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[Review] “The Simpsons” Parodies ‘The Ring’ and More in Ghoulish New “Treehouse of Horror” Episode

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The Simpsons have graced our screens once again with a brand new, terrifying installment of the iconic “TREEHOUSE OF HORROR” Halloween  special. 

Treehouse of Horror XXXII sports the usual set of twisted tales depicting Springfield’s greatest in a slew of non-canon, haunting storylines. Featuring twisted parodies of Disney’s “Bambi,” Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” the artwork of Edward Gorey, “Nightmare on Elm Street,” and finally “The Ring,” the newest Halloween special has more than enough to appease genre fans. 


OPENING 

Starting off the frightful program with a surprising amount of cuteness, Bart and Marge star as Bambi and his mother. Stylized and scored much like the original Disney animation, this segment appears to be all fun and games…that is until Mr. Burns shows up as the infamous hunter. Things quickly get dark when the hunter chases down Bart and Marge, making fans of the original Disney film fear for the worst. Luckily, in typical Treehouse of Horror fashion things get twisted.

Homer, appearing as another deer, comes to the rescue and impales Mr. Burns. The deer all gang up on the wounded hunter and puncture him repeatedly, spraying gooey animated crimson all over the setting. To cap things off, a Tinker-Bell styled Maggie uses her magic wand to cast the words “TREEHOUSE OF HORROR XXXIII” on the screen. 

While not as horror-specific as some of the show’s other notable intros (never forget what Guillermo Del Toro did!), “Bambi” kickstarts this year’s installment with some classic THOH twists.


THIS SIDE OF PARASITE

In a riff on Best Picture Winner “Parasite,” The Simpson family takes on the role of the Kims from the original as they get hired for separate jobs at the lavish Wolfcastle estate. When the Wolfcastle’s head out on a vacation, the Simpsons family takes the opportunity to live out their fantasies in the-now vacant estate. Through a recreation of several key sequences from the film, The Simpsons family uncover a secret underground bunker housing other “Parasites” beneath the house. A battle royale breaks out as all of the parasites fight to retain their secret home.

While this segment features some ghoulish THOH gore and a timely film parody, its limited runtime underscores its narrative effectiveness. As a bonus, the segment manages to squeeze in a “Snowpiercer” parody (dubbed “D’OH PIERCER”) featuring Itchy and Scratchy. 


NIGHTMARE ON ELM TREE

While referencing one of the most iconic slashers in its title, this segment unfortunately has nothing to do with Freddy Krueger (but it’s not like the show hasn’t tackled the nightmare king before). After Bart scares his friends telling tales of terror in his treehouse, Homer takes an axe to the infamous backyard tree. Suddenly springing to life, the damaged tree takes it upon itself to rampage around Springfield, recruiting other mistreated trees to take over the town. Along its quest for world domination, the treehouse tree manages to recruit other famous trees such as the ones from “The Wizard of Oz,” The Giving Tree itself, the tree giant from “Lord of the Rings,” and even Audrey II from “Little Shop of Horrors.” Marvel’s iconic wooden hero Groot makes an appearance during a drive-in screening of what is obviously “Guardians of the Galaxy.”

The segment sports a few fun and twisted gags, including Groundskeeper Willie accidentally chainsawing both of his arms and the dead residents of Springfield being turned into a disturbing Christmas tree. While not having much to do with the film its title parodies, “Elm Tree” sports some great gory gags and pop culture references. 


THE TELLTALE BART

This segment mashes the worlds of artist Edward Gorey, Vincent Price, and a dash of Edgar Allan Poe for a beautifully stylistic and disturbing story. Reading from a bedtime storybook, a Simpsonized Vincent Price narrates the tale to an eagerly listening Maggie. While this segment certainly is lacking plot-wise, it makes up with strong and disturbing visuals showcasing a black-eyed Bart’s reign of terror. The acts of mischief intensify starting from the simple cutting off of doll heads and ending at the decapitation of the entire Simpson family.

As the narrative reaches its morbid peak, the storybook abruptly ends as Maggie Simpson strangles with rope the previously narrating Vincent Price. While this final exchange is quite the shocker, it prematurely ends a much more intriguing tale from within the storybook. 


DEAD RINGER

The Halloween special concludes with its strongest segment, “Dead Ringer.” In classic Treehouse of Horror fashion, this segment parodies a well-known horror film and character. “The Ring” gets the animated treatment in this delightful mashup of the original film’s plot with a “The Simpsons” touch. Replacing the iconic VHS tape this time around, is a viral Tik Tok video featuring near-shot-for-shot recreation of the original’s cursed tape. Drenched in dark gags involving the sudden death of Springfielders (Sherri and Terri are decapitated by swings), this Simpsonized tale of terror doesn’t shy from poking fun at the darkness of its source material. One effective gag involves Grampa Simpson receiving the haunting “7-Days” phone call, yet not being able to hear what the caller is saying. This results in the demonic voice continually repeating his ominous phrase in hopes of Grampa comprehending the threat.

