Horror
HorrorThe 2019 Special – the Simpsons Halloween Special XXX – opens in a Halloween maternity ward where Marge gives birth to her third child – a boy. Eager to avoid more Bart-style mayhem, Homer agrees to swap him for a baby girl who’s just been born. It’s a fun homage to “The Omen” and ties ..
HorrorIt’s another leadenly ‘topical’ opening for this Simpsons Halloween Special as Homer attempts to vote in a hilariously rigged satirical version of the 2008 Presidential Election. Ah, nothing like looking back at complacent comedy from the vantage point of 12 years later. Untitled Robot Parody “Now that we are not fighting each other, we can ..
Horror
HorrorSeason 16 kicks off with ‘Keeping It Kodos, featuring Kang’, an alien sitcom which takes the place of the couch gag. It’s the first of many future Treehouse of Horror intros which feel like they were potential segments which couldn’t be stretched out to the required run time but didn’t go to waste. The Ned ..
HorrorThe Simpsons Halloween Special XXIII opens with another attempt at topical humour but this time it’s not a dated political reference (although there’s a lame Obama gag thrown in) but a joke that’s been millennia in the making. We’re in Mayan times, prophesying the end of the world at the close of the thirteenth baktun. ..
Horror
Horror
Horror
Horror
HorrorThe Simpsons Halloween Special XXV sees the series in celebratory and self-congratulatory mood . The titles are announced over a gallery of clips from previous (and as yet unaired Halloween scenes) while a galaxy of announced celebrity guest stars are dismembered to spell out the name of the show. School Is Hell “I want to ..
Horror
Horror
Horror
HorrorWe open the season, and the episode, with a seance to summon the dearly departed spirit of Maud Flanders. After a pranking by Bart, the real ghost of Maud turns up and ghoulishly asks the assembled Simpsons whether they’re ‘ready for tales that will shatter your spine and boild your blood?’ to which Lisa ansers ..
HorrorThis Treehouse of Horror starts promisingly enough with a winding trip to Mr Burns’ crypt where he emerges as an ersatz Crypt Keeper but it all goes off the rails when the characters start bickering with each other or – worse – they start commenting on or explaining why the visual gags are clever/ funny. ..
HorrorAfter a surprising and largely unsuccessful revival of the traditional tombstone gags, The Simpsons Halloween special XXIX invokes the spirit of the Great Old Ones to introduce 2018’s trilogy of terror. It’s Homer who ends up answering the call of Cthulu only to challenge the Priest of the Old Ones to an eating contest. It ..
Horror
HorrorA story-by-story review of The Simpsons Halloween Special XVIII from 2007
HorrorThe Guillermo del Toro-directed opening to The Simpsons Halloween Special XXIV brings us the classiest, cleverest intro sequence ever. Riffing on the traditional Simpsons title sequence, del Toro weaves together a gleeful tour of a Springfield populated by horror cinema icons and garnished with gleefully indulgent references to his own work. It’s so packed with ..
HorrorOnce again, for The Simpsons Halloween Special XXXI, the series makes an ill-advised foray into political comedy and this time it’s a particularly toothless swipe at the incumbent. This latest Treehouse of Horror seems oddly unwilling to actually name names this time, curious behaviour indeed for a series which previously namechecked him at every conceivable ..
HorrorWe’re back in front of the old red curtain as Marge introduces “The Simpsons Thanksgiving Of Horror”, a spill-over horror special and the eighth episode of Season 31. It’s here, she says, ‘because the world is so dark and scary, what with the grim spectre of…everything, there was too much horror to contain in one ..
Horror
Horror
HorrorIt’s another long-form ‘short intro’ for 2011’s Simpsons Halloween Special XXII beginning with the kids coming back from trick or treating to be met by Marge’s latest wheeze: the Switch Witch who takes candy and swaps it for healthy items. Lying to Marge that he will donate the confiscated candy, Homer drives to a remote ..
HorrorAnother Treehouse Of Horror, another milestone as Simpsons Halloween Special XXVII coincides with episode 600 of the series overall. Homer takes the family out Christmas tree shopping during Halloween but the Christmas Tree lot turns out to be a trap set by Sideshow Bob, Kang, the Leprechaun from Halloween Special XII and, of course, still-never-funny ..
HorrorThere are a plethora of openings to choose from in 2010’s Simpsons Halloween Special XXI but rather than previous year’s throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach, the problem this year seems to be too many good ideas to cram in. The spitefully violent fight between Homer and Bart is the least of the introductory gags, with Professor Frink’s parody ..
Horror2009’s Simpsons Halloween special opens in classic Horror fashion as the Universal Monsters coming to life for Halloween. It’s funny that they’re seen as old hat so they need to get themselves some modern costumes, and funnier still when their various brides turn up to ruin the party. Dial “M” For Murder Or Press “#” ..
Horror
HorrorThe Simpsons Halloween Special XXVI opens with another guest-artist couch gag. This time it’s “Ren & Stimpy” creator John Kricfalusi who digs up one-and-unfortunately-not-done character Frank Grimes (although without the tombstone to tell you his name you’d never know to look at him) to prey upon the trick-or-treating Simpsons children. If Kricfalusi’s house style is ..