I am STILL looking for the name of the music score that was featured in other Simpsons episodes, but primarily in the "Treehouse of Horror II" episode during "The Bart Zone"... in which Bart and Homer (now changed into a Jack-in-the-Box) heeded the advice of Dr. Marvin Monroe, and proceeded to just have fun and enjoy each other's company. During this time, a musical score was playing in the background. I have heard this music in other places... especially in some REALLY OLD TV commercials from the late 60's and early 70's. The music features a vibraphone as the lead instrument, and it would seem to be in what is called "5/4 TIME", which is the same time signature of the original song "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck. Does ANYONE know the name and/or location of this score, possibly by Alf Clausen, and how of where I can obtain it?
16 Reviews
Boo! More Simpsons fun and fright
gizmomogwai24 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Treehouse of Horror II is The Simpsons' second Halloween episode, indicating the THOHs would become an annual event, and thankfully they did. The first THOH was great but this one tops it. This review is part of a series of my user comments on Halloween and horror-themed shows throughout this October.
THOH II's three stories are presented as nightmares the Simpsons family have after a night of trick or treating; presumably the non-nightmare segments of the story are canon. Some famous stories have been adapted here, starting with the legend of the paw that grants wishes. When Bart wishes the family is rich and famous, a common wish among the lower class, it allows for a commentary of the show's fame in real life. Later, Lisa's wish for world peace makes the planet vulnerable to the aliens, the same octopus men from the original THOH. They, too, became an annual tradition, although they were often not as important to the story as they were in THOH and THOH II. The next segment gives Bart special powers to read minds and transform people into monsters. It's funny to see everyone afraid of Bart, ironically trying to be pleasant about the horrors. Unusually, Bart now likes school. Bart and Homer also bond, which along with the parts of the episode where the Simpsons sleep together after having nightmares, shows the family can be closer than given credit for.
The final segment is a Frankenstein spoof. Mr. Burns is the show's evil villain, so it makes sense he'd have a lot of potential as a THOH character; nevertheless he was left out of the original. However, they soon remedy that- he's Dr. Frankenstein here, in THOH III he's Denham in a King Kong spoof, in THOH IV he's Dracula, and in THOH V he's the owner of the haunted building in a Shining spoof. In this segment, Homer being fired is actually realistic and funny, but the episode turns to horror when he's kidnapped by Burns and Smithers so that his brain can be put in a robot. Burns is amusingly rough with Homer, but later finds his experiment a tragic failure- sad Halloweenish music plays when he's crying about it and again at the end of the episode. It's fitting.
Happy Halloween.
THOH II's three stories are presented as nightmares the Simpsons family have after a night of trick or treating; presumably the non-nightmare segments of the story are canon. Some famous stories have been adapted here, starting with the legend of the paw that grants wishes. When Bart wishes the family is rich and famous, a common wish among the lower class, it allows for a commentary of the show's fame in real life. Later, Lisa's wish for world peace makes the planet vulnerable to the aliens, the same octopus men from the original THOH. They, too, became an annual tradition, although they were often not as important to the story as they were in THOH and THOH II. The next segment gives Bart special powers to read minds and transform people into monsters. It's funny to see everyone afraid of Bart, ironically trying to be pleasant about the horrors. Unusually, Bart now likes school. Bart and Homer also bond, which along with the parts of the episode where the Simpsons sleep together after having nightmares, shows the family can be closer than given credit for.
The final segment is a Frankenstein spoof. Mr. Burns is the show's evil villain, so it makes sense he'd have a lot of potential as a THOH character; nevertheless he was left out of the original. However, they soon remedy that- he's Dr. Frankenstein here, in THOH III he's Denham in a King Kong spoof, in THOH IV he's Dracula, and in THOH V he's the owner of the haunted building in a Shining spoof. In this segment, Homer being fired is actually realistic and funny, but the episode turns to horror when he's kidnapped by Burns and Smithers so that his brain can be put in a robot. Burns is amusingly rough with Homer, but later finds his experiment a tragic failure- sad Halloweenish music plays when he's crying about it and again at the end of the episode. It's fitting.
Happy Halloween.
