadomski5454]

Seconded! That film is weak, but solid enough, story-wise, but the visuals? They hold up spectacularly well! The design of the world and characters and the lighting and rendering look almost brand new. It's a wonderful film to look at. Chris Wedge is slept on as a director, I think. The first Ice Age is also wonderfully designed and animated and very heartfelt and hilarious.

[@matttheking1655]

Glad you shined a light on Joe Dante,... an 80s nostalgic director, that was mostly shunned by Hollywood,... He deserved better... Innerspace is my favourite of his....

[@zoeywhite2343]

I remember once my friend asked me what my 5 favourite movies were and, after putting in my usual top 3 of the time (Alice in Wonderland, 12 Angry Men and Whiplash), I added in Gremlins 2 as a joke. He said he had never seen it and as I tried to describe the movie I slowly realised just how insane it actually is. I gave it a rewatch a week later and now it's unironically in my top 3 personal favourite movies of all time

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

Dude you just talked me into a Joe Dante directed Deadpool 3.

[@ryanlee2935]

...You just sold me on a Deadpool movie, much less a third one inside the MCU. How.

[@mr.badass9442]

I want him to do a animated Deadpool film

[@balls261]

I feel like if that was your takeaway you entirely missed the point of this video

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

@@balls261 great comment. Now how about you tell me just exactly what I should’ve taken away from the video, since I SO missed the point of it, and you seem to be the expert and all. Unless the point is “Poor Joe Dante, Hollywood screwed you, and thus we’ve been deprived of more work from such an interesting, unique, funny, and all around amazing film maker, I mean look at this stuff he did, Hollywood you’re the worst.” IS THAT IT!?!?!? 😡

[@JeffreySmith84]

The proliferation of superhero movies is why filmmakers like Dante don't have work anymore. He turned down an offer to direct Batman in the 80s because he "doesn't believe in" superheroes.

[@MundoJuanci]

Back in Action is such a fun movie, i'm glad people are finally recognizing it. I'd love to watch a movie of just cartoon characters in a live action eviorment, like the old cartoon network bumpers.

[@JonathanGaeta]

It’s something we won’t see in a long time. Yeah the new Space Jam has that but it’s not the same as they go from 2D to 3D later on

[@rotundmonibuv5103]

After the excrement that was Space Jam 2, this movie deserves its praise.

[@FazerGS]

So, that "What's Up, Flop?" book is gonna be real right? I googled it not realizing that was your name on the cover and I desperately wanna own it. Preferably in Audiobook form so I can work on animation while listening.

[@DrGoldenLink]

I'm lowkey really upset that this isn't a book. I checked on Amazon and Google myself, haha.

[@sagan88824]

Same. It took me too long to realize the book wasn't real. Great title though.

[@kerryc1241]

the title is GENIUS

[@LowellLucasJr.]

In the history of all Looney Tunes... Bugs not only defends Daffy, but acknowledged he needs him! That was the #1 strongest thing I love & respect about this film! ❤

[@PurpleHippoCinema]

I loved watching Loony Toons Back in Action as a kid. This was such an amazing watch!

[@tatehildyard5332]

I saw like 10 minutes of it on tv when I was like 8. Same with Space Jam.

[@alexnavas2802]

Same! The humongous rock is still probably my favorite joke of the film!

[@srstriker6420]

So did I, but now I thought adding more and change a few things around

[@icecreamhero2375]

Its Tunes.

[@garrettlenzen]

This video helped me connect the dots and realize that Joe Dante is probably one of my favorite directors. Never realized how many of his movies I enjoyed!

[@K3vinTuCara]

Literally yesterday I was telling my friend Back in Action is better than the first Space Jam

[@motor4X4kombat]

And what was the response?

[@quack7426]

And you would be 100% correct

[@pcm1011]

Speaking the truth

[@Sexxy_Nedd]

That's the hot take I'm here for

[@mechajay3358]

I like both for what they are.

