Wednesday, October 28, 2009

T.V. REVIEW: The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror XX

Two Sundays ago when I turned on The Simpsons as usual, I was shocked to discover that it was a Treehouse of Horror episode! I can't even remember the last time a Treehouse of Horror episode has aired before Halloween. Every year I look forward to the Treehouse of Horror episode even if it doesn't air until November. Last year I posted my Top 10 Treehouse of Horror Segments. But this year I actually get to review the new episode!

The opening was hilarious with classic monsters such as Frankenstein's monster, Wolfman, the Mummy and Dracula walking around Springfield and being teased by the bullies ("Turner Classic Movies called, they want their costumes back.") After changing into more modern costumes (Harry Potter, Jack Sparrow, Iron Man and Spongebob Squarepants) they show up at the Simpsons' Halloween party. When their wives show up, Homer says "It's not cheating if you're wearing a costume," resulting in his gory death.

The first segment was called Dial 'M' For Murder or Press '#' to Return to the Main Menu. It was a parody of Alfred Hitchcock films and shown in black and white. Lisa and Bart want revenge on their teachers Ms. Hoover and Mrs. Krabappel, so they come up with a crisscross plan where Bart will get Ms. Hoover and Lisa will get Mrs. Krabappel. They agree to ding-dong ditch their teachers. Lisa rings Mrs. Krabappel's doorbell and runs away, while Bart kills Ms. Hoover and throws her in the ditch, explaining that you kill the ding dong and then throw her in the ditch. This was a pretty funny episode, especially if you're a Hitchcock fan.

The second segment, Don't Have a Cow, Mankind, is about Krusty Burger introducing a new burger which turns the person who eats it into a "Muncher" (a zombie). But it turns out that Bart is immune to the virus, prompting the citizens of Springfield to find out a way to use his immunity to save everyone. This segment was a bit of a disappointment and wasn't as funny as the other two, but it had its moments.

The third segment was a spoof of Sweeney Todd titled There's No Business Like Moe Business, in which Homer is impaled by the pipes of Moe's microbrew machine. Moe uses Homer's blood as an ingredient in his secret microbrew and convinces Marge that Homer left her because he's gay. But Homer isn't dead.... This segment was great, being a musical with hilarious songs. It also cut away to the audience several times to see their reactions, with Kang and Kodos featured.

Overall Treehouse of Horror XX is a good addition to the Treehouse of Horror episodes and a huge improvement over last year's episode.

Rating: 4/5

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