Ranking the Five Greatest Movie Parodies in Treehouse of Horror

 A countdown of five of the funniest, scariest, and most memorable segments from The Simpsons’ annual Treehouse of Horror episodes.

There’s no denying that the annual Treehouse of Horror episodes are some of the most beloved amongst fans of The Simpsons. Since the show’s second season, viewers have been graced with 29 installments of the Halloween tradition.

While some episodes have certainly been better than others, Treehouse of Horror episodes are still highly anticipated every year, in large part due to their ability to place the citizens of Springfield in strange new situations that would be impossible in the (somewhat) grounded world of The Simpsons.

Often, these situations involve parodies and homages to classic films, filtering these pop culture touchstones through the distinct yellow lens of The Simpsons. In fan circles, some of these segments are just as iconic as the movies that inspired them. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five of the best film parodies in Treehouse of Horror history.

Note: In order to qualify for this list, the segment must be a parody of a film or film series; Twilight Zone episodes and other television series do NOT qualify.

5. “Bad Dream House” (Treehouse of Horror I)

Parody of: The Amityville Horror

Fittingly, the first entry on the list is the first segment in Treehouse of Horror history. When the Simpson family moves into a new house, they are haunted by a malevolent force that attempts to coerce them into killing one another. In the end, Marge stands up to the house, telling it that it just has to learn to live with its new inhabitants, an ultimatum that the house soundly rejects by deciding to self destruct.

Big laughs come from a sequence in which the family members each individually get out of bed while brandishing weapons, with the big reveal being that Marge intended to use her knife not for violence, but to make a sandwich. The segment also features a cameo from James Earl Jones, who actually appears in all three segments in the episode.

4. “King Homer” (Treehouse of Horror III)

Parody of: King Kong

In this black and white segment (fittingly recounted at a Halloween party by Grampa because he has “seen a lot of movies”), Marge boards a ship owned by Mr. Burns, who intends to sail to Ape Island (as opposed to nearby Candy Apple Island, also inhabited by apes). Once the party reaches the island, they meet King Homer, a massive primate who serves as the god of the natives. The beast is attracted to Marge, allowing Mr. Burns to capture him and bring him to the United States. Unfortunately, Homer breaks free of his chains and goes on a rampage before collapsing from exhaustion while trying to climb a building.

This is a classic segment with some extremely memorable quotes, including one particularly hilarious observation from Smithers.

3. “Dial Z for Zombies” (Treehouse of Horror III)

Parody of: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead

Treehouse of Horror III is an absolute classic, as evidenced by the fact that two of its three segments appear here (The other segment, “Clown Without Pity” may also have made the cut, had it been eligible). Its third segment provides an absolutely perfect blend of horror and comedy, as Bart reads an ancient incantation and accidentally raises the dead in Springfield.

Memorable moments include a genuinely unnerving bit with Principal Skinner calling Martin into his office, while Krusty asks his viewers to send in their parents’ brains (or write “parents’ brains” on a 3×5 card). In addition, we get to witness Homer blasting his way through the risen corpses of George Washington, Albert Einstein, William Shakespeare, and, of course, Zombie Flanders (“He was a zombie?”).

2. “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” (Treehouse of Horror VI)

Parody of: A Nightmare on Elm Street

This parody sees Groundskeeper Willie, having tragically perished in a fire due to Homer messing with the school thermostat one cold Smarch day, returning from the grave to haunt the children of Springfield in their dreams. Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are able to end Willie’s killing spree, only for him to return at the end of the segment. But he’s unable to hurt them because he’s left his gun on the seat of a bus.

The creative ways in which Willie attacks his victims are highly memorable, including strangling Martin with his tongue and transforming into a giant bagpipe spider. In addition, the image of Willie in full Freddie Krueger cosplay with a rake instead of the iconic glove is equal parts frightening, clever, and hilarious.

1. “The Shinning” (Treehouse of Horror V)

Parody of: The Shining

As if anything else would top this list. In an absolutely spot-on take on Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining, Homer takes a job as the winter caretaker at a hotel owned by Mr. Burns. Unfortunately, Mr. Burns decides to cut off his supply of beer and television, prompting him to go insane and attempt to murder his family.

Everything here works: the drive to the hotel, Homer at the hotel bar, the “No TV and No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy” scene, the “Here’s Johnny,” and the final shot of the family frozen in the snow are all immediately recognizable as homages to Kubrick’s film.

Groundskeeper Willie’s conversation with Bart (“Ya wanna get sued?”) and doomed attempt at rescuing the family from Homer’s murderous rage (his first of many failed attempts at heroism in the episode) show that the writing team at the time were truly firing on all cylinders. No joke feels forced and no moment feels wasted and that’s why “The Shinning” is not only the greatest segment in Treehouse of Horror history, but one of the greatest bits from the golden age of The Simpsons.