A Real Treat,
lesleyharris3027 October 2015
Treehouse of Horror II is a terrific Simpsons episode with a very well written storyline and loads of very funny scenes. It's where the annual Treehouse of Horror episode kicks off, sure it began in season two, but this is when the correct tone and rhythm of these shows are set up properly, and thankfully it hasn't changed much since, it starts off with a fun story about the Simpsons being given a monkey's paw, it even pokes fun at how big the series was becoming, which has me in stitches every time. Sadly the episode ends on the weakest story, it had a lot more potential, it could have worked as a sort of Frankenstein's Monster parody, but the story simply felt rushed, although the interaction between Smithers and Burns is hilarious in it and it's even more pleasing to know they're voiced by the same person. My favourite story is certainly in the middle, I loved seeing the world bow down to Bart, it's quite creepy at times and I've certainly never been more afraid of Bart, it's no surprise it's based on a Twilight Zone episode, the dynamics between Bart and Homer are vastly entertaining as we see them struggling to improve their relationship. A fun, imaginative three stories, Treehouse of Horror II still stands as one of the greatest Halloween specials.
After eating too much Halloween candy, Homer, Bart and Lisa all have nightmares, such as finding a monkey's paw, Bart gaining magical powers and Homer gets transformed in to a robot.
After eating too much Halloween candy, Homer, Bart and Lisa all have nightmares, such as finding a monkey's paw, Bart gaining magical powers and Homer gets transformed in to a robot.
Three Bad Nightmares - Simpsons Style
Incredible_Brightness14 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Simpson Halloween specials / Treehouses of Horror usually function as spoofs on different types of horror movies / TV programs. The opening features Marge Simpson on an Opera / theater stage platform "warning" the audience about the show's content, much in the fashion of the original 1931 Frankenstein. Which is the same way she opened the first Simpsons' Treehouse of horror.
The plot centers around Halloween night of that year, where Bart, Lisa, and potentially Maggie bring home a whopper of a Halloween candy haul. Bart, Lisa, and Homer start to pig out while Marge advises them to eat only one piece each. She warns them that eating too much candy will give them nightmares. Well, the power of suggestion proves to be a truly influential thing, because they each have a nightmare.
Starting with Lisa, who is still chowing down on candy in her bed with piles on either side of her when she falls asleep. Suddenly her family is on vacation in Morocco and seeing the sights. Homer checks out a little Moroccan gift stand and purchases a "cursed" item from a little old man with a raspy voice (Hellraiser, 1987) called a Monkey's Paw. Which grants wishes to it's owner(s) but which promise grave misfortunes as often the wishes bring horrible luck. Or is this just the power of suggestion working against them? Because some wishes indeed turn out to be really bad ideas, but others work without a hitch. Is it really Homer's usual luck at work? Or is this just Lisa's nightmare showing her everything that comes along with world peace?
Lisa is so scared that she can't sleep and asks Bart if she can crawl into his bed with him, in exchange for a candy necklace. Bart appears to have been wiser than Lisa for he is not sleeping with his load of candy but is sleeping very soundly all the same. His nightmare turns out to be his greatest dream come true - he now has the power to make anything he wants happen just by thinking of it (Twilight Zone / Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1983). But he finds that his unquestioned control over everyone's mind has it's drawbacks. He can't get Homer to stop disobeying him, so he turns him into a Jack in the Box. This prompts Marge to get them to seek family counseling. This ends in a prescription for Homer and Bart to spend more time together and it brings them closer together as a father and son. But... is this what Bart really wants? Or is it actually a nightmare in disguise?
Lisa and Bart are so scared that they can't sleep and ask Marge and Homer if they can sleep in their bed. Homer is startled awake and looks distressingly at the clock. Just a couple of hours before work... At work, the next day, he is fired by his boss and has to find other employment. He soon gets another job digging at the cemetery, working for Groundskeeper Willie. But he picks the wrong time to take a dirt nap because later that night, while Homer is still snoozing, his boss Mr. Burns and his assistant Mr. Smithers are trolling the cemetery, looking for a Brain for their monster (Frankenstein) robot and think Homer's will do quite nicely. After the brain is in and the robot activated, things don't go as planned. Suddenly, they have to return Homer's brain to his body. But Mr. Burns' body is damaged in a lab accident and the only way to save his brain is to attach it to Homer's body (The Thing with Two Heads, 1972 / The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, 1971). Homer wakes up screaming - but with Mr. Burns' head still on his shoulders. It's just a nightmare. Isn't it?
