The 50 Greatest Simpsons Movie References
Smart and funny riffs on classic cinema moments...
BY Jun 6th 2009 6:06AMFILED UNDER: Features
User Comments (12)
The sharpest, smartest show on TV is famed for its sly nods to movies.
The beautifully observed homages vary from blink-and-miss single frames to shot-by-shot recreations of entire scenes.
Here's our top 50...
50. Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Episode: I’m Spelling As Fast As I Can (Season 14)
The original moment: The scuzzy lives of various Brighton Beach addicts are reduced to flick-book moments of monotonous quick snap repetition – powder-snort-hit-high – in Darren Aronofsky’s sharp drama.
The Simpsons moment: Homer becomes addicted to the latest Krusty Burger product, the Ribwich (tag line: ‘I don’t mind the taste!’), his instant-hit happiness shown with Requiem-style quick cuts. It works best if you see it in motion here.
49. The Great Escape (1963)
Episode: A Streetcar Named Marge (Season 4)
The original moment: Steve McQueen’s repeat escapist Captain Virgil Hilts is sent to solitary confinement of ‘the cooler’, and passes the time throwing a baseball against the wall over and over.
The Simpsons moment: With Marge rehearsing for her theatre production of A Streetcar Named Desire, Maggie spends the day in the Ayn Rand School For Tots. After organising a failed escape with the other babies she’s sent to a playpen called ‘the box’ and bounces a ball off the walls.
48. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Episode: Treehouse Of Horror III (Season 4)
The original moment: In a dystopian near-future England, Malcolm McDowell is Alex, the leader of a brutal gang of youths elaborately dressed in bowler hats, white shirts and eye makeup.
The Simpsons moment: In the opening segment for season four’s Halloween episode there’s a party at the Simpsons’ house, and Bart comes dressed as Alex. In the same episode there’s a King Kong spoof called King Homer.
Next: The Silence Of The Lambs, Steamboat Willie, Risky Business...
Print Comments (12)
1: mattburgess says
#16 - Treehouse of Horror III (Season 4), while the photo is from The Simpsons Movie.
Posted: Jun 15th 2009 // 10:11PMAlert a moderator
2: mattburgess says
Are all the movie references you've highlighted from the first 11 seasons and the movie because that's all that has been released on dvd so far? And *someone* in Total Film has been watching them too much? Maybe *everyone* in Total Film? :-P
Posted: Jun 15th 2009 // 10:15PMAlert a moderator
3: theirishgrover says
Well the first one's from Season 14 but I assume they are mostly from the first few seasons since they were cr*p after season 8
Posted: Jun 16th 2009 // 4:02PMAlert a moderator
4: leecrocker says
Missed my favorite...though probably because it's not at all visual: In the episode where they vacation in Japan, Marge says "We saw that movie 'Rashomon', you liked that.", to which Homer replies "That's not the way I remember it."
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 8:13AMAlert a moderator
5: aaweeble2 says
OMG dude the Simpsons like totally ROCK!
RT
www.anonymity.tk
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 12:07PMAlert a moderator
6: durden says
absolutely awesome article!!!although i don't agree upon number one...still,the simpsons rock!!!
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 12:26PMAlert a moderator
7: seanjohntx says
Are you kidding me? You expect me to click through 18 pages? No thanks. Next time, cut down on the click throughs. Buried on digg.
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 2:12PMAlert a moderator
8: somewhatfrail says
Great number one choice.
Although I must say that the Terminator one should be omitted in favour of the far greater T-2 homage in the one episode when Homer befriends Flanders. Walking through the hedge like the T-1000 through the prison bars and then chasing the car with the golf clubs? Priceless.
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 3:05PMAlert a moderator
9: adman says
Cookie jar? Um, isn't that Homer's penny jar?
No doubt about it though; this is hands-down the number one. Top stuff guys.
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 3:06PMAlert a moderator
10: somewhatfrail says
Also, here's a whole compendium of Simpsons Terminator references:
http://www.duffzone.org/content.php?title=reft2
Posted: Jun 19th 2009 // 3:07PMAlert a moderator
11: avoidz says
#20 - Mrs Krabappel puts her leg up in the classroom, not "waggling her leg from the bed".
Posted: Jun 21st 2009 // 3:19PMAlert a moderator
12: avoidz says
Notice how most of the clever, inventive references are all from the early seasons? What does that tell you about the quality of the show later on...
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