Kubrick and the Simpsons

[syxxpac]

The Simpsons parody a lot of movies and I've been thinking of all the Kubrick parodies that they do. Some that come to mind are:

Dr. Strangelove - the episode where Homer fantasizes about riding the bomb with a cowboy hat.
The Shining - the Halloween episode called "The Shinning"
A Clockwork Orange - the episode where Mr. Burns trains Santa's Little Helper as an attack dog, forcing his eyes open while he watches a film of dogs getting abused with classical music playing in the background

Can anybody think of anymore.

P.S. I'm not sure if this topic is supposed to be in the General Movie Forum or here, so move it or close it if you must Colin.

[rtatick]

2001: A Space Odysey (sp?)- Home as an embryo.

[Mick]

Originally posted by syxxpac
The Simpsons parody a lot of movies and I've been thinking of all the Kubrick parodies that they do. Some that come to mind are:

Dr. Strangelove - the episode where Homer fantasizes about riding the bomb with a cowboy hat.

There's also a couch gag where the family fall from a trap door riding the couch, complete with cowboy hats. A lot of Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming (http://www.snpp.com/episodes/3F08.html) is similar to the movie. One of the episode titles is a parody "$pringfield: Or How I Learned To Stop Worry and Love Legalised Gambling"

The Shining - the Halloween episode called "The Shinning"

In "The Springfield Files" the line Jack types in the movie is repeated over and over at the bottom of the screen, ala The X-Files "ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKE JACK A DULL BOY", in one of the opening sequences Bart replaces JACK with his own name. Otto is a bit out of character driving the bus, then when he comes to, he tells Bart that he and the bus have a "Shining thing" going on. Stephen King plays himself in one episode (Insane Clown Poppy) and he has a copy of the novel on his table. Rod Flanders says "Redroom, redroom" when the Flanders move into the "murder house", similar to Danny in the movie, Milhouse is in a similar scene when he writes "Trab Pu Kcip" on the wall (or mirror, I forget) Barney knocks over some stuff in a supermarket, resulting in Cranberry juice flowing through the isles, very similar to the elevator blood in the movie. There have been a couple more in the THOH episodes.

A Clockwork Orange - the episode where Mr. Burns trains Santa's Little Helper as an attack dog, forcing his eyes open while he watches a film of dogs getting abused with classical music playing in the background

In "Homer Goes To College", Homer studies with his eyes held open in a vice type thing. Bart dresses up like Alex on Halloween. Bart's reaction to cupcakes (attached to an electric current) is similar to post-treatment Alex's reaction to the naked devotchka/violence. Bart, trying to get out of going to school, says he's got a pain in his "gulliver". After Homer hospitalises his boss, Mr. Burns lies in bed being fed by Smithers, in a scene almost identical to the movie. Homer is in hospital, reading a form when a nurse tells him "don't read it, sign it", the guard in ACO tells Alex the same thing. In the latest ep to be shown here (Strong Arms Of The Ma), Ranier Wolfcastle has ordinary looking things (including pies!) which are actually swords, one of them is a hockey stick which looks a bit like the weapon Alex used on his droogs by the river.

2001 - Pierce Brosnan as HAL (as rtatick pointed out). In "Deep Space Homer", Bart throws the pen (which he used to write on Homer's head, into the air, it spins round in slow-motion just like the bone the monkey throw into the air in the movie; we then cut to space (complete with 2001 music) and we see the "Star child" with baby Homer's head, a "Fox" satellite hits him and he says "D'oh!" In the same episode there is an I&S clip, Itchy Kills Scratchy in a parody of HAL attacking the astronauts (although HAL didn't chop them in half using Saturn's ring). A HAL-esque machine controls the truck that Homer drives (after the original driver died eating steak). The Love Tester at Moe's "dies" in a simillar way to HAL.

Full Metal Jacket - Bart puts his friends through training similar to that in the movie. Bart is told to give his putter a name, he calls it Charlene. Skinner re-joins the army, and has his troops sing will jogging (although that probably doesn't count).

Spartacus - Bart writes "There was no roman God called Fartacus" on the blackboard. Marge goes into "Sportacus" to buy Bart football gear.

There must be a whole load more.

