The Simpsons’ annual “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween specials follow a classic horror anthology format. There are a few exceptions, but most “Treehouse of Horror” episodes have three segments telling ghost stories involving the Simpson family. These non-canonical stories could kill off Homer or turn Bart into a murderer without worrying about the consequences.
Over the years, these Halloween specials have given audiences plenty of forgettable storylines, but also a bunch of iconic ones. From a spoof of The Shining to a zombie uprising in Springfield, some of The Simpsons’ funniest material can be found in the Halloween specials.
Dial “Z” For Zombies
The final segment of “Treehouse of Horror III” is a comedic take on zombie movies – specifically parodying upon the people of Springfield.
“Dial ‘Z’ for Zombies” is both a hysterical satire of the tropes and conventions of the zombie genre and a genuinely frightening telling of a zombie uprising.
Bart’s Nightmare
The three segments in “Treehouse of Horror II” are made up of nightmares experienced by Homer, Bart, and Lisa after eating too much candy on Halloween night. In Bart’s nightmare, he’s an omnipotent sociopath who keeps the entire world living in fear of his powers. The mischievous Bart was perfect for the role of the evil boy from “It’s a Good Life,” the Twilight Zone episode spoofed in this segment.
The episode’s framing narrative adds a hilarious irony to this segment. Each segment is a nightmare suffered by one of the characters. From Bart’s perspective, being the supernatural tyrant in charge of the world is just a regular dream. It only becomes a nightmare and wakes him with a fright when he starts to bond with his dad.
Hell Toupée
The first segment of “Treehouse of Horror IX” has a great horror premise and a brilliantly pun-tastic title, both taken from an episode of Amazing Stories.
In “Hell Toupée,” after Snake Jailbird is executed, his luscious head of hair is donated to Homer. After the transplant, Snake’s hair gets its hooks into Homer’s brain and turns him into a killer to take care of his unfinished business.
Terror At 5½ Feet
“Terror at 5½ Feet,” the middle segment of “Treehouse of Horror IV,” is a parody of The Twilight Zone episode “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet,” which was later adapted for the Twilight Zone movie.
In the original Twilight Zone storyline, a man sees a gremlin on the wing of his plane and all the cabin crew and engers think he’s imagining it. The Simpsons’ spoof retools the story to revolve around a paranoid Bart sitting on the school bus.
Nightmare On Evergreen Terrace
The second segment of “Treehouse of Horror VI” is a parody of the the role of Freddy Krueger and targeting Bart and Lisa in their dreams.
The Simpsons had more fun with the premise of a knife-fingered serial killer chasing kids through the dreamscape than most of the Elm Street sequels did.
Time And Punishment
In “Time and Punishment,” the middle chapter of “Treehouse of Horror V,” Homer accidentally turns his toaster into a time machine, goes back to prehistoric times, makes a couple of tiny changes, and returns to a very different present.
Every time he tries to change reality back to the way it should be, he makes things worse. This segment is a hilarious exploration of the “butterfly effect” concept (told through Homer’s signature ineptitude).
Clown Without Pity
“Clown Without Pity,” the first segment of “Treehouse of Horror III,” is a spoof of Child’s Play – among other killer doll movies – with a murderous Krusty the Clown doll.
When Homer forgets to buy Bart a birthday present, he rushes down to a toy store called the House of Evil and buys a talking Krusty the Clown doll that turns out to be sentient (and bloodthirsty). The hysterical final twist reveals that the Krusty doll has been switched to “evil” mode.
The Devil And Homer Simpson
In the first segment of “Treehouse of Horror IV,” Homer sells his soul for a donut, at which point the Devil appears to him in the form of Ned Flanders to claim it.
Homer finds a loophole by not finishing the donut, but he has the last bite in the middle of the night and suddenly has to stand trial to determine whether he should be condemned to spend eternity in Hell.
Lisa’s Nightmare
The first segment in “Treehouse of Horror II,” based on Lisa’s nightmare, is an homage to the classic W.W. Jacobs short story The Monkey’s Paw. Homer buys a cursed monkey’s paw that grants wishes, but learns that every wish has ironic ramifications.
Lisa wishes for world peace, but this paves the way for an alien invasion. Homer wishes for a turkey sandwich, but the turkey is a little dry.
The Shinning
“The Shinning,” the first segment of “Treehouse of Horror V,” is a spot-on spoof of Stanley Kubrick’s iconic adaptation of The Shining. The Simpsons are hired to look after Mr. Burns’ isolated mansion over the winter, where the lack of beer and TV drives Homer to madness, a la Jack Torrance.
This parody hilariously deflates the terror of classic Shining moments. When gallons of blood are unleashed from an elevator, Burns quips, “Usually, the blood gets off at the second floor.”