[@Enshohma]

I just woke up and discovered this new video of yours: considering how deep into detail you go, it be finally nice to know the real story behind this film and what happened to poor Joe Dante. Plus, I'm probably one the few people who actually likes "Back In Action" so there's that too.

[@javierpucheu6150]

I got your back, i also like it very much!

[@shawnsicle]

Back In Action is the best live action Looney Tunes movie, better than both Space Jams. I said what I said. I was recently bummed to find out it’s the only one not on HBO Max

[@edvaira6891]

Not the only one! I LOVED THIS MOVIE! It’s one of our family’s favorites!

[@sildaz]

J

[@Enshohma]

@@javierpucheu6150 Thanks so much for saying so

[@Matt10670]

"Back in Action is better than Space Jam" THANK YOU

[@RetroFett]

FWIW, years ago composer Mike Verta talked about how even the trailer for "Back in Action" was micromanaged

[@Poever]

Any link?

[@EthanButler]

Man, you are truly an artist. Your videos are genuinely the highest quality I've seen on this platform. Keep it up, dude.

[@IcePhysicsGaming]

I'll never understand why they didn't have the Warner Brothers (and sister) feature during the water tower scene.

[@DarksaberForce]

I guess they moved out.

[@InsertCleverNameHere0]

I'm so glad someone else appreciates Gremlins 2 as much as I do. My favorite sequel of all time and a perfect follow-up to a movie that was already essentially a satire of other movies.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Yeah, i've loved Gremlins 2 since it first came out. I'm really glad that it's still remembered and, if anything, has just become more appreciated over time. Dante was so far ahead of the curve on meta/ironic filmmaking that no one in 1990 had any idea what he was even doing.

[@jaden_bricker]

Redlettermedia speak very fondly of it despite fans criticizing them for it

[@nekonekopanicnekonekopanic7335]

Back in action is not a 10 out of 10 movie but you can tell people who cared about the Looney tunes made it. would of had loved to see it with out all the studio meddling.

[@Malkmusianful]

it's honestly an 8 out of 10 for me. one of the weaker Dantes, but still very, very, very fun, plus good Wal-Mart gag.

[@backbayproductions9508]

Back in Action was kinda average if you ask me. Out of all the Looney Tunes movies so far, it's probably the weakest one. And the reason I say weakest is because it's not that I dislike the movie, it's just it ranks the lowest in my opinion. Even when I was a kid I wasn't too into the movie. With that being said, I blame all the studio meddling on why I rank Back in Action low. If there wasn't any studio meddling, I probably would've ranked it A LOT higher and probably would've enjoyed it more.

[@shogunblade]

Your suggestion for the production hell of Osmosis Jones is correct. The movie was supposed to be only animation, the story of the cells and the pill being the central focus, the producers got worried that the animation wouldn't have been enough, so they asked the Farrelly brothers to direct live action scenes, and that's why the movie is hybrid.

[@claytoncondo3460]

Also not to mention is that Osmosis Jones was originally going to be PG-13 rated film for teenagers and adults, but Warner Bros had the film edited down into a family friendly PG rating instead, because Warner Bros at that time did not want to make a PG-13 or R rating animated film. I’m guessing because due to problems and failure of Hey Good Looking, witch was a R rated animated comedy film directed by Ralph Baskhi and released in 1982 that Warner Bros made and did little business on release.

[@EDP2000]

This was very well-done. Joe Dante is a criminally underrated director, and his films are really entertaining.

[@otisrulling1090]

The “abandon all hope” caption gave me life. Huh, ironic…

[@65Drums]

The level of polish, story, and effort in this video is really impressive!

[@APinchofBazel]

35:15 Ah yes, John Landis. A man of big ideas and bigger helicopter stunts.

[@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747]

I can't believe he compared Joe Dante to a child murderer. Seriously, fuck John Landis.

[@APinchofBazel]

@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 Here here. That was a really tone-deaf compliment at best, especially after ranting so much about how artists should just be allowed to do whatever they want. Sometimes, limiting artists is important. Sometimes, it prevents gung-ho auteurs from pulling shit like that.