[NuclearMisfit]

Bart is dressed as Alex from Clockwork Orange on one of the Halloween specials.

[Grim H.]

There's a lot of Simpsons movie parodies... if you really pay attention...
******************possible spoilers*********************


Requiem for a Dream- Did anyone catch that last week on the 301st episode?

Patton- Bart The General. Bart trains his water baloon soldiers in a very reminiscent way

The Godfather- when Bart saws of Jebidiah Springfield's head, he wakes up next to it like the horse's head in The Godfather

It's a Wonderful Life- when Homer starts celebrating his new hair.

The Amityville Horror- The horror house from the first Treehouse of Horror episode.

The Wizard of Oz- Bart regains his consciousness after being hit by Mr. Burns's car.

The Terminator- Homer's way of finding a date for Selma.

Gone with the Wind- Principle Skinner's declaration at the end of the episode, "Principle Charming."

North by Northwest- Homer fakes getting hit by the cable car to get him to stop.

Treasure of the Sierra Madre- Bart, Milhouse, and Martin buy a comic book, and then develope suspicion that one will try to steal it.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Homer is admitted to a mental hospital, and meets a deaf and dumb Indian man.

Goodfellas- Bart takes a job as a gofer for the mob

Deliverance- Homer visits the country, and sees a kid playing a banjo on a porch.

Raiders of the Lost Ark- Bart tries to steal a jar of pennies from Homer.

A Streetcar Named Desire- Marge auditions for the musical version, titled "Oh, Streetcar!"

The Music Man- The town buys a monorail from a man who seems awfully familiar.

The Shining- Here's another, more minor parody. Milhouse writes "Trab pu kcip!" on a wall.

Citizen Kane- Mr. Burns breaks a snowglobe in a parody.

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World- The town is sent on a wild goose chase to find money hidden under a big "T."

Big- Homer plays The Simpsons theme on a giant keyboard.

Terminator 2- Homer chases after Flanders' car with a pair of golf clubs.

Alien- Willie searches for the dog in the air ducts while Skinner watches on a radar.

A Christmas Carol- "Why today is Christmas Day, sir" to Mr. Burns.

Rear Window- The entire episode "Bart of Darkness."

The Birds- a man trapped in a phone booth in Itchy and Scratchy land.

Jurassic Park- When Itchy and Scratchy robots go crazy and start killing people.

101 Dalmations- The Simpsons get Two dozen and one greyhounds, Mr. Burns steals them to make a suit.

2001: A Space Oddyssey- While in the Spine Melter 2000, Homer has a psychadelic rush.

The Great escape- Maggie's plot to return the pacifiers.

Batman- Lisa visits the dentist, and smashes a mirror after seeing her braces, a la the Joker.

The Ten Commandments- "Where's your messiah now, Flanders?"

The Graduate- Mr. Burns and Ms. Bouvier get married as Abe Simpson crashes the wedding.

Basic Instinct- Willie's interrogation in "Who Shot Mr. Burns, part two."

The Fugitive- Homer's escape from the krustyburger drive-thu in that same episode.

Full Metal Jacket- Colonel Hapablap asks Sideshow Bob "What's your major malfunction?"

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly- Homer's mystical voyage in the desert (at least that's where the music comes from).

The Sting- Homer remembers his trip to New York in the 70's, and The Entertainer is the song that plays.

The Wizard of Oz- In the same Citizen Kane episode, "Rosebud," Mr. Burns's guards outside march and chant like the guards in this children's classic.







I'll post more later...
I know it's not all Kubrick, but I just thought you might want to know.:)

[Jerk Shapiro]

[i]
A Clockwork Orange - the episode where Mr. Burns trains Santa's Little Helper as an attack dog, forcing his eyes open while he watches a film of dogs getting abused with classical music playing in the background

[/B]


Ha, great episode.

[Goosey]

Here's another from 2001:

When Homer sits in that vibrating chair and his eyes change color and he sees all the colors and designs and what not.

