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South Park, Season 23, Episode 5, “Tegridy Farms Halloween Special” Review

If there’s one holiday besides Christmas that South Park’s big on, it’s Halloween. They’ve had plenty of Halloween specials over the years, and some of them have been my favorite episodes of the show. So even though I don’t like Tegridy Farms, I chose to watch their Halloween Special. After I got done watching it, I could think of one thing:

If there’s one holiday besides Christmas that South Park’s big on, it’s Halloween. They’ve had plenty of Halloween specials over the years, and some of them have been my favorite episodes of the show. So even though I don’t like Tegridy Farms, I chose to watch their Halloween Special. After I got done watching it, I could think of one thing:

What the hell were they smoking when they made this?

I Hate Tegridy Farms

I’m not joking. The Tegridy Farms Halloween Special made little sense to me, and could barely be called funny. The episode starts with Randy excitedly preparing the farm for the titular special; it’s a red herring, though. The “Halloween special” is what Randy and Towelie are calling their strain of marijuana.

I know I was disappointed, but that’s nothing compared to what Shelly feels. Like the rest of her family, Shelly’s fed up with Randy and Tegridy Farms, and makes her feelings known. Randy, being Randy, is so full of himself that he can’t comprehend why, though. His attempts to bring her around only make her angrier, and leads to her brewing a “witch’s potion” to kill Randy’s Halloween Special.

Unfortunately for Shelly, and the viewers (not sorry), her mixture only makes the plants mutate. The result is some bizarre plant abomination that gets people incredibly high.

I Don’t Want My Mummy

While all this is happening, there’s a b-plot with Butters getting cursed by a mummy. Rather than try and kill him, though, the mummy wants to be his friend. An obssessive, yandere type friend that overreacts when Butters seems to slight it. The crazy part is that everyone takes the mummy’s side.

I don’t understand `what Matt Stone and Trey Parker were trying to tell with this story, but it didn’t make sense; at all. It had little to no connection to the main plot, and seemed like a distraction.

Return of the Tegridy Farms Halloween Special

Thanks to the mutated plants, Randy’s Tegridy Farms Halloween Special becomes better than ever. In fact, it leads to what may be the only funny from the episode.

In a scene out of a horror film, it looks like the weed mutate’s people into plant zombies. Making matters worse, it appears that Winnie the Pooh and all the cows Randy and Towelie killed come back for revenge. Except they’re not really back; the Halloween Special’s making everyone hallucinate. 

What Did I Watch?

So in the end, Shelly saves her dad and Towelie with another brew, and the Mummy leaves Butters with everyone thinking he’s the bad guy. Randy wakes up three days later with his family hating him even more. As for me, I’m waiting for the day when Tegridy Farms burns to the ground.

The Tegridy Farms Halloween Special was, by far, the weakest episode of this season of South Park. The plot made little sense, it was barely funny, and I could barely pay attention to it. The only redeeming thing is that the show kept up with its jabs at China by bringing back Winnie the Pooh. You go, South Park. As we reach the halfway point of the season, though, my main motivation is to see if Tegridy Farms burns. 

I Give “Tegridy Farms Halloween Special” a 1.5/5. Waste of my Wedensday Night. 

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Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 31- Spongebob Squarepants

Alright, boys and ghouls, are you ready for Halloween? I know I am, thanks to my month of screams! I’ve had a blast talking about all the specials, movies, and scary web shows I’ve watched all October, and before it ends, I wanted to share one of my favorites. It’s a classic Halloween special from one of the greatest cartoons of all time. First, though, I need you guys to answer a question: who live nears a graveyard under the sea? SPONGEBOB SCAREDYPANTS!

Spongebob Scaredypants

Fed up with being the easiest person in to scare in Bikini Bottom, Spongebob decides to do the scaring on Halloween. So he dresses up as the Flying Dutchman, and after a quick shave courtesy of Patrick, he tries to get rid of his embarrassing nickname for good.

As kids, we could all sympathize with Spongebob’s desire to not be so scared on Halloween. Halloween’s about getting scared, yes, but it’s supposed to be in good fun. Therefore, not being able to enjoy it is the worst.