[@darwincity]

@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 Well, they are known as being good friends, so I am not sure that this might be an insult towards Dante.

[@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747]

@@darwincity John Landis killed three people, two of them immigrant kids, he doesn't deserve to have film work, he deserves to be in prison.

[@darwincity]

@@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747 I did not oppose that point. I was just mentioning a fact. However, yes, John Landis not going to jail for what he did is an insult to the concept of justice.

[@SeanA099]

The only thing I remember about Back in Action was that Jeff Gordon was in it. And that’s only because I really liked NASCAR when I was little

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

My favorite battle with Hollywood studio is with David Lynch. He didn't talk directly to the studio, I believe it was his producer, but when he shared what they were doing on Eraserhead, the studio execs started making demands and the producer simply responds, "I did not come here to ask for input. I came to give an update." Just very polite. And then he left.

[@CorporalFriendlyShark]

I was 13 when Back in Action came out and went to see it twice because I loved it so much. I think I’m responsible for at least 50% of the total box office gross that film made.

[@Advent3546]

Joe Dante is low key one of the best director of his kind.

[@brockpifer9929]

In my opinion, Joe is one of the best directors in Hollywood. I consider him on the same level as Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner, Ron Howard, George Lucas and etc.

[@LordMarlle]

The Space Jam OST is the magic sauce that made the rest of the strange ingredients work. Very much a product of it's time, and however enjoyable it dosen't compare to Roger Rabbit which Noir feel seems much more timeless to me

[@keithmichael112]

Roger rabbit actually got me into film noir

[@elijahblechman8633]

14:38: joe is right about that. This is gonna piss a lot of people off but my first exposure to the loony tunes wasn't the classic cartoons but movies like Space Jam, Back in action, and Who framed roger rabbit.

[@KenPurchase]

When I saw Explorers as a kid, I remember feeling crushingly deflated by that ending, as the whole film had felt like a build-up to grand adventures, and then it just...stops. Now I'm older I can appreciate it for what it is, the story of the boys and their friendship rather than a huge, epic sci-fi journey, even if the ending is still a bit of a cop-out. But who know what it could've been if they'd actually been allowed to finish it! A good comparison would be to Flight Of The Navigator, another film from the era that includes a young protagonist psychically linked to an alien ship that he sees in dreams, and which also has a rushed third act conclusion with a really jarring tonal shift into wacky comedy. I understand the original script was a lot darker (and there's lot of unsettling material in the first two acts), but there was a lot of studio pressure to make it more kid-friendly, hence the bizarre last third of the movie with Pee-Wee Herman and the cute alien puppets etc.

[@butchdeadlift10]

3:53 I can't find a copy of that book online, AND I NEED THAT BOOK LIKE I NEED BONE MARROW

[@butchdeadlift10]

I mean, THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF DISNEY BASHING. And I ain't arguing with all the cruel shenanigans Disney gets up to. But the WB fucked up a sovereign nation's labor laws to make 3 shitty hobbit movies. The rest of hollywood needs the internet nerd-o-sphere to scold theme and be taken to task. I will never get a good hobbit movie (and the WB had screwed up getting a rankin bass copy). I will never get back my time wasted with Man of Steel, Batman V Superman, the Star Wars prequals, EVERY James Bond movie has nothing worth thinking about (at least Ironman 2 has lip service to some bigger ideas), ready player 1 showed me my favorite director thinks very little of the world I live in........but we just sweep this stuff all under the rug as "Hollywood" with a smirk while Disney gets raked over the coals like Kevin Smith, George Carlin, and Bill Mayer talking about catholism.

[@ickyvicky3817]

omg i literally tried looking up that book because i was so interested in reading it but it doesnt actually exist :(

[@Yourhatedquestion]

Back in Action was THE film of my childhood, rewatched for first time in years a week ago and it seriously holds up

[@GingerGamingandStuff]

Back in Action was my favorite VHS. I watched it day after day on repeat especially when I was home sick. Like the warmest blanket of my childhood memories.

