Krusty the Headless Horseman opens up Treehouse Of Horror VI special, with a grisly hanging for the couch gag and we’re straight into the stories without any further ado.
Attack Of The 50-Foot Eyesores
“Well, okay. If it’ll end horror…”
The name is an obvious riff on “Attack Of The 50-Foot Woman” but the story owes more, perhaps, to the kaiju carnage of the classic “Godzilla” movies. It’s easily the weakest of the three and while it has some nice moments (Bart acting as the ‘devil’ on the shoulder of an actual devil) it doesn’t really come together and ends up feeling a little toothless, probably due to the lack of actual brand names which would have provided more fertile ground for satire. In the end, it’s anti-advertising/ consumerism message feels like weak sauce compared to what’s to come in this year’s special.
Nightmare On Evergreen Terrace
“Lousy Smarch weather!”
Perhaps second only to “The Shinning” in terms of how closely and acutely it skewers its intended target, this take on Wes Craven’s celebrated slasher franchise finds a way to be funny and accessible despite the very real challenge that many of its young audience wouldn’t (and shouldn’t) get the many references to the source material. Packed with witty wordplay, Groundskeeper Willie makes the perfect pseudo-Krueger, the dream sequences are well thought out and the resolution is delightfully in keeping with established character. It’s the nod to Freddy’s tendency to pop up again at the end of his movies that gets the most savage burn.
Homer³
“It’s like he just disappeared into fat air.”
If the beginning of this Treehouse of Horror disappointed, it’s more than compensated by the delight of this final segment, one which sees Homer explore a strange new world and the series push the boundaries of its animation in a way it had never done before. The transition to3D CGI is well done. There are gags aplenty amidst the references to “Poltergeist” and swipes at Disney’s “Tron” but nothing beats the end result of Homer passing through the mysterious plane and landing in a world which looks oddly familiar – and sells erotic cakes.
