This Halloween, why not sit down for the best possible Horror marathon you can have? We’re talking, of course, about Treehouse of Horror, The Simpsons long running Halloween specials. Here are some of our favourite segments.
Hungry Are the Damned
Treehouse of Horror I (The Simpsons 2×03)
Kang and Kodos have taken the backseat in recent years, but they used to be Treehouse of Horror mainstays. In this simple Twilight Zone parody, Lisa inadvertently ruins things by being too smart for her own good and accusing the aliens of trying to eat the Simpson family when she finds a book that looks like it’s entitled How to Cook Humans. Sadly, there’s a little space dust on the cover.
“Everyone from a species who has mastered intergalactic travel, raise your hand.”
– Kang
Lisa’s Nightmare
Treehouse of Horror II (The Simpsons 3×07)
In what will become a bit of a trend, Homer buys an evil artefact from a dubious seller and causes havoc. In this case, it’s a monkey’s paw that makes the Simpsons so famous that everyone hates them and brings world peace, thus making the Earth a target for alien invasion.
“Soon, they will make a board with a nail so big it will destroy them all!”
– Kang
Clown Without Pity
Treehouse of Horror III (The Simpsons 4×05)
Homer accidentally buys an evil Krusty doll from a clearly evil store that, to be fair, tells Homer that the doll is evil. But he does it anyway. Thankfully, there’s an easy solution, provided by an early version of the sarcastic voice guy. Naturally, someone accidentally activated the doll’s evil setting.
“Marge, look! The doll’s trying to kill me and the toaster’s been laughing at me!”
– Homer
The Devil and Homer Simpson
Treehouse of Horror IV (The Simpsons 5×05)
Who owns Homer’s soul? Homer tries to sell his soul for a doughnut, and as a result, the Simpson family holds a trial to get him out of his jam. And of course, the devil is really Ned Flanders.
“Devil Flanders: I give you the Jury of the Damned. Benedict Arnold. Lizzy Borden. Richard Nixon.
Nixon: But I’m not dead yet! In fact, I just wrote an article for Redbook.
Devil Flanders: Listen, I did a favour for you!
Nixon: (subdued) Yes master.
Devil Flanders: John Wilkes Booth. Blackbeard the Pirate. John Dillinger. And the starting line of the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers.”
The Shinning
Treehouse of Horror V (The Simpsons 6×06)
Does taking away beer and TV cause Homer to go crazy while caretaking at the Overlook Hotel? Well, maybe if it hadn’t been built on a First Nations burial ground, been the site of witch burnings, and hosted seven John Denver Christmas specials, things would have turned out differently. It’s better if you’ve seen The Shining, but even if you haven’t, this segment hits all the beats of that classic horror movie.
“That’s odd, usually the blood gets off at the second floor.”
– Mr. Burns
Time & Punishment
Treehouse of Horror V (The Simpsons 6×06)
Every moment of this parody of The Sound of Thunder is hilarious. It starts with Homer accidentally getting his hand jammed in the toaster twice, progresses to him accidentally creating time travel by fixing his toaster, and results in him changing the course of history by, amongst other things, sneezing on a tyrannosaurus rex and killing all the dinosaurs. Clearly the best moment is when Homer creates a world where he’s rich, has luxury cars, and his sister in laws are dead, but he flees because there’s no doughnuts . . . except after he leaves, doughnuts fall from the sky and Marge remarks that it’s raining. Time travel has never been so bonkers.
“This is indeed a disturbing universe.”
– Maggie (in a James Earl Jones voice)
Nightmare of Evergreen Terrace
Treehouse of Horror VI (The Simpsons 7×06)
Lots of Treehouse of Horror episodes have horrible deaths, but Willie’s accidental death due an overheated furnace (thanks to Homer ignoring a sign) must be one of the most undignified. An indignity only increased thanks to the PTA voting against spending twelve bucks on doorknobs, the PTA voting against the fire department topping up their fire extinguishers (a free service), and the PTA not saving a burning Willie because Milhouse’s dad wanted to talk about the problem to two spaghetti meals in one day. Then it turns into a Nightmare on Elm Street parody, which we’re into. Did Freddy Krueger have a backstory as tragic as this one?
“Lousy Smarch weather!”
– Homer
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