Unfortunately for him, Spongebob’s flimsy idea of a scary costume doesn’t scare anyone. At best, it confuses people to see someone run around with a sheet over him. That’s the joke, though, so it’s pretty funny.

Spongebob Scares Everyone

Taking said joke to its logical conclusion, Spongebob and Patrick try to crash the Halloween party at the Krusty Krab. However, thanks to a jellyfish sting, the operation goes belly up; or pants up. I know it may be a bit mean, but even I couldn’t help but laugh at Spongebob’s failure.

The first appearance of the Flying Dutchman was the perfect level of scary for me as a kid. He looked and sounded terrifying, but Brian Doyle-Murray knew how to ham it up so that kids could like him. However, that made his reaction to the sight of what’s underneath Spongebob’s costume even funnier.

While the sight of Spongebob’s brain was weird, I was too young to fully understand how weird it was. Besides, I liked everyone’s reactions.

Scaredypants Was An Instant Classic

It’s been twenty years since Spongebob premiered on Nickelodeon. Even two decades on, “Spongebob Scaredypants” remains one of my favorite Halloween specials. It’s got all the hallmarks of what would make Spongebob a legendary cartoon. The humor, the voice acting, even the music all blend perfectly to create a 90s classic. I watch it every Halloween, and I hope that it remains a classic for years to come.

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 30- The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy

For my penultimate pick for my first ever month of screams, I chose a show that’s perfect for Halloween. It’s Cartoon Network’s 2000’s classic, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. If you didn’t know, its about two kids, the idiotic Billy and the cynically terrifying Mandy, who win the friendship of the Grim Reaper in a game. The show followed the trio’s supernatural misadventures, and it was a mega-hit for the channel. Of course, it helped that Richard Horvitz and Grey DeLisle voiced the main characters. As a result of its themes, this show’s perfect for Halloween, and Billy and Mandy’s Jacked Up Halloween delivered! In fact, it’s one of the funniest Halloween episodes of the decade.

Jacked Up Halloween

When Billy, Mandy, and Grim are out trick-or-treating on Halloween, Billy asks why people pull pranks on Halloween. As it turns out, it all started centuries ago with Endsville’s resident prankster, Jack. The man got so obsessed with tricks, the townspeople got fed up and arranged for his execution. Unfortunately, Jack cheated death by forcing Grim to give him immortality. However, Grim still cut his head, leaving him with a pumpkin for a head. Now he comes out every Halloween to play pranks on Endsville.

In the present day, Billy makes the mistake of knocking on Jack’s door, and loses Grim’s scythe to the pumpkin-headed prankster. As a result, Jack frees the souls of the Underworld to destroy Endsville, get revenge on Grim, and have Halloween reign forever. In other words, Billy doomed the world for the umpteenth time.

Fear the Jack-O-Lantern

Billy and Mandy was no stranger to scary things like monsters and aliens and witches, so Halloween was a perfect fit. The scares come in the form of Jack’s army of pumpkin’s. Using the scythe and the souls of the dead, he creates an army of possessed pumpkin monsters, and they’re genuinely scary to look at. If you saw an army of grotesque, pumpkin shaped creatures tearing up your neighborhood, you’d be scared too.

Furthermore, despite his reputation as a trickster who plays otherwise harmless pranks, Jack’s a good villain. Having been deprived of a normal life, the immortal prankster’s become bitter towards Endsville and the Grim Reaper. He still likes playing pranks and telling jokes, but you can feel the malice behind them. Once he gets Grim’s scythe once more, he’s a dangerous threat.

So Funny, You’ll Die of Laughter

Like the show, though, Billy and Mandy’s Jacked up Halloween plays on its humor. Richard Horvitz delivers a lot of it, too, simply by being the biggest ham he can possibly be in every scene. More to the point, Billy’s extremely delayed to how badly he screws up is a hilarious payoff. Then we get to see Billy do this:

Another big source of the special’s humor is a running gag involving Billy’s best friend, Irwin. He keeps trying to impress Mandy with his costumes. However, he can’t seem to get it into his head that he’s supposed to be scary. Instead, we get this:

And this

And these two:

Ironically, Irwin ends up being what saves the day. In a scene that would make master slapstick artists proud, Irwin inadvertedly sets off all the traps Mandy set to fight Jack’s army. As a result, the spirits laugh themselves to death, and it gets so contagious, I couldn’t but laugh along with them.

