Born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1946, Dante harbored an active imagination from a young age and often drew comic books like those he admired from Disney Comics’ Carl Banks. As he grew older, his love of storytelling remained as he went to Philadelphia College of Art and majored in filmmaking. After graduation and a brief stint as a film critic, he made his way out to California to work for Roger Corman as a trailer editor. He cut numerous trailers including such films as Caged Heat and Death Race 2000. Condensing so many films as a trailer editor led him to believe that he could construct such films as well. With colleague Allan Arkush, he co-directed the film Hollywood Boulevard (1976), combining new footage with recycled sequences from other films. After the film’s success, he began a four decade career as a director in film and television.
Dante’s feature film credits include Piranha (1981), The Howling (1981), The Twilight Zone (1985), Innerspace (1987), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), Matinee (1993), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), The Hole (2009), and Burying the Ex (2014). He also directed the movies for television including The Second Civil War (1997), The Osiris Chronicles (1998), and The Greatest Show Ever (2007). Dante has helmed many episodes of television including Police Squad, Amazing Stories, Eerie, Indiana, Picture Windows, Night Visions, Masters of Horror, CSI: NY, Splatter, Witches of East End, MacGyver, Salem, and Hawaii Five-0.
Dante has been a member of the Guild since 1984. He has served as an alternate on the Western Directors Council for one term in 1991.