[@CristianMartinez-hg6xu]

I'm curious if you would discuss 3 Peter Jackson films. The Frighteners, the remake of King Kong and The Lovely Bones. I especially don't see King Kong 2005 talked about more which I find odd since it was meant to be a Lord of the Rings style epic.

[@luismarioguerrerosanchez4747]

Must people just complain that it's too long (I'm talking about King Kong)

[@rocioquiroz11]

The Frighteners is fucking awesome.

[@gabe_s_videos]

Always love Matt Stone's philosophy about studio interference, short, sweet and to the point: "Cooperation + you [the studio] doing nothing = success" (Translation: just let us do our jobs and everything will turn out fine)

[@brockpifer9929]

Yeah. I wish that was something that the dumb executives can get through their heads, and that they should be aware of the fact that when you give creative freedom, you get great films. But when you’re basically being an asshole about it, you and everyone fails. That should be the lesson every studio executive should know

[@TimHunold]

Jr High Sci-fi is about leaving childhood and finding something adult on kid terms. In the end, everyone has lost not innocence but immaturity.

[@dcauwatchtower]

Fascinating video, thank you. Also just added “Hellzapoppin’” to my watch list.

[@iceomistar4302]

Wow, its you guys

[@mascotwithadinosaur9353]

"A quote fron Dante himself" Why did I think he's talking about Alighieri?

[@samjane3500]

I don't think Deadpool is nearly as apt a comparison as Michael Dougherty's 'Trick 'r Treat' and 'Krampus' (Which is honestly the closest thing to a modern Gremlins). Michael Dougherty feels like Dante's successor having that same biting satire and zany absurdist energy with the genre affection still coming through.

[@CardboardBots]

Watching gremlins with my kids was a joy. Never heard of that Looney Toons movie. You should do an essay about Brendan Fraser's kids movie performances. He's prolific.

[@SirBlackReeds]

Aren't those the reason why hates the studio system?

[@RedDragonM1]

Joe Dante is great. I love his tropes in his movies such as 1. Love for classic sci-fi and horror movies. 2. Dick Miller cameos. 3. Love for old cartoons. 4. Meta humor. 5. Dark humor. 6. some 4th wall breaks. It's fun stuff. Even when he does a bad movie, I find some joys in them. I never seen a 100% bad Joe Dante movie.

[@looney1023]

This was my favorite movie of all time when I was a child, before I discovered Who Framed Roger Rabbit lol

[@ClicheOriginals]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that thinks Back in Action is the best looney tunes movie. It captured the characters perfectly. The comedy and writing was just like the original cartoons.

[@cooperwolfe5478]

I agree. This might be an unpopular opinion, but I thought between Back In Action and the two Space Jam movies, BIA has the best voice acting. I feel like a part of it though is that they remind me of The Looney Tunes Show.

[@ClicheOriginals]

@@cooperwolfe5478 I agree BIA had the best voice actors

[@cooperwolfe5478]

@@ClicheOriginals I agree. Hey I’m sorry bother you about this, but I don’t know who else to ask, but do you happen to have Disney+ and if so did you have any problems logging in to it. I don’t mean to be disrespectful or rude, it’s just that I’ve had struggles with it today and I thought that it was my fault, but I’ve seen some reports online that the same problem that I had is happening to other people. Again I’m really sorry to bother you it’s just that I get really nervous when technology malfunctions and truly didn’t know who else to ask. Thank You

[@ClicheOriginals]

@@cooperwolfe5478 I have it yes but I haven't had any problems with it lately. Sorry

[@cooperwolfe5478]

@@ClicheOriginals Oh okay sorry to bother you about it. I think from what I was researching that other people are having the same problem so I don’t think it’s me personally who is the only one that’s having problems.