A Gut-Busting Good Time

Overall, this special’s as hilarious as the show itself. While mostly comedic in nature, it does know how to bring the scares with the pumpkin monsters and Jack’s evil schemes. If you’re interested, I reccommend going on YouTube and watching it for yourself. Fans of the show will love the nostalgia and humor, just in time for Halloween. Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year. Click here to see my other animation stuff.

Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 29- Regular Show

I made a promise to take a look at every one of the Regular Show Terror Tales of the Park episodes, and I meant it. After a month of specials, I’m at the final episode; the one when the park gang was in space. Not even going to space will stop the Park Gang from their tradition of telling scary stories, though. It’s Terror Tales in Space!

As the Park Gang prepares to travel to the Halloween Nebula to party, they decide to help their friend Recap Robot get pumped for Halloween. So, the gang takes turns telling scary stories.

Fear Planet

Skips starts off with a story about the Park Gang forced to get gas for their ship from the worst possible planet: Fear Planet. It’s a planet made of material that bring people’s fears to life. The only way for them to get fuel is get out of the ship and walk across the planet, with their worst fears.

This story had a really good premise behind it. It’s like if Pennywise was an entire planet that tried to kill you. Unfortunately, it’s ruined by Skips’ fear: flying disc free-stylers. I’d say its the weakest story of Terror Tales in Space.

King Sized Candy Bars

In Eileen’s story, the gang goes trick-or-treating on the Space Tree when they see a quarantined dome with king sized candy bars inside. They decide to take a risk and go inside the dome. Unfortunatley, the quarantine was due to Vampires!

I’ve seen ninja’s in space before, but vampires in space was new to me. I’m all for mashing up different types of horror, but this seemed a little silly for me. If I think something from a surreal show like Regular Show is silly, then that’s saying something. Also, if there were vampires in space, then they’d never be able to go anywhere since there would be stars everywhere.

Alien Roomate

The last story for Terror Tales in Space is about the Park Gang trying to find a new roommate for income reasons. They get this creepy alien called Shannon to move in, but she ends up being the worst roommate ever. When they finally can’t take her anymore, the gang has to band together to force her out of the dome.

This entire segment’s an obvious parody of the Alien Franchise. Shannon’s appearance alone resembles a Xenomorph, but the plot also seems to follow the basic plot of the movie. It even parodies the climax of the original film with Muscle Man sacrificing himself to push her out of the airlock.

The Tyson Zone

The special’s over, but it had one last surprise for us. While traveling to the Halloween Nebula, the Park gets caught in a black hole. In all honesty, that’s downright terrifying, but still nothing compared to what happens next. The Park Gang wakes up to find themselves turned into actual spaghetti and meatballs. They then realize they ended up on the plate of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, voiced by himself, as he proceeds to eat them.

I genuinely liked the fact the DeGrasse Tyson cameoed as himself in the last Halloween special. That said, I think this was the weakest of all the Terror Tales episodes. I simply wasn’t feeling the same hype that I once did from them. The show ended a few months later on a very high note, though, so I can at least say that they went out with a bang. Terror Tales in Space may not be as fun as the other specials, but it was a fitting finale to the specials. Happy Halloween, everyone!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year. Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 28- Hazbin Hotel Review/Recap

For today’s choice pick for my month of screams, I’m doing something entirely different. It’s a new show that just came out on YouTube today, and people have been waiting for it for years. Also, it takes place in Hell and has demons beating the snot out of each other, so I thought it’s perfect for Halloween. Come with me to Hell as we check in to the Hazbin Hotel.

By the way, this post is doubling as a review of the show’s pilot.

Welcome to Hell, Pop.: Too Many

Created by Vivienne Medrano, AKA “Viziepop,” Hazbin Hotel gives the phrase “when there’s no more room in Hell,” a new meaning. In Hell’s case, they have annual purges that wipe out excess sinners. It’s a cruel method, but no one has a better idea. Until now, that is.

