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Joseph Stefano

Writer and producer, also director · Died August 25, 2006, aged 84 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Born
May 5, 1922
Died
August 25, 2006 (aged 84)
From
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Works as
Writer and producer, also director
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 35% in 30 days

What are Joseph Stefano's films like?

Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Horror7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 34th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
38%
Bonds
24%
Self
15%
Survival
14%
Society
5%
Power
4%
Deception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeGuilt4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 5 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 6 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 5 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 8 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Dread
8
Melancholic
6
Warm
2
Cold
2
Other
10

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Bittersweet6
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Joseph Stefano's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Joseph Stefano's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Psycho(1998)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Two Bits(1995)

    Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Outer Limits(1995)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Psycho IV: The Beginning(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Swamp Thing(1990)

    Show 4 episodes · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all shows

  • Blackout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Writer

  • Star Trek: The Next Generation(1987)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Kindred(1987)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Snowbeast(1977)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • Aloha Means Goodbye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Writer

  • Home for the Holidays(1972)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Live Again, Die Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Teleplay

  • A Death of Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • Revenge! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • Futz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Screenplay

  • Eye of the Cat(1969)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Marcus Welby, M.D.(1969)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all shows

  • The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre(1964)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Unknown(1964)

    Executive Producer · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Outer Limits(1963)

    Show 12 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • The Naked Edge(1961)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Psycho(1960)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Startime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Show 1 episode · Adaptation

  • The Black Orchid(1958)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1959 to 1998.

Biggest box office

Psycho (1998)

$37M worldwide

Highest rated

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 23: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting23 of 23: 19 only writing, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thProducing3 of 23: 0 only producing, 3 with another roleOther crew1 of 23: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

23 titles, 4 with more than one role — writing and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · crew1960s7 · crew1970s6 · crew1980s3 · crew1990s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Joseph Stefano's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 45th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 46th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 17 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · writer, producer

The Unknown (1964)

60th percentile spread · 11% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Psycho (1960)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 52/100 and the plot and story 48/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Joseph Stefano's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 51 · moderateMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 12 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 22 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 75 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Joseph Stefano work with?

People who share at least 2 of Joseph Stefano's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Robert Bloch shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers