15 Greatest Horror Directors Of All Time

Notable films: Gremlins, The Howling, Piranha, Twilight Zone: The Movie

Joe Dante got his break into the film industry thanks to none other than Roger Corman, making his directorial debut alongside Allan Arkush with Hollywood Boulevard in 1976 before swiftly moving on to low budget horror productions.

In 1978 Dante helmed his first solo movie with Piranha, the first great satire on B movies and an obvious - and perfectly-timed - response to the success of Jaws (indeed, only Spielberg's approval of the film prevented Universal Studios from considering a lawsuit). It's one of the few classic horror movies to have enjoyed a worthy sequel (although the sequel to the remake, Piranha 3-DD, should be avoided like the infested waters of the Amazon river).

Dante might have veered towards children-oriented movies later in his career, but a trio of seminal horror movies were still to come: the best of these, Gremlins, will finally be getting its inevitable - and belated - reboot.