Enter Charlie Magne, the Princess of Hell whose ironically one of the sweetest people in the place. Her dream is to open a hotel to reform sinners and send them to Heaven. However, since this is Hell and everyone’s a jerk, everyone laughs at her idea. Yet with the help of her girlfriend Vaggie, their first client Angel Dust, and a powerful entity dubbed the “Radio Demon,” Charlie’s dream may come true. Or it could end up crashing and burning.

Hilarious as Hell (No Pun Intended)

I will get straight to the point: Hazbin Hotel is one of the funniest things I’ve seen on YouTube in years. If I weren’t watching it in public, I would have been laughing my butt off to it. The humor is virtually flawless: the jokes and one-liners have perfect timing and contain enough foul language to rival South Park. That’s right, I said it rivals South Park, and those guys are the kings of foul language. 

In addition to the humor, the animation and artwork are gorgeous. The residents of Hell come in every shape imaginable, and the way they move around is fluid and satisfying. On top of everything, the background art is every bit as gorgeous. Between all this and the voice acting, it’s clear that Viziepop and her team put their heart and soul into Hazbin Hotel.

Now for a brief overview of the characters. To put it simply, I couldn’t decide who’s my favorite in this show, because the entire cast is just so much fun!

Charlie Magne

Daughter of the Devil and Princess of Hell, though given her personality, you wouldn’t know it. She’s as bubbly, energetic, and optimistic as the heroines in this decade’s Disney cartoons. She genuinely wants to make Hell a better place and thinks her Hotel is the best chance to do so. Even if almost everyone else thinks she’s a joke.

Vaggie

Charlie’s girlfriend and the one who keeps her grounded. The two are as close as lovers can be, and its clear Vaggie wants what’s best for Charlie. She’s also got a very low tolerance for other people’s nonsense, and she’ll go berserk if anyone tries to hurt Charlie. She’s skeptical about the Hazbin Hotel, but she supports Charlie as best she can. Plus, she’s fun with knives.

Angel Dust

A crass, sarcastic drag queen/porn star/crime lord/spider thing. He’s the first person to volunteer for Charlie’s Hotel, but he doesn’t seem to take it seriously. I think his main reason for staying at the Hotel is that it’s free as long as he behaves.

I love Angel Dust! He’s got some of the most badass scenes in the pilot for Hazbin Hotel, and he’s got all the one-liners. He brings most of the laughs in the show, and I look forward to seeing more of him.

Alastor

What happens when you take the charisma of Bill Cipher, the Joker’s wicked smile, and all the demonic power of the Devil? You get something like Alastor, the Radio Demon. He was a murderous radio host in life, and the first thing he did in Hell was overthrow most of the old guard. After that, he broadcasted it for everyone to watch for the fun of it.

He doesn’t believe that a demon can be redeemed, so why help with the Hotel? In his own words:

Sheer, absolute boredom!

In other words, he’s backing the Hotel so he can watch it crash and burn for his amusement. At least he’s honest about it, though I still think he’s hiding something.

Hazbin Hotel is Perfect for Halloween

Hazbin Hotel may be one of the most original web shows that I’ve ever seen. It’s got the humor, drama, and all sorts of foul language. It’s excellent, and the people behind it are amazing. I’m looking forward to seeing more episodes, and I think its the perfect thing to watch for Halloween. So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to go to Hell and check into the Hazbin Hotel! Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 27- Regular Show, Terror Tales V

With Halloween nearly upon us, I’m closing in on the last of my picks for the month of screams. Since I’m such a big fan of Regular Show, I’m going to finish my review on the Terror Tales of the Park series, and this next one may be my favorite. It’s got Steve Blum in it!

The episode starts off with Benson throwing a Halloween party that the gang agrees is awesome. The centerpiece to it is Racki the Wishmaker, a mechanical genie voiced by Steve Blum. Legendary for his baritone voice, Steve did a lot of the extra voices for Regular Show. I love the guy, and this episode has him at his finest as Racki. He can grant people visions of whatever they wish, but it’s made scary! One by one, the park gang tries it out.