[@Tinkererer]

It's probably more conventional and wasn't mired in production hell, but I love Dante's Matinee. It's a great love letter to the real B-movies in their hey-days (and William Castle in particular).

[@unluckytourist]

It's a really nice personal cap to his career after his good run in the 80's.

[@BetweenTheLyons]

13:55 I never noticed that was actually Matthew Lillard hanging out with Shaggy! Great Cameo.

[@tylermane77]

It's funny because Back In Action still has that Dante touch imo. And it's a FAR better film than the more beloved Space Jam.

[@demongorr]

Random fact about Back in Action. Here in the UK, it's the only film I've ever seen that has 3/5 star review on its dvd box art, and it's on the FRONT

[@van8ryan]

Joe Dante still remains my favorite film director, not because every movie he made was a masterpiece, but he truly just made the kind of movies I love to watch and always dream to make.

[@celinebotte6530]

As a 2D animator myself, I thank thee for the care and recognition for our work conditions

[@TheBifalco]

Thank you for making this. Joe Dante has been one of my primary inspirations. Such an underrated filmography because studio meddling, and very poor marketing. P.S. Would love to see Mr. Dante make a biopic about Roger Corman. That would be awesome 😍

[@Malkmusianful]

Nice. A video essay on probably my favorite director ever. I've been preaching the gospel of Joe Dante for YEARS - ever since I realized that he was that guy who made a lot of my favorite movies from my childhood, like The 'Burbs (which is still VERY underrated) and Small Soldiers (which is still CRIMINALLY AND VERY underrated - and actually handles its human element a lot better than Back in Action). And then I watched Matinee and I was like "okay" for like four years - and then I watched The 'Burbs again and realized the error of my ways. Thank you for this essay. You have done a great service for fans like me.

[@Theomite]

Everybody shits on TOMORROWLAND and that's because the script doesn't conclude well. But it has one of *THE FUCKING BEST FEMALE PROTAGONISTS OF THE LAST DECADE.* She is determined, self-driven, intelligent, empathetic, and inspiring. It also takes the "young girl older man" dynamic out of the creepy realm and into genuine mentor-student inspiration territory, especially since she's the one who inspires him to remember who he is. I was in awe of that movie because I hadn't seen that kind of sincere "go get 'em" idealism since THE ROCKETEER and it really won me over.

[@reptongeek]

I like Tomorrowland (or Disney Tomorrowland A World Beyond as it's known in the UK). My own criticisms are that it takes too long to get to Tomorrowland and it's a little too violent. But I do really like it. I might revisit it when I finish my holiday

[@Theomite]

@@reptongeek Right. I was arguing that the characters are the best part about it. But the protagonist is *really* good.

[@keithmichael112]

I heard it's pretty common when new executives come on in movies and tv to kill or sabotage anything their predecessors worked on because they can't take credit for it. I'm thinking that's what happened to explorers

[@davidjames579]

I've heard that too but doesn't that mean the new execs look bad at their job as the first things they release are under-funded, under-marketed and badly handled to lose the studio money. And the studio heads might think to get rid of them before they have a chance to do their originally generated projects.

[@JoinHolmes]

If you haven't seen the Key and Peele Gremlins 2 sketch yet, please check it out immediately.

[@velociraptor4you3291]

After seeing "Space Jam: A New Legacy," and now *this,* I now have a desire to see Joe return as director for the "New Legacy" sequel, as long as the studio DOES give him 100% creative freedom (which, I know, is rare for them to do, but a gut can dream).

[@starkingbiker]

A masterpiece of a video. Joe Dante deserves so much more love.

[@aGVTfilm]

I love Joe Dante- Innerspace, Small Soldiers, and Gremlins are like a spiritual trilogy to me, I can watch all three in a row and just have an awesome time.

[@s.benjaminpuente3353]

Gore Verbinksi’s Rango shares some of the anarchic, genre-subverting, how-did-this-movie-even-get-made soul of Gremlins 2. Its bizarre pacing, weighty subtext, deliberately oddball design, and madcap tone place it comfortably outside the mainstream, and it all smacks of the director having more-or-less complete creative control over the film. Might be worth a rewatch and comparison!

