User Reviews

The stories in this aren't the creepiest ever to feature in one of the Halloween specials, but they sure have some awesome stuff going on in them! The first one, an especially fun romp where all the many giant commercial billboard mascots of Springfield come to life and go on a destructive rampage through the town, all thanks to Homer stealing a truly colossal donut from Lard Lad one story night. It's very entertaining and the only part I don't like is little jingle at the end, I find that a bit of a lame conclusion to a very good and entertaining segment. I love the way they roar like Godzilla a couple of times! "Nightmare On Evergreen Terrace" is a cute parody of a certain classic horror movie with some cool inventive visual styles but it's my least favourite story of this special. Some of them moments that really made me laugh are Nelson's "Haw-haw" when Martin drops dead, and the whole flashback where, again due entirely to Homer's casual stupidity regarding a caution sign, poor Groundskeeper Willie is burned alive and has to sit there and char while Millhouse's stupid father puts in his schoolboard complaint! I like the strange offbeat blandness of the ending where Willie is inexplicably alive again and lamely threatens Bart and Lisa and then chases after the bus where he left his gun and loses a shoe! Homer3 is one of my all time favourite things that The Simpsons ever did, it's why I give this episode a ten and I feel it completely blows the other two out of the water. I can remember when it first came out how ambitious and awesome it was, I was really impressed by it, it was so different and new and it was such an amazing special and magical moment in the show when it first aired and I still feel that whenever I see it. Though it may look quite dated now, the 3-dimensional effect of the fabled third dimension, that Homer finds behind his bookshelf while racing to avoid a visit from Patty and Selma, was revolutionary in 1995. And in addition to the graphics, the premise of the segment is extremely memorable. I love how surreal the final moments after Homer falls into oblivion and ends up in our world are. It's one of the series' few forays into live action and it's its best ever. Homer is equally as freaked out as the startled citizens he walks by, but at least is comforted by the promise of erotic cakes! A classic episode and a great watch. Happy Halloween. X

Treehouse of Horror VI is the only Simpsons Halloween episode to have been nominated for the Emmy for outstanding animated program, but that's a little misleading: It's not the best, and falls short of the two legendary THOHs before it, THOH IV and THOH V. Still, it's a great episode, the latest thing I've seen as part of my reviewing of Halloween and horror-themed entertainment this October.

The first segment of the episode has giant advertisement mascots coming to life and destroying Springfield. The idea is not as scary as past stories used in THOHs, it's more ridiculous than long lived vampire legends (THOH IV) or villainous ghosts making a father try to kill his family (THOH V). But the segment can also be seen as a commentary on the predominance of advertising in the modern world, and the laughs make this segment worthy, including with an ironic peanut joke and Chief Wiggum shooting an innocent high school student. Kang and Kodos are also worked in more intelligently, not just observing the action from their space ship as seen in the last three THOHs.

The next segment is a Nightmare on Elm Street parody starring Groundskeeper Willy. Willy had stolen the show the previous year and that probably inspired Simpsons staff to put him front and centre here. Unlike the first segment, this story is scarier (indeed, on the DVD commentary someone says this segment gave one of his children nightmares). It's also fairly funny, including with commentary on school budgets. Nay to doorknob repair.

The last segment is what got the episode its Emmy nomination, with 3-D animation when Homer finds himself lost in another dimension. But ironically, this is my least favourite segment of THOH VI. There's little interesting in this dimension, just cones and cubes, and at one point Homer acknowledges he's "just standing here." The segment is not without laughs, however. And generally, this episode's still a lot of fun.

Happy Halloween.

The Simpson Halloween specials / Treehouses of Horror usually function as spoofs on different types of horror movies / TV programs.

The first tale focuses on Homer's quest to get himself a Colossal Donut, but when he buys one at the local convenience store, he's bummed out by it's not so colossal size and vows revenge on this false advertising. As he drives over to the store's giant mascot, the radio warns that weird things are happening due to a disturbance of some sort of scientific / supernatural origin (Night of the Living Dead, 1968) but isn't specific on the details. Homer steals the mascot's giant donut. Suddenly, lightning strikes and the huge advertising mascot comes to life and storms the town (Ghostbusters, 1984) as do several others in the form of billboards and sculptural structures. Soon, the citizens of Springfield are being crushed and devoured all over the place. Marge suggests when the Donut mascot comes to Homer's house looking for his donut that returning the monster's cherished item will make it stop killing (Leprechaun, 1993). Homer gives back the donut but the mascots continue rampaging. Lisa decides that maybe the advertising executives will know what to do.

