Just as the main series was reaching its apogee, so it was with the Halloween Specials. Once again, Treehouse Of Horror V begins with Marge delivering her customary warning before being informed that Congress has forbade the show from going ahead and suggested screening the John Ford western “200 Miles to Oregon” instead. It’s a mischievous nod to the fact that producer David Mirkin chose to make the stories considerably more graphic (for example, the repeating motif of Groundskeeper Willy being murdered with an axe) in puckish response to complaints about excessive violence in previous shows. John Ford’s (entirely fictional) Western is short-lived however as Bart and Homer seize control on the transmission in a nod to “The Outer Limits”. There’s also one final tombstone, announcing the end of ‘Amusing Tombstones’ and giving way to a grisly, horror-themed variation on the usual opening credits cavalcade of characters. Also gone: the wraparound framing story – from here on out, the vignettes would stand on their own.
The Shinning
“That’s odd…usually the blood gets off at the second floor.”
It was a challenge to pick a headline quote from this, perhaps the Treehouse Of Terror’s greatest ever single segment. An acutely observed spoof of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic movie, it’s a parody which manages to extract every ounce of wit and humour by marrying the source material perfectly to the Simpson’s characters. The only fault of the segment – if indeed it has one – is that it’s too short and gives way to other segments when you’d be forgiven for wanting it to last the whole episode or even forever and ever and ever. No TV and no beer may make Homer go crazy, but you’d have to be insane not to rate this spooky story highly.
Time And Punishment
“Hmm. Fabulous house, well-behaved kids, sisters-in-law dead, luxuryy sedan. Woohoo!”
More classic American literature, this time the Ray Bradbury story “The Sound Of Thunder”, provides the inspiration for this story of temporal tinkering. The quasi-fascist Flanderstopia is a fun parallel to the original story but it’s when the episode repeatedly cycles through the butterfly effects of Homer’s time travelling that it really starts delivering on the gags – especially the quick-fire rapid montage. Hard to pick the best moment between Homer’s too-hasty rejection of his best life (ironically, for want of a doughnut) or his ‘meh, close enough’ acceptance of a slightly imperfect version of what he once had.
Nightmare Cafeteria
“I believe I’ll start as you’ve so often suggested: by eating your shorts…”
Loosely referencing “Soylent Green”, this is perhaps one of the darkest and grisliest of the early Treehouse Of Horror tales. While there’s plenty of gore on screen, there’s a lot more suggested off-screen and it’s particularly ruthless in picking off Bart and Lisa’s classmates with relish (and occasionally mustard and ketchup). Treehouse Of Horror V is probably most remembered, though, for its abrupt, dark ending which segues directly into a brief coda featuring a fog that turns people inside out and a gloriously gratuitously gory song and dance number. Happy Halloween indeed!