[@mohammedashian8094]

Oh man you just reminded me of when I saw it when it first came out I was 11 and I just liked it at the time now I love the hell out of it

[@alexrushdy2751]

I'm so incredibly overjoyed that someone else recognizes the sheer brilliance of Gremlins 2.

[@artistanthony1007]

Gremlins 2 is better than 1, change my mind.

[@alexrushdy2751]

@@artistanthony1007 I -will not- because you are correct

[@CowabungaWo101]

I've seen Explorers once about 7 years ago but the Lassie joke is still engraved into my brain to this day.

[@antoniod]

The Warner executives probably thought a cartoon director was somebody who said "okay Bugs, let's take it from the top"(Quote from Joe Adamson).

[@lucidexistance1]

I was born in 81 and the explorers was one of my favorites. I haven't seen it since though. Had some big waves of nostalgia just happen and now I'm sad. Lol

[@peterjanssen5901]

And all those films had amazing music by the late Jerry Goldsmith.

[@mariobabbo3497]

Joe Dante is a filmmaker known for The Burbs, The Howling, Rock N Roll High School and director of the movie Gremlins and it’s sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch

[@the-NightStar]

"Back In Action is better than Space Jam" I mean Back In Action was made with the intent to make a Looney Tunes movie, and both Space Jam movies were made with the intent to sell Nike shoes and Rick and Morty. So yeah, I would say that's a fairly obvious statement.

[@falconeshield]

He means Space Jam 1 dummy

[@thum-nales]

I saw Explorers as a kid in the eighties and watched it confused for the first 2/3 of it until they finally reached the spaceship … when it then suddenly pivoted to such awesome silliness that I couldn’t stop laughing. I loved Explorers … most especially the third act. For years I would randomly break out with “A horse is a horse of course of course” and pantomime a funny walk when I found myself in conversations not going anywhere. At that time I had no idea that Mr. Ed had ever existed or that most any of the lines came from actual shows. I quoted various pieces of that movie for years afterward and still remember pieces of it clearly (almost all from the third act). Haven’t thought about that for quite a while until seeing this video. Good times. Only wish it had played out better for the movie makers themselves. It was great for me as a kid.

[@SpookyGhost11]

This movie was my childhood. Alongside the Chuck Jones cartoons I would watch it back to back throughout the whole day sometimes.

[@DanJackson1977]

Chuck Jones only? Not Bob Clampett or Friz Freleng or Tex Avery or Bob McKimpson or Arthur Davis or Frank Tashlin?

[@SirBlackReeds]

Eh, Chuck Jones is kind of overrated. His take on Bugs and Daffy would go onto define who they are: Bugs being the brains and Daffy being a fool. They should be on par with each other.

[@srstriker6420]

@@SirBlackReeds yeah especially that Chuck Jones makes Daffy an unlikeable character

[@JohnDoe-bm5lp]

I watched so much content about Francis for copolla and Werner Herzog's production hell

[@keithklassen5320]

Frankie 4 Cuppajoe is the best.

[@journeymanic9605]

It's been a looooong time since I've seen Back in Action, but I totally thought the bad guys was played by Mike Myers.... I guess I'm just used to Steve's white hair.

[@Broslo-zk1cu]

I love how this channel doesn’t solely represent live action or animation, but CINEMA!

[@basswachter]

I've always wondered what the story was behind "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" and why it differed so much from its prequel. Now I know. Thanks. :) Keep up the nice work, these videos are very informative and the passion is just infectious. :)

[@averymerrick]

Release Date Change: Originally, the movie was scheduled to release in July of 2003. However, it was pushed back to November to give the film more time during its Troubled Production. Though given the film likely would have been totally overshadowed by Finding Nemo in a summer release slot, November seemed like a safe bet.