[Mick]

Originally posted by Grim H.
The Godfather- when Bart saws of Jebidiah Springfield's head, he wakes up next to it like the horse's head in The Godfather

The same scene is parodied in "Lisa's Pony". Lisa wakes up and screams when she finds the head in her bed - of course, in this episode the head is attached to the rest of the animal. It's referenced in "Guess Who's Coming To Criticize Dinner?" when the Italian chef tells that Homer gaves his restaraunt a bad review, so his friend put a horse's head in his bed (Homer ate the head and gave it a bad review!)

When Homer and Krusty ride the little bike in "Homie The Clown" the "Love song" from The Godfather plays when they bang there heads on glasses hanging above the bar (The episode has gangsters in it, including Fat Tony - played by Joe Mantegna who was in GPIII)

In this season's "Strong Arms Of The Ma" there is a scene where Marge beats up a mugger. Apparantly the entire scene is a parody of the Godfather (I must admit I didn't catch it, perhaps I need to re-watch the movie this weekend)

It's a Wonderful Life- when Homer starts celebrating his new hair.

Demoxinyl!

The Simpsons character Mary Bailey (who runs against Burns for govenor, and is later seen in "Bart vs Lisa vs Third Grade"), is named after the character in the movie.

Bart is causing trouble at the bank, shouting out "There's only enough money for the next three customers" and something else, the crowd in the bank gets angry. The bank clerk (who is obviously meant to be James Stewart as they sound very alike) tells the crowd that he doesn't have their money, and that it's at Bill's house and Fred's houses. Moe wants an explanation "What's my money doing at your house Fred?!" then a fight breaks out.

The Wizard of Oz- Bart regains his consciousness after being hit by Mr. Burns's car.

Another parody that I love is the flying monkeys. Homer and Mindy Simmons (Michelle Pfeiffer) charge room service to the company account, Smithers informs Mr. Burns.

"Well we'll just see about that!" Burns opens a cage with winged monkeys, and says "Fly my pretties, Fly!" The monkeys walk out the window and fall to the ground. "Continue the research....." :D

Treasure of the Sierra Madre- Bart, Milhouse, and Martin buy a comic book, and then develope suspicion that one will try to steal it.

Quiet, piggy, or I'll put an apple in your mouth. (OK so that was Lord Of The Flies)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Homer is admitted to a mental hospital, and meets a deaf and dumb Indian man.

It's about time someone reached out to me! Some other great Cuckoo parodies include *SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE*: Barney suffocating Homer (like Chief with Randall) then throwing a water fountain threw the window and running off. In another episode a Chief-like man (who's not a patient) smashes the window and runs off, he then smashes another window and returns because he forgot his coat (I think)


The Shining- Here's another, more minor parody. Milhouse writes "Trab pu kcip!" on a wall.

Does nobody read my posts? :(

;)

Citizen Kane- Mr. Burns breaks a snowglobe in a parody.

The episode title "Rosebud" is another obvious reference. Mr. Burns upbringing is similar to Kane's. In "Two Cars...." when Burns is running for govenor he gives a speech in front of a giant picture of himself, just like Kane. In the same episode Burns shouts "You can't do this to me! I'm Charles Montgomery Burns!" One of the producers (Al Jean?) once said that they could probably recreate the entire movie with Simpsons clips :)

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World- The town is sent on a wild goose chase to find money hidden under a big "T."

Another episode is entitled "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge"


Terminator 2- Homer chases after Flanders' car with a pair of golf clubs.

Pros: Smoker. Cons: Just a sign. :D

Alien- Willie searches for the dog in the air ducts while Skinner watches on a radar.

There's nary an animal alive that can out-run a greased Scotsman!

Rear Window- The entire episode "Bart of Darkness."

"Grace! That sinister looking Kid's coming to kill me!"

The Birds- a man trapped in a phone booth in Itchy and Scratchy land.

There have been a few parodies of this movie. Bart imagines himself being pecked to death after killing a bird, "The Birds" are replaced with Dolphins in a THOH episode, and with babies when Homer picks up Maggie from day-care in "A Streetcar Named Marge" Perhaps we need a Hitchcock thread too. Hitchcock even had a cameo (like he does in his movies) on The Simpsons, and is seen in a picture with Krusty in a differenet ep.

It would take ages to go throw all the movie parodies on The Simpsons.......

Star Wars:

Mark Hammil gets stars as himself in "Mayored To The Mob", he tells Homer to "use the for...." "The force?" "The FORKS! Use the forks!"

