On October 25, 1990, Matt Groening made entertainment history, perhaps without knowing it. Premiere from the first Halloween special of The Simpson, not only surprised, but turned the already popular series into a mass event. It was not just a celebration of the traditional North American date. Also, it was a type of satire that, although it was a regular part of the arguments of the various chapters, on this occasion it reached a new level. All thanks to parodying several of the best-known terrifying stories in film and television.
But it was, specifically, the adaptation of the poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, which surprised the public. Far from just being a set of jokes, it was a careful version of the writer’s work, starring the members of the animated family. Much more, he dared to take the verses from the original and transfer them without change to the script. The result became a small screen classic and also opened the doors to what would become an annual tradition recognized as part of popular culture.
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Much more, by incorporating, year after year, cinematographic parodies, like other stories by recognized authors. Also, brilliant tributes to the genre. But what are the best specials throughout more than twenty years of broadcast? We leave you a selection that includes the strangest and most hilarious moments from the series’ Halloween celebrations. But in particular, what they have shown is that this television tradition still has a lot to give.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror III
(season 4, episode 5)
One of the chapters that devoted the most attention to cinema, premiered on October 29, 1992. With the animated family telling horror stories, they all conclude in various parodies and recreations of some of the most popular films in cinema. Most interesting, however, is the use of mythology from the season’s previous stories to celebrate Halloween.
The first fragment, titled The Clown Without MercyHomer buys a doll Krustywhich ends up being haunted. The script plays with the idea of the Simpson patriarch’s utter lack of attention to the supernatural. So much so that in the end, he ends up adopting the aggressive toy. Of course, this is a parody of the character chuckyas intelligent as it is well written.
The next segment took the love story of Homer and Marge to the heights of cinema, to recreate several of the film’s iconic scenes. king kong 1933. The play directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack came in all its black and white splendor to the animated series.
Finally, the most hilarious tribute was the one paid to The return of the living dead by George A. Romero. He not only transformed the family members into makeshift zombie hunters, but added a unique social commentary on racism. Furthermore, Homer achieved his dream of seasons: mock Ned Flanders with complete impunity.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror II
(season 3, episode 7)
Released on October 31, 1991, it was the first to incorporate special titles to celebrate the date. Which transformed the names of the production team and cast into sinister movie titles. He also added tombstones with names of several of the central characters — or their ancestors — and used the setting to create a fun sinister atmosphere.
On this occasion, the stories included a tribute to the story The monkey’s paw by the writer WW Jacobs and the film twilight zone from 1983. Specifically, the fragment directed by Joe Dante. But the creepiest one was the one that parodied Frankenstein in a strange version that closed with a scene that was reminiscent of Boris Karloff’s performance.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror IV
(Season 5, episode 5)
On October 28, 1993, the fourth Halloween special of The Simpson. It is perhaps the most hilarious and the one that uses the characters most skillfully to achieve an unforgettable episode.
The first segment, titled The Devil and Homer Simpson, tells how the most famous family man on television sells his soul to the devil. But beyond the Faustian deal, it is one of the first times that the series shows the dark side of one of its emblematic characters. Ned Flanders turns out to be the devil incarnate and the one in charge of carrying out a macabre trial. The jury is filled with infamous figures in American history, including Richard Nixon.
This special adds to its repertoire the 1983 film Twilight Zone. This time, the fragment by George Miller about a creature that destroys the wing of an airplane. This time Bart is the terrified witness who watches with helpless eyes as an unknown creature attacks the school bus.
Finally, the closing fragment is a version of Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. For the occasion, Mr. Burns wears Gary Oldman’s white wig, while Lisa tries to figure out what’s going on during a gloomy dinner invitation.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
(season 2, episode 3)
In this account we could not miss the emblematic chapter that gave meaning to the entire tradition of the special The Simpson to celebrate Halloween. Released October 25, 1990, it begins with a satire of the film saga — and in the real event — of Amityville.
But also, the episode has the honor of including aliens for the first time Kang and Kodosto parody the series twilight zone. Specifically, its remembered episode titled To Serve Man. Finally, there is an animated recitation of the poem The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, so brilliant and well constructed as to be studied and praised by literary experts.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror
(season 6, episode 6)
This special is probably one of the most loved by fans. The reason is simple: it satirizes several of the most iconic symbols of modern terror. From a version of The glow with a crazed Homer until the recreation of the cult film When destiny reaches us by Richard Fleischer. The plot is a journey through the iconic moments of the genre.
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But the most remembered is, without a doubt, the fragment entitled Time and punishment, in which Homer travels in a time paradox and tests the theory of the Butterfly effect. Again, the series plays with its symbols and in one of the alternative realities, Ned Flanders is the president of a world inhabited by amphibious creatures.