The second tale begins with Bart and his dog playing Frisbee in the backyard when he is approached by Groundskeeper Willie who attacks him with a rake. Bart immediately wakes up from his dream, screaming, to find that the wound Willie inflicted upon him in his dream is still there (A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984) - so it wasn't completely a dream. At school, he and other children discover that Willie visited all their dreams and attacked them but Principal Skinner refuses to admit the school is involved. Later that day, Martin is having a dream in which he is a Wizard Master (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, 1987) of Latin. Willie shows up, wraps his super-long tongue around him (Wes Craven's New Nightmare, 1994) and he suffocates to death in his school-class while everyone else takes a test (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, 1988). Bart and Lisa tell Marge and Homer about this and they tell Bart and Lisa the whole truth about Willie. On Friday the 13th (Friday the 13th, 1980) some time ago, the parents set Willie on fire and he vowed revenge (The Burning, 1981). Lisa and Bart decide the only way to stop Willie is to go into their dream and force him into a final showdown.

The third tale has the Simpson household in utter terror because... Aunts Patty and Selma are stopping over to visit. Looking for a place to hide, Homer discovers a strange hole in the wall that leads to a gateway between universes (numerous Twilight Zone episodes / Phantasm, 1979). He goes inside it and gets lost, so he has to ask his family and friends for help. While there, he accidentally causes a rip in the dimension's fabric which causes it to begin to implode. Bart decides the only way to save him is to tie a rope around himself and go in (Poltergeist, 1982) the dimension to get Homer and have everyone pull him out in time to save him. Things don't go exactly as planned.

Altogether, this is one of the more entertaining Treehouses of Horror. Though the first 2 tales are not hysterically funny, they are still great horror spoofs. The third tale is actually very funny and one of the best individual portions of the Treehouse series. I highly recommend this Entry in the show's series.

Yes, I admit it, I've seen Tron! Chief Wiggum admitted seeing Tron in this Treehouse of Horror VI episode of The Simpsons, but then he recanted. Anyway, Tron was the subject of the final segment of Treehouse of Horror VI, and the final scene of this final segment was filmed live in Sherman Oaks.

The Nightmare on Elm Street parody was just spot-on for sure, without a doubt. Lots of laughs for sure, and it's a shame there was no cameo appearances from say Robert Englund.

What else can one say about this fine episode of The Simpsons? Well it's no surprise it falls in the golden era of The Simpsons, that is the first 10 seasons.

First segment of Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores really is somewhat tense feeling worrying what will happen - like Homer, I so want a colossal doughnut and that Lard Lad is false advertising. Homer decides to make a pastry revenge by stealing Lard Lad's doughnut. Seems a ridiculous end as it's people's attention is what keeps the mascots motivated and alive in which and Lisa plays the heroic diversion with Paul Anka. It seemed way too late as the mass destruction the monsters was caused already.

Second segment is quite a popular story as it is simply based on Wes Craven's popular horror movie (although some don't like the remake released 26 years later) with Groundskeeper Willie donning Freddy Krueger iconic outfit and attacking students of Springfield Elementary in their dreams. I'm one of many viewers who really like that it was Maggie who came to the rescue with her trustworthy pacifier.

As for the third segment Homer³ - this is one I personally didn't like much, and it's based on episode of Twilight Zone. Though it may look pretty dated now, the three-dimensional computer animation was revolutionary back in 1995 and this segment is memorable to viewers. Unfortunately after Bart failed to rescue him from falling into some wormhole, Homer not only ends up in some area of Los Angeles, but also in real live-action world with us humans staring at him.

Not only for this third segment, this Treehouse of Horror music at ending credits sounds very downcast and really makes viewers sad in a way like Marge and kids will never see Homer again - even though Treehouse of Horror is actually non-canon in The Simpsons.

Overall, do like this Treehouse of Horror, although not my favourites.