Hammil sings a song in that episode, which goes a little something, like......

Luke be a Jedi toniiiiight,
Just be a Jedi toniiiiight,
Do it for Yoda will we serve our guests a soda,
uh... do it for Chewie and the Ewoks.........
and all the other pu-ppets!

On meeting Leonard Nimoy, Mayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby says "May the force be with you", Nimoy asks "Do you even know who I am?" Quimby thinks he is one of the Little Rascals :D

In "'Round Springfield" Darth Vader appears in a cloud, and says "spoilers for the Empire Strikes Back". He is also in "Old Money", in the queue of people waiting to ask Abe for his cash. Dr. Hibbert is arrested for impersonating Vader in "Roast Gump". Chewbacca is seen in a line up (along with Marvin The Martian, ALF, Kang (or maybe Kodos) and some other guy in "The Springfield Files"

Homer gives away the ending to Empire Strikes Back (in a flashback in front of a crowd of people waiting to see the movie for the first time :))

Homer tells Marge that she's "as pretty as Princess Leia and as smart as Yoda". Comic Book Guy tells Jar-Jar "everyone hates you but me"

There are many, many, more Star Wars references.

Psycho:

Maggie attacks Homer with a mallet, the way Homer falls, the close up of his eye and the paint (blood in the movie) running down the drainage whole is taken straight from the shower scene in the Hitchcock film. The music from that scene is used in a couple more eps (including "The Springfield Files", when Homer is going home over the woods, he hears the creepy music and freaks out. A bus comes towards him with "Springfield Philharmonic Orchestra" on the side, and the orchestra are practising inside.

Principal Skinner's relationship with his mother is similar to Norman's on a couple of ocassions. "What's that mother?" Skinner is in the school, and he looks out at the house to see the shadow of mother at the window. The house, including it's proximity to the place of work (school/motel) is almost identical to the movie.

In "Cape Feare" Sideshow Bob stays in the Bates Motel, complete with stuffed birds.

In "Marge in Chains", Marge uses the Flanders' bathroom. Maude follows her, moves a picture on the wall and peeks through a crack (just as Norman does), there is a stuffed owl on the wall seen just before this.

Apocalypse Now:

Music from the film is used a couple of times (although this might not be references) - "This is the end, my only friend, the end" - Homer sings it while thinking about his life being meaningless as he walks down the street, and "Ride Of The Valkyries" is played when Burns surrounds the Simpson home ready to capture Homer's mother.

In "Lisa The Beauty Queen" the soldiers get pissesd off as they were expecting Miss Springfield, not Little Miss Springfield. They attack the stage and the helicopter flies off with Bob Hope hanging on to it - in the movie it was one of the soldiers, right?

[inglourious basterd]

Has these parodies actually ruined any of the original moments seen in those films for you?

The simpsons totally ruined "The Cape Fear" for me. The RFAD sequence in the last episode annoyed me as well..

Although homages are cool, direct rip offs arent.

[Mick]

Originally posted by psudoazn
Has these parodies actually ruined any of the original moments seen in those films for you?

Nope. Just makes me appreciate the original film all the more. There are hundreds of parodies, and most of them are very well done.

The simpsons totally ruined "The Cape Fear" for me. The RFAD sequence in the last episode annoyed me as well..

The RFAD parody hasn't been shown in the UK yet, so I can't comment on it - but the Cape Fear parody was great I thought. How did it ruin Cape Fear for you?

Although homages are cool, direct rip offs arent.

I wouldn't say the Simpsons "rip off" any movies. All the parodies are made very clear, they're not trying to take credit for anyone else's work.

[Scarface98.9]

The episode with the Film Festival in Springfield features 2 parodies for Mr Burn's entry. The first being a re-enactment of Ben Hur with Burns as Jesus giving water to a starving Charleston Heston. The 2nd is a direct homage to The Alamo, with Burns on the horse riding away (but falling behind)

[Pootie]

whats the requim for a dream one

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally posted by Pootie
whats the requim for a dream one

Every time Homer ate a ribwich, there were a lot of close ups on his eyes and his blood stream, just like when the characters took heroin in Requiem for a Dream.