Since all of these tales have a basically science fiction plot, this is easily my least favorite of the Simpsons Halloween episodes I've seen. As for humor, this is also "a little dry" as well for a Simpsons' Halloween episode. The 3rd tale is the funniest. The 2nd is the most interesting. The 1st is probably the smartest. "End of monster."
The plot centers around Halloween night of that year, where Bart, Lisa, and potentially Maggie bring home a whopper of a Halloween candy haul. Bart, Lisa, and Homer start to pig out while Marge advises them to eat only one piece each. She warns them that eating too much candy will give them nightmares. Well, the power of suggestion proves to be a truly influential thing, because they each have a nightmare.
Starting with Lisa, who is still chowing down on candy in her bed with piles on either side of her when she falls asleep. Suddenly her family is on vacation in Morocco and seeing the sights. Homer checks out a little Moroccan gift stand and purchases a "cursed" item from a little old man with a raspy voice (Hellraiser, 1987) called a Monkey's Paw. Which grants wishes to it's owner(s) but which promise grave misfortunes as often the wishes bring horrible luck. Or is this just the power of suggestion working against them? Because some wishes indeed turn out to be really bad ideas, but others work without a hitch. Is it really Homer's usual luck at work? Or is this just Lisa's nightmare showing her everything that comes along with world peace?
Lisa is so scared that she can't sleep and asks Bart if she can crawl into his bed with him, in exchange for a candy necklace. Bart appears to have been wiser than Lisa for he is not sleeping with his load of candy but is sleeping very soundly all the same. His nightmare turns out to be his greatest dream come true - he now has the power to make anything he wants happen just by thinking of it (Twilight Zone / Twilight Zone: The Movie, 1983). But he finds that his unquestioned control over everyone's mind has it's drawbacks. He can't get Homer to stop disobeying him, so he turns him into a Jack in the Box. This prompts Marge to get them to seek family counseling. This ends in a prescription for Homer and Bart to spend more time together and it brings them closer together as a father and son. But... is this what Bart really wants? Or is it actually a nightmare in disguise?
Lisa and Bart are so scared that they can't sleep and ask Marge and Homer if they can sleep in their bed. Homer is startled awake and looks distressingly at the clock. Just a couple of hours before work... At work, the next day, he is fired by his boss and has to find other employment. He soon gets another job digging at the cemetery, working for Groundskeeper Willie. But he picks the wrong time to take a dirt nap because later that night, while Homer is still snoozing, his boss Mr. Burns and his assistant Mr. Smithers are trolling the cemetery, looking for a Brain for their monster (Frankenstein) robot and think Homer's will do quite nicely. After the brain is in and the robot activated, things don't go as planned. Suddenly, they have to return Homer's brain to his body. But Mr. Burns' body is damaged in a lab accident and the only way to save his brain is to attach it to Homer's body (The Thing with Two Heads, 1972 / The Incredible Two-Headed Transplant, 1971). Homer wakes up screaming - but with Mr. Burns' head still on his shoulders. It's just a nightmare. Isn't it?
Since all of these tales have a basically science fiction plot, this is easily my least favorite of the Simpsons Halloween episodes I've seen. As for humor, this is also "a little dry" as well for a Simpsons' Halloween episode. The 3rd tale is the funniest. The 2nd is the most interesting. The 1st is probably the smartest. "End of monster."
One of the best Halloween episodes
atinder11 February 2010
This Halloween start with Marge coming out telling the us the viewers again that Halloween is even more scary then last year and tells the people to put there kids to bed
Homer watching horror movie and two older kids come to knock on the door and Homer gives them candy, so they won't egg the house, but they still do anyway.
Then Bart and Lisa come with of sweets and Bart, Homer and Lisa don''t waist no time and then Marge tells them if you eat to much candy to have nightmares.
Later that night all 3 have nightmares. Lisa as nightmare, when family have go on Holiday, where Homer buys Monkey paw that grant 4 wishes as Lisa wish peach in world then Aliens are back again.
This absolutely hilarious, I could stop laughing in this story as Lisa wish Peace, Homer says Lisa that very selfish of you" classic line. Great story.
After the nightmare Lisa goes to sleep with Bart who also end up having a nightmare.
This Bart as magic powers and can do anything wants and everyone knows about it and scared of him and until it turns homer in Jack in Box and then come really friends and give homer is body back.
One best Hallowen story ever told, i loved it really funny.