After finding out the well-ghost’s (ditching the name Samara for Mary) true backstory, Lisa devises a plan to sympathize with the specter. What follows is an awesome animated recreation of Samara’s ascent from the well and out of the television screen. It’s one of those Simpsonized horror movie movements that’ll sit up there with the iconic recreation of “The Shining” axe sequence and riff on the “Child’s Play” doll. The encounter with Mary is halted when Lisa raises up a Halloween-style Valentine’s Card. The specter stops its attack and immediately gushes over the act of kindness. The gag concludes with Lisa showing Mary her saxophone routine, annoying Mary so much that she willingly throws herself back into her well.

“Dead Ringer” is the most narratively satisfying, and effectively comedic segment of the episode. 

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‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ Review – Latest Monster Mashup Goes Bigger and Sillier

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GODZILLA X KONG review

The heavyweight championship event that was Godzilla vs. Kong ended in a tenuous truce that saw Godzilla holding dominion over Earth while King Kong claimed Hollow Earth. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire introduces a new Titan-sized threat from the depths of Hollow Earth, one so dangerous that Kong and his human allies will need all the help they can get to defeat it. Director Adam Wingard continues the kaiju spectacle with the latest Legendary Monsterverse crossover event, this time injecting an even greater sense of adventure and silliness. It’s the type of epic-sized popcorn movie that unleashes nonstop monster brawls and tongue-in-cheek humor in equal measure.

Since the events of Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla spends his downtime curling up for naptime in Rome’s Colosseum when not snuffing out rogue Titans that emerge. The kaiju king’s activity is closely monitored by Monarch and Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Dr. Andrews also keeps a close eye on Kong through stations established around Hollow Earth access points, and poor Kong is lonely as he still searches for others like him. Then there’s Dr. Andrews’ adoptive daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), the sole survivor of the decimated Iwi tribe from Skull Island. Jia’s struggles to find her place in school and society at large get exacerbated by strange new visions that seem directly tied to Hollow Earth.

Dr. Andrews enlists Bernie (Brian Tyree Henry) to help her navigate Jia’s new plight. Once the new threat makes itself known, all three, along with wisecracking kaiju vet Trapper (Dan Stevens), descend into Hollow Earth for answers. Instead, they find a terrifying new battle heating up for kaiju sovereignty. 

Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens in Godzilla x Kong

The Monsterverse franchise often struggles with its human characters and how they fit into the kaiju mayhem, but screenwriters Terry RossioSimon Barrett, and Jeremy Slater may have finally cleared this hurdle by trimming down the human cast and keeping it simple. Jia’s heritage creates an emotional conflict between her and her adoptive mother that injects a sweet earnestness, while Brian Tyree Henry’s Bernie brings levity. Then there’s the scene-chewing Dan Stevens, whose Trapper gets introduced in style as he performs a tooth extraction from an aircraft with infectious exuberance. Stevens plays the character with the bravado of an ’80s action star but one that’s fully aware of himself and the absurdity of his unique gig. Trapper’s boisterous personality goes far in demonstrating to audiences just how much we’re meant to be having fun and not take everything seriously, so much so that Godzilla x Kong could stand to see more of him.

Of course, the real stars are the monsters, and this, once again, is Kong’s show. Godzilla remains the undisputed heavyweight champion, but it’s Kong’s pursuit of finding his place in Hollow Earth that drives Godzilla x Kong. The required exposition delivery as Wingard corrals the converging plotlines into an action-heavy final act does slow the momentum in the first two-thirds, despite frequent action set pieces. But the main event delivers the promised team-up and then some, thanks to at least one pivotal surprise up Wingard’s sleeves that brings the wow factor to the final battle. That key surprise is pivotal, not just for fan service, but to offset how underwhelming the new enemy is, a generic mirrored inverse of Kong and his frenemy. 

Angry Kong

Wingard and crew seem fully aware of that and play up the cartoonish quality of the premise to maximize the fun factor. While it does indeed evoke the intended sense of fun, especially when Kong flings a smaller ape around as a weapon or dons a power glove, there’s a weightlessness to the whole thing. There’s no real impact to any of it, even though it often looks cool.

It all amounts to a visually polished Saturday morning cartoon filled with monster brawls and the humans who love them. Beyond the charming entertainment, though, Godzilla x Kong is more hollow than Hollow Earth.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire roars into theaters and IMAX on March 29, 2024.

2.5 out of 5 skulls

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