[Pootie]

hahahhaha thats awesome i must not have been paying attention.

[noisy_brut]

There was a recent episode where Marge was mugged, and completely beefs up.

They had a great Godfather parody in that one homaging the scene where Sonny beats Carlo in the street.

[blankpage]

Yeah, I remember when Homer is on the 2000 dollar sofa, there is a little parody, of the stargate scene. Funny stuff! And when Homer is the star child.

Ah...The Simpsons...

I thought the requim for a dream one was priceless!

[noisy_brut]

How about when Groundkeeper Willie goes into the air ducts after Santa's Little Helper, and they have the Alien homage...or the numerous T2 homages they've had over the years.

[Gregorious8]

I think I found another movie connection. In the episode where the Simpsons go to Brazil Homer wonders if the kids are like the ones in a movie he saw, but he couldn't remember. I think this is Brazil since they were going to the country Brazil

[Jim H]

Stephen King's appearance on the Simpsons is one of the most recent gags that really cracked me up. That's kind of depressing considering how long it was. I've been looking for a copy of the episode actually.

[Mick]

Originally posted by Gregorious8
I think I found another movie connection. In the episode where the Simpsons go to Brazil Homer wonders if the kids are like the ones in a movie he saw, but he couldn't remember. I think this is Brazil since they were going to the country Brazil

Don't you know the boys from Brazil are all little Hitlers?! I saw it in a movie! Whose name I can't remember!

Smiliar gag to the Speed one........

I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around the city, keeping its speed over fifty. And if its speed dropped, the bus would explode! I think it was called... "The bus that couldn't slow down."

If Speed was good for nothing else, at least it brought us that little speech and Milhouse's "This is just like Speed 2! Except on a bus instead of a boat"

[Jim H]

I found that Stephen King bit.. Man, it's still funny

Marge: So, Mr. King, what tale of the macabre are you working on now?

King: Oh, I don't feel like writing horror right now.

Marge: Oh, that's too bad.

King: I'm working on a biography of Benjamin Frankling. He's a fascinating man. He discovered electricty, and used it to torture small animals and green mountain men.. (storms brew behind him and music gets sinister) And that key he tied to the end of the kite (lightning strikes behind him) it opened the gates of HELL.

Marge: Well, let me know when you get back to horror.

King: Will do. (he writes on a sticky note - Marge re: horror)

Classic.

[Michael_myers]

I found a nod to Vertigo also, in the episode "Principle Charming", when Skinner is running up the stairs to the tower to see what the funny smell is, he stops and looks over the railing, similar to what Stewart did in Vertigo, and the ground becomes further and further, than focuses just like in Vertigo.

[Jim H]

There has been more then one vertigo dolly in the Simpsons. Can't name another, but I'm positive I've seen them.

That vertigo shot is such an awesome effect. One of my favorite camera tricks. Did anyone notice the unbelievably long vertigo shot introducing Jude Law's character as he walked towards the camera in Road to Perdition? As far as I know, that is the longest ever vertigo dolly.

The effect, by the way, is fairly simple to do... They zoom in while dollying the camera back and focusing. I used to think they were somehow shoving the person forward or something :D

[Grim H.]

I like the idea of their being so many movie parodies. Because only people like us notice them. To every other non-movie person, it doesn't seem as funny.

The Simpsons is definetely a show for film buffs.

*Another Citizen Kane moment:
In the episode, "Marge gets a job," Smithers is supposed to sing a song to the retiring Jack Marley, the song ends up being about Mr. Burns in a twist on the musical moment in Citizen Kane. It goes as follows:

There is a man/A certain man/ A man whose grace/ And handsome face/ Are known across the land!/ You know his name/ It's Mister Burns/ He loves a smoke/ Enjoys a joke/ Why he's worth ten times what he earns/ He's mister Burns/ I'm mister Burns/ I'm Mister Burns/ He's Monty Burns!/ I'm MISTER Burns/ To friends he's known as Monty, but to you it's Mister Burns.

[syxxpac]

Whoa! I thought this thread was long gone.

[Michael_myers]

I know Jim, but how many of them showed a parody as close as when Skinner leaned over the rail? it wasnt using the vertigo shot, it was a movie nod.