They both end up in bed with Marge and Homer, then Homer as dream that Mr Burns fires him and then he get a gravedigger job, while is resting and Mr burns looking for brain and then Homer and takes him and cut in brain open and insert in the robot which turns out to be just like Homer then give brain back homer, then kick the robot only for it to fall on to Mr Burns and is get stuck underneath and Smithers has to thing to do is stick Mr Burns is head on to Homer, Homer wakes find it all a dream or was it?
This was great spoof of Frankenstein and was was really funny.
Halloween Episode not to be missed 10 out 10
Homer watching horror movie and two older kids come to knock on the door and Homer gives them candy, so they won't egg the house, but they still do anyway.
Then Bart and Lisa come with of sweets and Bart, Homer and Lisa don''t waist no time and then Marge tells them if you eat to much candy to have nightmares.
Later that night all 3 have nightmares. Lisa as nightmare, when family have go on Holiday, where Homer buys Monkey paw that grant 4 wishes as Lisa wish peach in world then Aliens are back again.
This absolutely hilarious, I could stop laughing in this story as Lisa wish Peace, Homer says Lisa that very selfish of you" classic line. Great story.
After the nightmare Lisa goes to sleep with Bart who also end up having a nightmare.
This Bart as magic powers and can do anything wants and everyone knows about it and scared of him and until it turns homer in Jack in Box and then come really friends and give homer is body back.
One best Hallowen story ever told, i loved it really funny.
They both end up in bed with Marge and Homer, then Homer as dream that Mr Burns fires him and then he get a gravedigger job, while is resting and Mr burns looking for brain and then Homer and takes him and cut in brain open and insert in the robot which turns out to be just like Homer then give brain back homer, then kick the robot only for it to fall on to Mr Burns and is get stuck underneath and Smithers has to thing to do is stick Mr Burns is head on to Homer, Homer wakes find it all a dream or was it?
This was great spoof of Frankenstein and was was really funny.
Halloween Episode not to be missed 10 out 10
More Branches of Horrific Hillarity
hellraiser715 November 2021
This is the second "Treehouse of Horror" which is just as good as the first in my opinion but best of all having this second entry permanently marked a once-a-year tradition in the series. All three tales are a lot of fun and two of them are honorable mentions in my personal list of favorites "Treehouse of Horror" tales.
First one is a parody (and one of my honorable mentions) on "The Monkey's Paw", believe it or not this segment is how I heard about that old folklore story. And of course, if you know that story and "The Simpsons" it's not surprising when things go sideways faster than anyone can make a single wish. There are just so many memorable moments and jokes, however there is one thing about the tale that is a slight inconsistence. The paw grants a single user four wishes but four of the "Simpsons" only use one wish when technically each of them have three more left; so why the heck didn't any of them use anymore then let alone Marge is the only one that never got a wish which makes her have four wishes.
I don't know maybe the paw was on Party use mode, but now that's out of the way there are a lot of memorable moments. From Bart wish we see it's for the family to be "Rich and Famous". Really like how it's a bit of a comedic satire about the flipside of the concept as we see unfortunately, they become too famous, much like DC and Marvel comics right now; it sort of goes with the old saying too much of a good thing or anything isn't healthy.
Lisa makes her wish which doesn't seem like a bad deal at first but unfortunately has made all of Earth defenseless against Alien Invaders that really aren't much of a challenge at all. It's just funny that the aliens are just using the simplest of weapons instead of the usual laser gun fair. It also satires on pacifism showing that it doesn't always work.
Then Homer blows his wish on just the simplest thing ever a sandwich. This is funny because it's sort of a turn on a common cliché in these stories where wishes are involved, usually the person would wish for everything to be as it was or right in some way. Seriously, this guy couldn't of just made a sandwich on his own or even just gone to a "Subway" or any other sandwich shop, man talk about lazy but once again shows Homer never thinks long term. What cracks me up is what happens once he takes a bite, the results you'll just have to see for yourself.
Second segment is a parody on "The Twilight Zone" episode "It's a Good Life" here we see Bart have absolute power. It's just funny and a tad spooky where Bart has God like abilities and of course knowing Bart very little to no good comes of it. I really like there is change that happens latter in the tale as it makes me wonder if Bart deep down desires this.
The third which is my other honorable mention is a parody on "Frankenstein" This one is interesting as it's Burns and Smithers that are the main characters and "The Simpsons" are second string. Not a whole lot to this one, if you know the story you can easily guess where it's all going. Really like the design of the robot who ironically looks just like Homer but metallic and supersized; in a way that robot sort of foreshadows Bender from the show "Futurama".
However, what carries this segment for me is Burns whom is just at his best really like this blackly funny joke when he just whacks Homer in the sack several times to make sure Homer is what's they assume he is dead which he isn't, though with those whacks I'm surprised Homer isn't. Another blackly funny joke is when Burns scoops out the brain with an ice cream scoop and wears it pretending to be "Davy Crocket". Of course, we get a kicker of a twist ending and final minutes added as the topping which kind of fooled me a little as a kid.
So come to this old tree and pick out it's tasty fruit and happy Halloween.
Rating: 4 stars.
First one is a parody (and one of my honorable mentions) on "The Monkey's Paw", believe it or not this segment is how I heard about that old folklore story. And of course, if you know that story and "The Simpsons" it's not surprising when things go sideways faster than anyone can make a single wish. There are just so many memorable moments and jokes, however there is one thing about the tale that is a slight inconsistence. The paw grants a single user four wishes but four of the "Simpsons" only use one wish when technically each of them have three more left; so why the heck didn't any of them use anymore then let alone Marge is the only one that never got a wish which makes her have four wishes.
I don't know maybe the paw was on Party use mode, but now that's out of the way there are a lot of memorable moments. From Bart wish we see it's for the family to be "Rich and Famous". Really like how it's a bit of a comedic satire about the flipside of the concept as we see unfortunately, they become too famous, much like DC and Marvel comics right now; it sort of goes with the old saying too much of a good thing or anything isn't healthy.
Lisa makes her wish which doesn't seem like a bad deal at first but unfortunately has made all of Earth defenseless against Alien Invaders that really aren't much of a challenge at all. It's just funny that the aliens are just using the simplest of weapons instead of the usual laser gun fair. It also satires on pacifism showing that it doesn't always work.
Then Homer blows his wish on just the simplest thing ever a sandwich. This is funny because it's sort of a turn on a common cliché in these stories where wishes are involved, usually the person would wish for everything to be as it was or right in some way. Seriously, this guy couldn't of just made a sandwich on his own or even just gone to a "Subway" or any other sandwich shop, man talk about lazy but once again shows Homer never thinks long term. What cracks me up is what happens once he takes a bite, the results you'll just have to see for yourself.
Second segment is a parody on "The Twilight Zone" episode "It's a Good Life" here we see Bart have absolute power. It's just funny and a tad spooky where Bart has God like abilities and of course knowing Bart very little to no good comes of it. I really like there is change that happens latter in the tale as it makes me wonder if Bart deep down desires this.
The third which is my other honorable mention is a parody on "Frankenstein" This one is interesting as it's Burns and Smithers that are the main characters and "The Simpsons" are second string. Not a whole lot to this one, if you know the story you can easily guess where it's all going. Really like the design of the robot who ironically looks just like Homer but metallic and supersized; in a way that robot sort of foreshadows Bender from the show "Futurama".
However, what carries this segment for me is Burns whom is just at his best really like this blackly funny joke when he just whacks Homer in the sack several times to make sure Homer is what's they assume he is dead which he isn't, though with those whacks I'm surprised Homer isn't. Another blackly funny joke is when Burns scoops out the brain with an ice cream scoop and wears it pretending to be "Davy Crocket". Of course, we get a kicker of a twist ending and final minutes added as the topping which kind of fooled me a little as a kid.
So come to this old tree and pick out it's tasty fruit and happy Halloween.
Rating: 4 stars.
Sprinkles!
Foreverisacastironmess12313 October 2023
Despite being a very early Halloween special, I find this one great in its own way and an improvement on the first. I think they worked better when they still had wraparounds in them with Bart Lisa and Homer all having nightmares after eating too much Halloween candy, and Homer's nightmare having a little extra twist in the tale! So in the first story I love how Maggie and Flanders get to have wishes that don't backfire, I guess it's a pure of heart thing. Love Homer's infernal turkey sandwich with the terrible slightly dry turkey, and I think it's a really clever joke when everyone grows to hate the Simpsons after Bart wishes them famous, it's a bit of a commentary on the mania of the show at that time, and it's a gag that was ahead of its time in more ways than one! Then there's what I think is the most fun story, in which the whole town is held hostage by and forced to do the every whim of a superpowered Bart, lest they be horribly and hilariously punished! It's got loads of great comedic moments and I most love when Homer is turned into a Jack-in-the-box that struggles with air conditioning and how it goes all wholesome with the montage of Bart and Jack-in-the-box Homer bonding, but when Homer gives his son a kiss Bart suddenly wakes up screaming, I'm pretty sure he was loving his 'nightmare' before that point! It still comes as a surprise even though you already know going in that it's a nightmare. The third chapter is the most gothic and horror themed and I love it I think it's a nice little Frankenstein parody and it has visual nods to Bride of Frankenstein. It really worked great letting other characters take center stage other than the family, Mr Burns as a mad scientist just blended perfect. It's rather violent at points, when Homer in a sack gets beaten with a shovel and it's very icky to me when he gets the top of his skull sawed off and his brain yanked out! The animation as they walk through the lab is really different and impressive, and he might not get up to much besides crashing through a few walls and swallowing an entire box of donuts, but I love the huge Homer-bot, I find the design really cool and a memorable image, a big dumb robot but still clearly Homer, to Franken-Burns great despair! It's bizarre but I don't have any problem with that ending, it's interesting the way it plays around with the anything goes continuity of the Halloween episodes, I for one would have loved if the two headed Homer had shown up in the next episode! This Halloween episode is quaint with not as much pep and personality as the ones that were shown in the following years, but I love it a lot anyway, it's endlessly charming and nostalgic and it remains a classic and a whole lot of fun to this day, wonderful festive goodness, and a well deserved ten psychedelic fire-breathing monster cats out of ten! X 🎃
It's a good life
safenoe14 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Treehouse of Horror II pretty much cements The Simpsons as the show to watch. For me, it's the first 10 seasons of The Simpsons that are the golden years, with some episodes beyond that worth watching. Sure, Treehouse of Horror II or any of them are gruesome, but they're satirical sometimes.
The Twilight Zone's It's a Good Life is parodied in Treehouse of Horror II to impressive effect, and it's amazing how much influence The Twilight Zone has on The Simpsons. Rod Serling would have been incredibly proud for sure that his series has influenced The Simpsons so much in many ways and also to this day.
The Twilight Zone's It's a Good Life is parodied in Treehouse of Horror II to impressive effect, and it's amazing how much influence The Twilight Zone has on The Simpsons. Rod Serling would have been incredibly proud for sure that his series has influenced The Simpsons so much in many ways and also to this day.
A trio of treats....
stevenjlowe827 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This is definitely one if the stronger Treehouse of Horror episodes the Simpsons has given us.
The first story with the monkey paw had some great character gags based off the wishes granted. I particularly enjoyed the writers acknowledging the noticeable heavy marketing of the Simpsons in it's early days with merchandise etc. Including this in the episode just really tickled me the right way, that's self referential humour done right.
The second story with the demonic Bart who can do anything he wishes just by thinking it. Again I enjoy how this actually speaks to the character of Bart and what he could or would do with unlimited power. Bart already has many adults in his life on tender hooks always bracing themselves for his next gag or stunt and this just amped that up even more.
The final story of Homer's brain being transferred into a robot body and still being just as clunky and useless as always is just perfect classic Homer through and through.
This was a very excellent installment in the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror series.
The first story with the monkey paw had some great character gags based off the wishes granted. I particularly enjoyed the writers acknowledging the noticeable heavy marketing of the Simpsons in it's early days with merchandise etc. Including this in the episode just really tickled me the right way, that's self referential humour done right.
The second story with the demonic Bart who can do anything he wishes just by thinking it. Again I enjoy how this actually speaks to the character of Bart and what he could or would do with unlimited power. Bart already has many adults in his life on tender hooks always bracing themselves for his next gag or stunt and this just amped that up even more.
The final story of Homer's brain being transferred into a robot body and still being just as clunky and useless as always is just perfect classic Homer through and through.
This was a very excellent installment in the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror series.
This is why the first three seasons were the best
santifersan25 October 2023
The episode begins with a scene that was unfortunately removed in the seasons that followed, where Marge emerges from red theater curtains, warning parents that the show they're about to watch isn't suitable for children.