[@rixx46]

a lot of interesting points, here. One of the most consistent things about Dante (and don't get me wrong - I think he's great) is that he always blames everyone else for his failures. I interviewed him on the set of MASTERS OF HORROR while he was directing an episode; I was left with the impression of a man who was totally depressed. (I got the same impression from Lawrence Kasdan when I chatted with him) The only time Dante sparked was when I asked him if he made GREMLINS today, would he use any CGI - he was adamant that he HATES CGI; that using puppets (and their limitations) is what made the movie work. I certainly agree. I think Dante is a great filmmaker who lacks objectivity about his own work - which is wildly inconsistent.

[@davidjames579]

The Dick Miller subplot in Explorers is so galling because the guy puts so much into his character's connection to the story,. And it's not brief, there is quite a bit of screentime setting up his connection, and then they never return to it. We can only assume he had an interaction with the Aliens when he was younger. The Love Interest also has build up, and nothing until her brief reappearance at the end in a kind of resolution. Explorers is probably one of my earliest realizations that a movie had scenes missing.

Hellzapoppin' is great! Love the soundtrack. I got surprised when you mentioned it because I had watched it just some weeks ago. great to see a movie from this time being mentioned in a video, more people nowadays gotta know some of these.

[@MasamuneNoirFilms]

9:54 ""Back in Action" is better than "Space Jam"". Andrew, you are clearly a fellow man of culture.

[@Fiver565]

I think that Joe Dante wanted to make an autobiography film about Chuck Jones and other animators who made the Loony Tunes. The studio said if certain films were made that he could do that if they were successful

[@brockpifer9929]

Yeah he wanted to do either a film or HBO documentary series called Termite Terrace which would’ve looked at Chuck’s career at Warner Bros animating and directing the shorts, but the execs specifically said to him “Look Joe, we love what you do, but that’s old story, it’s got period stuff in it. We don’t want that. We want to rebrand our characters and we wanna do Space Jam.”

[@maevemonroe]

Gotta love the Joe Dante to Dante Alighieri connection. The story of all nightmarish film productions could be told using The Inferno.

[@TheWeirdDinosaur]

“I’m there for them” sums up EVERY Godzilla movie experience I have, human time is nap time

[@trailersic]

Funny how The Explorers finished filming in Feb 1985, and The Transformers The Movie had a 2nd draft script made in April 1985 and both of them feature an alien race who communicate via TV and Film references.

[@davidjames579]

I was thinking of that bit in Transformers while watching Explorers

[@JJSmithMedia]

It’s no Who Framed Roger Rabbit but I always thought Looney Tunes Back In Action was underrated. It’s not perfect but Joe Dante “gets” the Looney Tunes, as opposed to the people behind Space Jam.

[@KannikCat]

"Hold entire conversations through pop culture references..." A friend and I kinda used to do that when we roomed together in university, we talked probably over 50% in quotes. I'd seen Explorers when it came out, but until now never realized we were doing the same thing as the aliens in the film. Makes me look at it (both the movie and our conversations) in a whole new way. Thank you for such a great exploration and insight!

[@superjboy16]

I came here for Back in Action, but I stayed for the whole pop culture thing and just how interestingly told this is. Explorers predicted, howpop culture has been so ingrained into our minds, that we can communicate with eachother just using it. I mean just look at the memes, to the point where in Space Jam 2 Big Chungus was included in there lol

[@nickmann6402]

Forgot about the part where shaggy is talking to Mathew lillard. Thank you

[@cheezemonkeyeater]

I love how you say they were inspired by the box office success of films rather than inspired by the films themselves. Nothing could be more accurate.

[@AlexTenThousand]

Astonishingly excellent video. I don't know why this is in my recommended feed, but I'm glad it got there, immediate subscription!

[@eddiewinters7184]

Stupid Hollywood should've given Joe Dante a few more chances and I definitely believe that the Joe Dante's Gremlins Sequel "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" is the 100% top best.