Mr. Bossman

When Benson wishes to motivate Mordecai and Rigby at work, he gets a vision of him getting a dummy named Mr. Bossman to yell at them. The duo are so creeped out that it actually works. Then one night, Mr. Bossman comes to life and tries to kill Benson and take his job!

When I tried writing that FANDOM article on Terror Tales, I included this in my five favorite stories. I thought that Mr. Bossman reminded me of Slappy the evil dummy from R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. I’ve seen reruns of the show on TV, and that’s one of the best episodes.

Werepops

Pop wishes that he could travel more, so Racki gives him just that. In his wish, the entire park gang’s doing jury duty on Halloween, with an actual werewolf as the defendant. When the criminal attack Pops in the bathroom, Pops turns into a werewolf and is left to take the rap while the real guy escapes. So Pops has to run all the way to London.

Steve Blum’s famous for the hundreds of roles he’s done, with some of them being in the same show. This story’s one such example, with him voicing the Werewolf and the man’s lawyer. Steve Blum aside, I enjoyed this story because it ends with the song “Werewolves of London”.

Going Up

Hi-Five Ghost wishes that he could visit his girlfriend Celia in Prague, so Racki grants his wish. Unfortunately, Fives makes the mistake of taking the elevator rather than walk 36 flights of stairs. Only he gets stuck inside the elevator!

While it doesn’t seem too scary at first glance, its the ending that makes this segment scary. Celia reveals that the elevator’s been broken for years, and the repairman for it died a long time ago. Except Hi Five Ghost was talking to him right before he went inside the elevator. It’s creepier when you watch it.

Chocolatitude

In a change of pace, the special has four stories instead of three. When Rigby wishes to be popular as a kid, his vision shows him just that. After some kids make fun of his costume, Rigby accepts a dare to take candy from a creepy old house. When he tries taking more than one, though, he incurs the wrath of the witch that lives inside.

This segment, in hindsight, feels similar to the wizard one in the original Halloween special, but it’s got a few good differences. Instead of turning Rigby into a house, the witch turns him and Mordecai into chocolate to eat. That was disturbing, but I already saw a villain do that in Dragon Ball Z, so the effect gets diminished. I actually forgot about this story until I saw the special again.

Oh, and I think Steve Blum voiced one of the other kids.

Steve Blum Strikes Again

The Terror Tales almost always has a weird ending, but this one takes the cake. Racki the Wishmaker tries to make off with the Park Gang’s valuables, only to fail and get destroyed. He gets the last laugh, though, since Benson won’t get his security deposit back.

In a twist, the entire episode’s revealed to be a vision from Benson at the Halloween Party shop. He wanted to see his wish for the best Halloween party ever, and Racki’s powers turned him off altogether. At least Steve Blum sounded like he was having fun.

This was probably my favorite of the Regular Show Halloween episodes. The stories were fun, I enjoyed the pop culture references, and, of course, Steve Blum giving a hundred percent. I loved it, and I think you will too! Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 26- The Cabin in the Woods

I normally don’t go for horror films, despite my love for Halloween. Irony aside, when I do watch a horror film, I enjoy making fun of the cliches found within. Maybe that’s why I took to The Cabin in the Woods so well

Released in 2012, this film was directed by Drew Goddard and produced by Joss Whedon. Whedon’s famous for creating Firefly, the Buffyverse, and doing The Avengers movie and his run on Astonishing X-Men. Goddard wrote on Buffy, so the two worked well together. Needless to say, this film had talent working on it, so I gave it a shot.

Horrifically Hilarious

The film follows the standard American Slasher film plot. A bunch of archetype young adults alone in an isolated area, then get embroiled in a supernatural horror show.

Unlike slasher films, though, the whole thing’s planned out. A secret global organization plans out scenarios every year where people are killed as sacrifices to eldritch gods called the Ancient Ones. If the ritual fails, they destroy the world.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the plot of the movie: it intentionally follows the tropes of classic slasher films and makes no effort to hide it. The reasoning behind this is that Whedon and Goddard wanted to draw attention to what they see as the problems with horror films these days. Primarily, they’re mad about how the characters seem to make the absolute dumbest decisions possible!

