Happy Halloween everybody! Welcome to my Halloween edition of Mad Lists! For this list, I will be counting down my 10 favourite segments of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes!
Back when I was a child, my favourite holiday was Halloween, and who could blame me? Cool costumes, free candy, giving Jehovas a taste of their own medicine? Awesome! But my absolute favourite thing about Halloween was turning on the tv and watching whatever Simpsons Halloween special was on. Some of my most cherished childhood memories was sitting with the family or friends and watching these laugh-a-minute ghoul fests.
Yes, I know the Simpsons aren't what they used to be, and they're Halloween Specials are no exception to that fact, but I like to look back on this show with positivity, instead of thinking about that Kesha intro. So, sit back and watch me countdown my top 10 favourite Treehouse of Horror segments! There are plenty of hilarious, scary, and ghouly ones to choose from, so... Let's do this!
10. Clown Without Pity
Homer: "The doll is trying to kill me and the toaster has been laughing at me!"
This countdown begins with a gem from Treehouse of Horror III. In a parody of the Child's Play saga, Homer buys Bart a Krusty doll from a shady, frogurt loving antique shop owner. Turns out that the doll is cursed and wants to kill Homer... But he came with a free frogurt! From then, hilarity ensues... The doll attacks Homer in a bathtub, tries to stab him multiple times, and even makes Homer run around naked causing Aunt Patty to go lesbian! Eventually, a technician arrives and finds that the doll was set to "evil" and we get a happy ending! This is a terrifically funny segment, and for me, one of my top 10 favourites!
9. King Homer
In this parody of King Kong (no shit), we see Mr Burns taking a full boat crew to a mysterious island. This crew features seamen, Smithers, and Marge as the bait... Uhh... Bait...thing beauty... The bathing beauty! There we go! They get to the island only to find that the natives there are worshipping this "Homer" fellow. Turns out that Homer is a giant prehistoric ape. The natives eventually capture Marge and try to sacrifice her to Homer... But Homer just finds her hair funny and starts twirling it. This segment is fucking awesome! Making Homer the giant ape was genius, and intertwining his character traits with that of a 50 foot ape was beyond hilarity... Especially when he runs out of breath after climbing two stories of the Empire State Building!
Bart: "Why don't you tell a story, Grampa. You've led an interesting life..."
Grampa: "That's a lie and you know it! But I have seen a lot of movies..."
8. Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace
Homer: "Lousy Smarch weather!"
So Groundskeeper Willie is a psychotic maniac who kills children in their dreams... And this was surprising to who now? Not gonna lie, this one actually scared me a little bit as a child. Laugh if you want, but there's something about Martin's death in this one still freaks me out. However, even with the eeriness of this episode, it still has some hilarious moments. Mostly when Willie becomes a giant bagpipe and Maggie plugs him with her soother. This parody of Nightmare on Elm Street is awesome and more than worthy of putting on this list!
Homer: "Lousy Smarch weather!"
So Groundskeeper Willie is a psychotic maniac who kills children in their dreams... And this was surprising to who now? Not gonna lie, this one actually scared me a little bit as a child. Laugh if you want, but there's something about Martin's death in this one still freaks me out. However, even with the eeriness of this episode, it still has some hilarious moments. Mostly when Willie becomes a giant bagpipe and Maggie plugs him with her soother. This parody of Nightmare on Elm Street is awesome and more than worthy of putting on this list!
7. Dial Z For Zombies
Bart: "Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
Homer: "He was a zombie?"
Yep, this segment houses one of the greatest quotes in the history of the show, and having our favourite American family fight off hordes of zombies didn't hurt, either. After finding a book of spells in a mysterious section of the school library, Bart and Lisa decide to go to the pet cemetery to attempt to bring Snowball I back to life. Unfortunately, Bart casts the wrong spell and wakes up every rotting body in the Springfield cemetery... Which apparently is the resting place of George Washington, Albert Einstein, and William Shakespeare! This is definitely one of the funniest TOH's ever made! There are tons of hilarious and quotable lines in this one, such as this very memorable exchange between Homer, Bart and Lisa:
This is a classic TOH segment, and I feel very bad putting it at number 7! But hey, shit happens, right?
Bart: "Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
Homer: "He was a zombie?"
Yep, this segment houses one of the greatest quotes in the history of the show, and having our favourite American family fight off hordes of zombies didn't hurt, either. After finding a book of spells in a mysterious section of the school library, Bart and Lisa decide to go to the pet cemetery to attempt to bring Snowball I back to life. Unfortunately, Bart casts the wrong spell and wakes up every rotting body in the Springfield cemetery... Which apparently is the resting place of George Washington, Albert Einstein, and William Shakespeare! This is definitely one of the funniest TOH's ever made! There are tons of hilarious and quotable lines in this one, such as this very memorable exchange between Homer, Bart and Lisa:
This is a classic TOH segment, and I feel very bad putting it at number 7! But hey, shit happens, right?
6. House of Whacks
Matthew Perry: "Hi, I'm Chandler... Could I BE any more of a house?"
Matthew Perry: "Hi, I'm Chandler... Could I BE any more of a house?"
In this underrated gem, we see James Bond (the bad one) take control of the Simpsons household... in the form of Hal. This machine does everything: he cooks, he cleans, he prepares the perfect bath for Marge, and other neat stuff. Wait... uhh... Well, except for going AWOL and trying to kill Homer by shoving him head-first into a "table cleaner." The Brosnan bot starts to unravel after seeing Marge naked and having Homer tell him "If I died, Marge would be completely available, for man or machine..." From there, the Brosnan bot begins a plot to kill Homer and have Marge to himself. Through some laughs, the Simpson family manages to get out of this mess pretty unscathed, well... other than Homer having his brains sticking out of the back of his head. Enough of me talking about this one, just fucking watch it because it's awesome!
5. The Raven
Quoth the Raven: "EAT MY SHORTS"
This slice of awesomeness comes from the very first Treehouse of Horror, all the way back in season 2! It's not the funniest segment, it's not even the scariest (as Bart points out in this episode), so why is it on this list, you ask? Because it's fucking awesome, that's why! The way these characters were intertwined with this classic tale from Edgar Allen Poe was absolutely genius, and having Darth fucking Vader himself narrate it was brilliant. Even though most of the segment's script was borrowed from the original poem itself, it spawned one of the greatest moments in Simpsons history: When Homer wants the raven to take the beak from out of his heart, the raven (in the caricature of Bart) replies with "Nevermore." This classic told the story in it's own way, yet still paid homage to the classic horror poem!
Quoth the Raven: "EAT MY SHORTS"
This slice of awesomeness comes from the very first Treehouse of Horror, all the way back in season 2! It's not the funniest segment, it's not even the scariest (as Bart points out in this episode), so why is it on this list, you ask? Because it's fucking awesome, that's why! The way these characters were intertwined with this classic tale from Edgar Allen Poe was absolutely genius, and having Darth fucking Vader himself narrate it was brilliant. Even though most of the segment's script was borrowed from the original poem itself, it spawned one of the greatest moments in Simpsons history: When Homer wants the raven to take the beak from out of his heart, the raven (in the caricature of Bart) replies with "Nevermore." This classic told the story in it's own way, yet still paid homage to the classic horror poem!
4. Bart Simpson's Dracula
Lisa: "Um, dad... That's his crotch."
Not going to lie, I feel like putting this at number 4 is too low, but that just goes to show how awesome these TOH's are! In a parody of every vampire movie ever made, the Simpsons make their way to Mr. Burns mansion, located in....
PENNSYLVANIA! dun-dun-dunnnn....
Anyways, so as our heroes make their way through the mansion, Bart and Lisa start to notice some strange things, such as Burns's shadow playing with a yo-yo, blood disguised as wine, and a secret vampire room that forbids garlic! Eventually, Bart gets bitten by Burns and transforms into a vampire himself, leading to Homer pulling off one of the funniest kills in the history of TOH! Unfortunately, Homer killed the wrong guy and the true head vampire is revealed at the end, which is also a hilarious ending! Moving on...
3. Time and Punishment
Homer: "Marge, would you kindly pass me a donut?"
Marge: "Donut? What's a donut?"
Homer: "AAAAHHHHH!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Just thinking about this one makes me laugh! When Homer destroys his toaster after getting his hand caught in it (twice!), he fixes it, only to have in turn into a time machine that allows him to chill with Peabody & Sherman! This toaster sends him back to the time when dinosaurs walked the earth. After killing a bug, he returns to present day Springfield to find that Flanders is the ruler of the world! After getting out of that jam, he repeats the cycle only to return to a world where donuts don't exist! That instance of raining donuts might be one of funniest moments in all of television, not to mention when the Simpsons household goes from underwater, to Bart as the Sphinx, to becoming the Flintstones house!
Pound for pound, this is one of the funniest segments in all of TOH, and it earns the bronze medal on this Top 10!
Homer: "Marge, would you kindly pass me a donut?"
Marge: "Donut? What's a donut?"
Homer: "AAAAHHHHH!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!"
Just thinking about this one makes me laugh! When Homer destroys his toaster after getting his hand caught in it (twice!), he fixes it, only to have in turn into a time machine that allows him to chill with Peabody & Sherman! This toaster sends him back to the time when dinosaurs walked the earth. After killing a bug, he returns to present day Springfield to find that Flanders is the ruler of the world! After getting out of that jam, he repeats the cycle only to return to a world where donuts don't exist! That instance of raining donuts might be one of funniest moments in all of television, not to mention when the Simpsons household goes from underwater, to Bart as the Sphinx, to becoming the Flintstones house!
Pound for pound, this is one of the funniest segments in all of TOH, and it earns the bronze medal on this Top 10!
2. The Shinning
Smithers: "Sir, did you ever stop to think that maybe it was doing this that caused the previous caretakers to go insane and murder their families?"
Mr. Burns: "Mmm, perhaps. Tell you what, we come back and everyone's slaughtered, I owe you a Coke."
This, to me, is the greatest parody of a horror movie ever made, in any medium, ever! I know that's not saying much, but still. This spoof of Stanley Kubrick's classic thriller is filled to the rim with laughs! From the possible lawsuit that Groundskeeper Willie gets Bart out of, to Moe going all la-dee-da when he talks about how happy he is, to Homer having no tv and no beer and making him go something something, to Homer literally scaring himself in the mirror and falling down the stairs! Just so you know, I'm laughing my fucking ass off as I'm writing this because those moments are so fucking brilliant! I can't really describe The Shinning's awesomeness anymore than I already have, so I'll stop here. It's just... Just watch it! And if you've seen it already, then see it again, because it's fucking awesome!
AND NOW... THE NUMBER ONE TREEHOUSE OF HORROR SEGMENT OF ALL TIME IS.......................
Smithers: "Sir, did you ever stop to think that maybe it was doing this that caused the previous caretakers to go insane and murder their families?"
Mr. Burns: "Mmm, perhaps. Tell you what, we come back and everyone's slaughtered, I owe you a Coke."
This, to me, is the greatest parody of a horror movie ever made, in any medium, ever! I know that's not saying much, but still. This spoof of Stanley Kubrick's classic thriller is filled to the rim with laughs! From the possible lawsuit that Groundskeeper Willie gets Bart out of, to Moe going all la-dee-da when he talks about how happy he is, to Homer having no tv and no beer and making him go something something, to Homer literally scaring himself in the mirror and falling down the stairs! Just so you know, I'm laughing my fucking ass off as I'm writing this because those moments are so fucking brilliant! I can't really describe The Shinning's awesomeness anymore than I already have, so I'll stop here. It's just... Just watch it! And if you've seen it already, then see it again, because it's fucking awesome!
AND NOW... THE NUMBER ONE TREEHOUSE OF HORROR SEGMENT OF ALL TIME IS.......................
1. The Devil and Homer Simpson
Lionel Hutz: "That was a right-pretty speech, sir. But I ask you, what is a contract? Webster's defines it as an agreement under the law which is unbreakable. Which is unbreakable!
...
...
...
... Excuse me, I must use the restroom."
Yes, this is my number 1 choice on this list. Do you disagree with me? Well, let me explain why to you, with help from a few of my friends, they are:
Benedict Arnold
Lizzy Borden
Richard Nixon (I did a favour for him)
John Wilkes Booth
Blackbeard the Pirate
John Dillinger...
... And the starting line of the nineteen seventy-six Philadelphia Flyers!
Okay, all reference aside, if you want to know the core reason of why I love this one more than any other, it's this: Ned Flanders as the Devil was pure fucking genius! It actually makes perfect sense when you think about it. The Devil is a wolf in sheep's clothing, he comes off as your best friend, and he does everything he can to convince you that he doesn't exist. That's Ned in a nutshell! Maybe he's always so religious as a way to cover himself up, did you ever think of that? Okay, I know I'm sounding nuts now, but seriously, Flanders as Satan himself... Brilliance, pure brilliance!
Every line is funny as hell, the premise of Homer's soul depending on a donut is hilarious, and the ill-gotten donut being forever a part of Homer's head will go down as a classic moment in Simpsons lore! To me, this was more than deserving of being number 1! Classic!
Well, there you have it. Do you agree with this top 10? Or am I an idiot? Let me know in the comments.... And before I go, I must say:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!
- Mad Mike of Metal
Lionel Hutz: "That was a right-pretty speech, sir. But I ask you, what is a contract? Webster's defines it as an agreement under the law which is unbreakable. Which is unbreakable!
...
...
...
... Excuse me, I must use the restroom."
Yes, this is my number 1 choice on this list. Do you disagree with me? Well, let me explain why to you, with help from a few of my friends, they are:
Benedict Arnold
Lizzy Borden
Richard Nixon (I did a favour for him)
John Wilkes Booth
Blackbeard the Pirate
John Dillinger...
... And the starting line of the nineteen seventy-six Philadelphia Flyers!
Okay, all reference aside, if you want to know the core reason of why I love this one more than any other, it's this: Ned Flanders as the Devil was pure fucking genius! It actually makes perfect sense when you think about it. The Devil is a wolf in sheep's clothing, he comes off as your best friend, and he does everything he can to convince you that he doesn't exist. That's Ned in a nutshell! Maybe he's always so religious as a way to cover himself up, did you ever think of that? Okay, I know I'm sounding nuts now, but seriously, Flanders as Satan himself... Brilliance, pure brilliance!
Every line is funny as hell, the premise of Homer's soul depending on a donut is hilarious, and the ill-gotten donut being forever a part of Homer's head will go down as a classic moment in Simpsons lore! To me, this was more than deserving of being number 1! Classic!
Well, there you have it. Do you agree with this top 10? Or am I an idiot? Let me know in the comments.... And before I go, I must say:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!
- Mad Mike of Metal
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