Season 4 is in my judgement the best of The Simpsons' seasons. So it's definite that that year would produce a quality Treehouse of Horror... and it does, even though Treehouse of Horror III is overshadowed by Treehouse of Horror IV and V. Like a number of other Halloween and horror-themed shows I've reviewed positively throughout this October, it's not scary, but it's funny and entertaining.
The episode kicks off with Homer giving the parental guidance, a task usually given to Marge- but Homer does it in a delightfully insulting way. The three stories this year are told at a Halloween party with the Simpsons and some of the elementary school kids. The first story is a parody of the living doll concept- except here, it's Krusty. I can't imagine Krusty being scary, so it's the humour that has to carry the segment. The jokes, which succeed, target old age pensions, dirty socks, and a laughing toaster.
The second segment is a spoof on King Kong (1933). It's a loving tribute to a classic, with much of the movie appearing here- the wall, the tyrannosaur, the cameras that irritate Kong when he's chained up. Differences include how King Homer eats people (in the movie, Kong bites but does not swallow humans), and here Marge loves Homer, much as she does in the series. They managed to tell the story aptly in a few minutes, whereas in 2005 it took Peter Jackson *three hours*. The humour is good, with comparisons between Ape Island and Candy Apple Island. The first segment's gay joke involved Patty- here it's Smithers.
The third segment is the best, involving a zombie invasion. The humour is top-notch, with Homer, like a normal parent, just glad the car's okay. The zombies, amusingly, reject him. He then kills Flanders without knowing he was a zombie- a joke the writers liked so much they used it again in THOH IV. Finally, Homer bashes three historical zombies- irreverent humour done right.
Happy Halloween.
The episode kicks off with Homer giving the parental guidance, a task usually given to Marge- but Homer does it in a delightfully insulting way. The three stories this year are told at a Halloween party with the Simpsons and some of the elementary school kids. The first story is a parody of the living doll concept- except here, it's Krusty. I can't imagine Krusty being scary, so it's the humour that has to carry the segment. The jokes, which succeed, target old age pensions, dirty socks, and a laughing toaster.
The second segment is a spoof on King Kong (1933). It's a loving tribute to a classic, with much of the movie appearing here- the wall, the tyrannosaur, the cameras that irritate Kong when he's chained up. Differences include how King Homer eats people (in the movie, Kong bites but does not swallow humans), and here Marge loves Homer, much as she does in the series. They managed to tell the story aptly in a few minutes, whereas in 2005 it took Peter Jackson *three hours*. The humour is good, with comparisons between Ape Island and Candy Apple Island. The first segment's gay joke involved Patty- here it's Smithers.
The third segment is the best, involving a zombie invasion. The humour is top-notch, with Homer, like a normal parent, just glad the car's okay. The zombies, amusingly, reject him. He then kills Flanders without knowing he was a zombie- a joke the writers liked so much they used it again in THOH IV. Finally, Homer bashes three historical zombies- irreverent humour done right.
Happy Halloween.