The removal of this scene might have been due to the realization that the show was enjoyed by kids as well. However, it was a charming moment that helped set the stage and create a relaxed atmosphere of anticipation.
In these early Halloween episodes, it was revealed that these fantastical stories were, in fact, the characters' fantasies. In less fortunate times in the series or in less well-received classic episodes, which were, in fact, non-canonical episodes for storytelling, like episodes centered around tales, they often started with what seemed to be a normal episode about the Simpson family's problems, only to disappoint when it turned into a tale. This episode follows that pattern, leading to the omission of such introductions in future Halloween episodes.
However, this episode is not bad; in fact, it's excellent. Here are some details that make me see it this way:
Firstly, the music, the orchestral television music used in the early seasons of the series. I'm not sure if Alf Clausen was the regular composer at the time, but in the early seasons, the music resembled that of tension and horror films rather than being the kind of music you'd expect for a satirical comedy like The Simpsons.
This choice of music makes comical scenes stand out, and it was a quality that disappeared in the modern era. In fact, in the first six seasons of The Simpsons, it was a recurring feature and added to the enveloping sound quality.
This use of music allowed for the portrayal of comedic situations but with an eerie undertone due to the cinematic background music. For example, when the monkey paw closes a finger, a scene adapted in an original way since older TV shows didn't show the paw closing the fingers, you can hear the background music reacting negatively to this simple event.
In the second segment, something similar happens with the music. It imitates the style of music from The Twilight Zone, which it's parodying. It instrumentally mimics the music used in horror fiction from the 1950s and 1960s. Again, the music reacts the same way to simple events, such as Homer becoming a jack-in-the-box. It imitated the way the music reacted in the original episode, extending the last note of terror during the new body's swinging motion. There's also a percussion roll, popularly used in the 1950s and 1960s, as in the original episode when a child turned someone into a monster. It was an effort to parody and, as you can understand, it was virtuosic. One of the reasons for the series' decline is the disappearance of these details, as it's the details that make life interesting. People often don't pause to analyze them as I have just done, and that's why they struggle to understand why the series declined.
On the other hand, the third segment has a weaker story but is of normal quality. It's a parody of Frankenstein, but not exactly, as this time, it's about bringing a robot to life. However, the humor in this segment is excellent. This was a time when Mr. Burns was an evil old man, not insane, but an evil, out-of-touch person. This made it funnier, along with his way of speaking and reactions to unexpected events due to his outdated expectations regarding people's current behavior.
Expecting great episodes like "Who Shot Mr. Burns" and "The Springfield Files," well, they are, but... only two? In comparison to the great episodes of the early seasons that are more in number, like "Homer Alone," "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish," "Lisa's Pony," "Bart The Daredevil," "Stark Raving Dad," this very Halloween episode, "Brush With Greatness," "Homer's Odyssey," or in the fourth season, "Mr. Plow," etc.
The removal of this scene might have been due to the realization that the show was enjoyed by kids as well. However, it was a charming moment that helped set the stage and create a relaxed atmosphere of anticipation.
In these early Halloween episodes, it was revealed that these fantastical stories were, in fact, the characters' fantasies. In less fortunate times in the series or in less well-received classic episodes, which were, in fact, non-canonical episodes for storytelling, like episodes centered around tales, they often started with what seemed to be a normal episode about the Simpson family's problems, only to disappoint when it turned into a tale. This episode follows that pattern, leading to the omission of such introductions in future Halloween episodes.
However, this episode is not bad; in fact, it's excellent. Here are some details that make me see it this way:
Firstly, the music, the orchestral television music used in the early seasons of the series. I'm not sure if Alf Clausen was the regular composer at the time, but in the early seasons, the music resembled that of tension and horror films rather than being the kind of music you'd expect for a satirical comedy like The Simpsons.
This choice of music makes comical scenes stand out, and it was a quality that disappeared in the modern era. In fact, in the first six seasons of The Simpsons, it was a recurring feature and added to the enveloping sound quality.
This use of music allowed for the portrayal of comedic situations but with an eerie undertone due to the cinematic background music. For example, when the monkey paw closes a finger, a scene adapted in an original way since older TV shows didn't show the paw closing the fingers, you can hear the background music reacting negatively to this simple event.