I mentioned it a little in my post on the Total Drama Island episode, but I hate seeing the stupidity of people in horror movies. It irritates me to no end. You shouldn’t make out in the woods, you shouldn’t split up, and always carry something for self defense. In addition, The Cabin in the Woods also makes viewers ask an important question: why do we like watching attractive people die in the worst ways possible?

We Are the Ancient Ones

An interesting thing about this movie is the concept of the Ancient Ones. While they’re treated like something out of a Lovecraftian novel, I interpreted them in a more meta fashion. The Ancient Ones are essentially the viewers and fans.

The whole purpose of the Ritual is to appease them so they won’t destroy humanity. They require the Ritual to be done in a specific fashion with an ending in mind. That’s pretty much every fan possible. As for the Ancient Ones destroying the world, it’s like angry moviegoers unsatisfied with what they watched.

A Great Horror Deconstruction

The Cabin in the Woods is a great movie. It not only includes all the cliches of horror movies, but revels in them. It enjoys them while bashing them at the same time. I love The Cabin in The Woods, and even if you hate horror movies, you can love it, too. Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 22- Peanuts

Today’s choice for a Halloween special is by no means scary. Nonetheless, it’s so well-known that watching it is as big a Halloween tradition as Trick-Or-Treating. I’m talking, of course, about the Halloween classic, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Ever since it first aired back in 1966, the Great Pumpkin has aired every Halloween. It’s one of the first Halloween specials I ever remember seeing, and as a big Peanuts fan as a kid, it holds a special place in my heart. I daresay it, but next to A Charlie Brown Christmas, the Great Pumpkin’s the most famous Peanuts special.

Linus’ Annual Struggle

Most of us know the plot, so I won’t bother trying to avoid spoilers. We know how Linus spends Halloween night in a pumpkin patch, waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Nonetheless, he refuses to give up on seeing the Great Pumpkin. We know Linus’ engaging in an exercise of futility, yet we can’t help but admire his determination. 

The nature of the Great Pumpkin’s debated by scholars and philosophers for years now. Some see it as symbolic of unshakable belief, while others see it as an example of people believing in something foolish. Charles Schulz, though, says there’s a greater meaning to the Great Pumpkin. He thought it would be funny for a kid to confuse aspects of Halloween and Christmas, which are both popular in America. I think Schulz’s right, that we’re over-thinking things, and yes, I do find it amusing. Flying Ace Snoopy

Flying Ace Snoopy

The real reason I keep coming back to a special I’ve memorized by heart, though, is Snoopy. I loved Snoopy as a kid, and so did many kids growing up. Watching his various antics in the Charlie Brown specials was half their appeal, and the Great Pumpkin is his most memorable appearance. 

World War One Flying Ace scene’s one of the best moments in the history of animation and my favorite part of the special. It only uses moving backgrounds and changing colors, but its simplicity is incredibly effective at attracting viewer’s eyes.

I Love The Great Pumpkin

I’ve seen the Great Pumpkin special several hundred times now, and I’ve memorized every part of it. Yet it’s the special that I keep coming back to every Halloween. It may not have the same appeal as an adult, at times, but I enjoy the nostalgia. In addition, I can pass that love on to my kids one day. So whether you believe in the Great Pumpkin or not, Happy Halloween, everyone!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year. Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 20- The Simpsons

I’ve spent the entire month talking about the various Halloween specials and movies I’ve watched. Some of them are beloved classics, while others I’ve never seen before. However, there’s one classic series of Halloween Specials that I’ve actively avoided seeing all month, and that’s The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror.

I’m not a big fan of The Simpsons, but I love the Treehouse of Horror episodes. First premiering back in Season Two, the Treehouse of Horror special was so much fun that the show’s done it every year since then. They’re anthology episodes where the show’s cast and writers step away from canon and just make their own scary stories. Often parodies of films and pop culture, the specials are like a Halloween tradition. I’ve seen most of them, and while I have my favorite skits, the special that I love most is Treehouse of Horror V.

