The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Episode 1

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Episode 1

Aired: October 25th 1990
Season 2: Episode 3

Written by: John Swartzwelder, Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky, Edgar Allan Poe & Sam Simon

Welcome to the first Treehouse of Horror "Review". An interesting fact is that this is the only Treehouse of Horror episode to actually feature the Treehouse setting. The opening has Marge walking out to the stage to warn the audience of how scary the episode is and to not let your children watch. This is a clear reference to Frankenstein (1931).

Next we get to see a quick tour through the cemetery with celebrity names, Simpsons characters and creators (which will be a reoccurring motif in future episodes). Also, a small detail you may miss is the fly saying "OW" as it flies into the bug zapper (reference the film the Fly).

The entire episode is tied together under the premise that Bart and Lisa are telling each other scary stories on Halloween night, all while Maggie and Homer (unknown to the kids) listen on. This sets the perfect mood to a Halloween night that most kids can relate to. 

Segment 1 - Bad Dream House

This is my favorite segment of this episode. The plot of this segment revolves around the Simpson's moving into a house that they purchase on the cheap due to the fact that it was built on an ancient Indian burial ground, and sure enough strange things start happening. There are a few really funny moments in this one with my favorite being when Homer is yelling at the realtor for not warning them about the house, only to find out he was told multiple times.

Here is the list of the references I noticed while watching this segment.
- Poltergeist: From the plot to the tree outside of Lisa's window, the Indian Burial ground, a portal and the way the house disappears at the end of the segment.

- Amityville Horror: The bleeding walls, the house speaking to the Simpsons and trying to get them to turn on one another.

- Psycho: The house looks just like Norman Bates house.

- Exorcist: Maggie's Head Spinning

- Shining: Homer carrying the axe (may be a bit of a stretch)

- Suspiria: The use of colors throughout the segment

Segment 2 - Hungry Are the Damned

This segment marks the first appearance of Kang and Kodos who would go on to be a Treehouse staple in all future segments. The Simpons are abducted by the Regellians while being fed their favorites dishes, Lisa is concerned this is a plot to fatten them up before eating them. It all turns out to be a big misunderstanding.

Here is the list of the references I noticed while watching this segment.

- The Twilight Zone Episode "To Serve Man": The plot and the misunderstanding with the book.

- Kang and Kodos: Inspired by Weird Comics (multiple)

Segment 3 - The Raven

This is the first Simpons segment to be based on a book. The Raven is a retelling of the Poe classic, with little changed, other than the injection of Simpsons humor. I personally never really enjoyed this one but I can understand why they included it in the episode.

Edgar Allen Poe Books: The Raven drops include The Pit and the Pendulum, The Telltale Heart and The Purloined Letter.

Closing: Homer is terrified after hearing all of these stories and is scared as Marge turns off the lights. In conclusion there are many better episodes but this was a solid first attempt at a Halloween special.

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror - A Personal Retrospective

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons; Halloween, horror movies, the air is cooler and cleaner, pumpkins, football and the beginning of a new Simpsons season, which means a new episode of the Treehouse of Horror.

The Simpsons were an integral part of my childhood, a family tradition that was honored every Sunday night with each new episode. Aside from the fact that the writing for the Simpsons was much stronger when I was young, my personal favorite episodes were always the Treehouse of Horror, which should be obvious based on the theme of this blog post.

I make no attempt to hide the fact that I am obsessed with everything horror and Halloween related so naturally I was drawn into these episodes which paid homage to all things horror including; film, tv, literature, comics and even video games in the form of clever cultural references. Personally I did not start making these references until I was a bit older, but I can remember my Dad pointing out some of the more obvious ones, especially the references to the Universal Monsters.

Each episode of the Treehouse of Horror is made up of multiple short segments, usually 3, with some reoccurring traditions that show up in almost every episode. These traditions include; the opening sequence, the appearance of Kang and Kodos, the altering of the creators names with "Scary Names", such as Matt Groening turned into Bat Gronening and of course the cultural references.

So in dedication to my childhood, the Simpsons and more specifically the treehouse of horror, I will be "reviewing" each episode from now until Halloween. Currently there are 30 episodes with the 31st expected to air in October of this year. Just to be clear I am using the term review very lightly. Each review will include a brief overview of the episode, with special callouts for each horror reference I notice as well as my general thoughts. On Halloween I will release a video with my top 10 favorite segments from the 31 episodes as well as a written post.

I hope you all decide to check out my reviews and enjoy these posts. Either way you should take some time to watch the episodes to help get you in a more Halloween mood.

Monster Madness Bracket

History of Horror Films: A Terrible Night (1986)

A Terrible Night 

Alternate Titles: Une nuit terrible

Release Date: 1986

Director: Georges Méliès

Producer: Georges Méliès

Writer: NA

Country:France

Genre: Silent, Supernatural, Magic

Rating: .5 out of 5

Released in 1896 and directed by Georges Melies. The film depicts a man trying to sleep and is interrupted by a giant bug. I only mention this film because many consider that this is apart of the horror genre, personally I consider it a comedy. I guess it would be safe to say it is the first horror comedy, however it is nothing more than a silly short film. One interesting fact is that this is the first Méliès to use cinematic special effects. Since I cannot consider this a horror film I could only give this half a star out of 5. But watch for yourself.

IMDB Link 

History of Horror Films: The Haunted Castle (1896)

The Haunted Castle

Alternate Titles: Le Manior du diable, The Devil's Castle, The House of the Devil

Release Date: Winter, 1986

Director: Georges Méliès

Producer: Georges Méliès

Writer: NA

Country:France

Genre: Silent, Supernatural, Magic

Rating: 2 out of 5

Also known as The haunted castle in the US and the Devils Castle in the UK. This is a two-minute-long French film directed by Georges Méliès. This film was considered lost until 1988, when a copy was found in the New Zealand Film Archive.  The film tells the story of an encounter with the Devil (or Mephistoheles) and various attendant phantoms. The film contains many traditional pantomime elements and was intentionally meant to amuse people, rather than frighten them, however due to the nature of the subject and, because it includes a transformation involving a bat, skeletons, ghosts, and the devil it has even been called the first true horror film.  In addition to being considered the first horror film some also consider this the first vampire film, with the bat transformation and the fact that the “devil”| is banished with a crucifix. Although this is choppy and slightly goofy it remains an interesting film, but I could only muster up a 2 out of 5, considering the time this is still impressive. 

IMDB Link 

History of Horror Films: The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895)

The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

Alternate Titles: The Execution of Mary Stuart

Release Date: August 28th, 1895

Director: Alfred Clark

Producer: Thomas Edison

Writer: NA

Country: US

Genre: Silent, Murder, Execution

Rating: 1 out of 5

Released in 1895 the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots may not be horror in the typical sense but it was the first depiction of a beheading, the first use of trained actors for film and possibly the first use of editing for the purposes of special effects. It was Directed by Alfred Clark and produced by Thomas Edison, yes the same Thomas Edison who invented the electric light, power utilities, sound recording, and motion pictures. Even though this is only 18 seconds long this was quite shocking for the time as many audience members thought a real woman was beheaded for the film. Not much else to describe here so I will let you watch this 20 second short without me babbling on. I would give this a solid 1 out of 5 for ingenuity, creativity and being the first in many categories. 

IMDB Link