In the second segment, something similar happens with the music. It imitates the style of music from The Twilight Zone, which it's parodying. It instrumentally mimics the music used in horror fiction from the 1950s and 1960s. Again, the music reacts the same way to simple events, such as Homer becoming a jack-in-the-box. It imitated the way the music reacted in the original episode, extending the last note of terror during the new body's swinging motion. There's also a percussion roll, popularly used in the 1950s and 1960s, as in the original episode when a child turned someone into a monster. It was an effort to parody and, as you can understand, it was virtuosic. One of the reasons for the series' decline is the disappearance of these details, as it's the details that make life interesting. People often don't pause to analyze them as I have just done, and that's why they struggle to understand why the series declined.
On the other hand, the third segment has a weaker story but is of normal quality. It's a parody of Frankenstein, but not exactly, as this time, it's about bringing a robot to life. However, the humor in this segment is excellent. This was a time when Mr. Burns was an evil old man, not insane, but an evil, out-of-touch person. This made it funnier, along with his way of speaking and reactions to unexpected events due to his outdated expectations regarding people's current behavior.
Expecting great episodes like "Who Shot Mr. Burns" and "The Springfield Files," well, they are, but... only two? In comparison to the great episodes of the early seasons that are more in number, like "Homer Alone," "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish," "Lisa's Pony," "Bart The Daredevil," "Stark Raving Dad," this very Halloween episode, "Brush With Greatness," "Homer's Odyssey," or in the fourth season, "Mr. Plow," etc.
Too absurd for me
nicofreezer9 February 2022
I Can understand that some folks like the absurd épisodes, but its not working on me. I barely smile.
I love the Simpsons when they tell a story, a clever one, or /and when they make me laugh. This one do neither of them. So I go for a 6/10 The first halloween épisode was way better.
I love the Simpsons when they tell a story, a clever one, or /and when they make me laugh. This one do neither of them. So I go for a 6/10 The first halloween épisode was way better.
Could Have Been Better!
g-bodyl13 August 2014
This is the seventh episode of the third season of the Simpsons and while it's still a strong episode, it could have been a stronger Halloween-central episode, just like Season 2's. But nonetheless despite the lack of scares, it was pretty funny. I liked Marge's introduction the best and the music used in the episode was pretty creepy.
In this episode, "Treehouse Of Horror 2," Homer, Lisa, and Bart eat too much Halloween candy which results in each of them having nightmares. Lisa has a nightmare involving a hand which grants wishes, Bart dreams about turning his father into a jack-in-the-box, and Homer dreams about Mr. Burns creating a robot.
Overall, this is a solid episode for the most part. I wanted to be scared a little bit more, but it does make up for it with the laughs and each segment was strong. I liked the hand episode the best since it seemed to have somewhat of a mystical feel. I rate this episode 8/10.
In this episode, "Treehouse Of Horror 2," Homer, Lisa, and Bart eat too much Halloween candy which results in each of them having nightmares. Lisa has a nightmare involving a hand which grants wishes, Bart dreams about turning his father into a jack-in-the-box, and Homer dreams about Mr. Burns creating a robot.
Overall, this is a solid episode for the most part. I wanted to be scared a little bit more, but it does make up for it with the laughs and each segment was strong. I liked the hand episode the best since it seemed to have somewhat of a mystical feel. I rate this episode 8/10.
Not as good as the first one
MahyarErshad24 April 2019
I prefer the more absurd episodes I think...it is why I love the Treehouses of Horror
CubsandCulture23 August 2021
The Treehouse of Horrors are probably my favorite type of episode. I think the writers and animators are freer to be a little more absurd. The three segments in this one feel much more complete than the first Treehouse of Horror; the framing device is more natural and less stilted than many of these episodes. But most of all this is just a really funny collection of horror stories.
The final segment is a better parody of Frankenstein than Young Frankenstein. And a board with a nail in it is the classic gag from Treehouses of Horror.
The final segment is a better parody of Frankenstein than Young Frankenstein. And a board with a nail in it is the classic gag from Treehouses of Horror.
A Couple of Classics, Etc.
Hitchcoc16 April 2022
The second Treehouse of Horror has some wonderful moments. First, we have a retelling of Jacob's "The Monkey's Paw," whose theme is that for every wish we have, there can be consequences. The second reprises the Twilight Zone episode where the little boy strikes fear into the hearts of everyone. Bart ends up being the powerful little brat. The third really doesn't click as Homer's brain is implanted in a giant robot with expected results.
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