With the 30th special airing tonight, I wanted to look back on my Treehouse of Horror V. It’s not only considered the best of the specials, but one of the best Simpsons episodes altogether.

The Shinning

In the opening story, the Simpsons family travels to Mr. Burns secluded mansion to serve as caretakers for the winter. However, Mr. Burns shuts off the cable and takes the beer with him, which cause Homer to quickly go nuts. He’s then persuaded by a ghost version of Moe to “waste his family” for beer.

I laughed so hard when I first saw The Shinning. It’s a hilarious parody of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining that follows the film almost to a fault. The jokes are hilarious, there are plenty of references to the movie, and it’s simply good comedy. I can also weirdly relate to Homer’s plight, but I’d replace TV with the Internet. I’d go crazy without my streaming.

Time and Punishment

It all started when Homer got his hand stuck in the toaster. His attempts to fix it result in it becoming a time machine that sends him back to the time of dinosaurs. As a result of his mishaps, the present gets altered. Can Homer find a way to return Springfield to what he knows and loves? Probably not, but it will be fun to watch.

While not as entertaining as The Shinning, Time and Punishment was still enjoyable to watch. I found it fun to see someone like Homer, who usually doesn’t think things through, actively try not to mess things up. However, when not altering the past proves too hard, he does what many frustrated people would do: screw it. I had a hard time deciding what was funnier: Homer getting his perfect life only to bail when he learns donuts don’t exist, or James Earl Jones voicing Maggie.

Nightmare Cafeteria

In the final segment, the teachers at Springfield Elementary create a morbid solution to their detention and food problems: they eat the kids. One by one, every student in Springfield gets sent to detention to be slaughtered, with only Milhouse, Lisa and Bart remaining. Can they escape from being devoured by the teachers? Can Willie go a segment without getting axed?

It takes a lot to make my stomach churn and disturb me at times. Of all of the Treehouse of Horror segments I’ve seen, this was the most disturbing one. I can’t even watch the whole segment without getting disgusted by it. That makes it good, though, in a morbid sort of way.

The Best of the Best

There are plenty of great Treehouse of Horror segments out there, but this special is by far the best as a whole. It’s hilarious, disturbing at times, and incredibly imaginative in how it tells it’s stories. No wonder it’s considered to be the best of The Simpsons Halloween specials. Although, if i had to pick my favorite segment, it’sThe Shinning.

The Simpsons may not be as good as it used to be; no one will deny that. Even so, Treehouse of Horror keeps bringing fans back year after year. In other words, it’s a Halloween tradition in all but name. I look forward to a new one every year, and I’m looking forward to the new one tonight. In case you haven’t realized it, I’m using tonight’s special as my pick for tomorrow. Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.

Jay’s Month of Screams, Day 19- Tales From the Crypt

I was looking at scary movies to watch for tonight, and I remembered this movie that Nostalgia Critic talked about on Wednesday. Called Demon Knight, it’s based on the HBO series Tales From the Crypt, which was based on the comics of the same name. I can’t believe I did not know about this, or that Robert Zemeckis helped produce it.

Regardless, I thought that it’s worth watching so I found it on demand. Here’s a basic rundown of the plot. It’s basically a survive the night scenario about this mysterious man, Blayker, who’s stuck in a motel being attacked by demons. The reason why there are demons in the first place? Blayker has a key/chalice with the blood of Jesus in it, and it’s one of seven keys needed to unleash an army of demons to conquer the universe. So Blayker has to protect it along with a bunch of other trope-fulfilling characters who will obviously die, except for the final girl.

After looking through it all, I can say one thing about this film: it’s like the king of B-horror films. It’s cheesy, it’s goofy, and the special effects aren’t that breathtaking, even by 90s standards. However, Demon Knight succeeds because it relishes how silly it can be. It’s raunchy, over the top, and filled with blood and gore, but in a fun way. I can see why people liked it, and why it’s a cult film.

Since I never saw Tales From The Crypt, though, I couldn’t connect to it as much as Critic did. It’s a good movie, but it’s just not something I’m interested in. Maybe I’ll watch it a second time, just in case. Happy Halloween!

Click here to see the FANDOM Article I did for Halloween last year. Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts.