Welcome, dear reader. Allow me to take you on a ghoulish, fantastical and sensationally spine-tingling journey through the wild and unpredictable world of the Simpson's annual spookfest...the Treehouse of Horror!! Now, to save what little brains I have left, we won't be covering every single entry into this ever-expanding macabre world, instead I want to narrow the focus to the start of the tradition through what most people consider the "Golden Age" of The Simpsons, more accurately seasons 2 through 8. Sure, you could argue I should add or take away a season or two, but I chose these seasons in particular because they are the ones I remember most fondly growing up. I'm not picking "the best" episode nor am I looking for the scariest or funniest, I look at this as an exercise to put into perspective the trajectory taken by the show's annual Halloween special during the height of it's popularity.
That said, let's go ahead and take a step beyond the fabric of our reality and venture into the dark unknown, and ascend those steps into our first entry...
TREEHOUSE OF HORROR I
(Airdate, October 24th 1990)
"Bad Dream House"
-The very first segment of the very first Treehouse of Horror (or "The Simpson's Halloween Special" as it's introduced) is so much fun. "Bad Dream House" manages to both poke fun at haunted house tropes but also execute the concept very evenly and pepper in jokes to keep the momentum afloat. The whole segment nails the essence they were striving for so well that it's easy to lose yourself in just how spooky this feels, and I love that.
This segment was also very strong in it's character moments for me, Marge straight up losing her cool towards the end is nothing short of hilarious and sort of cathartic thanks in no small part to the great voice work. We also see shades of a Homer from an era long since passed, he's dense and stubborn but nowhere near as almost brain dead as he would become in later seasons. Overall, this felt like a very solid foundation to build on and a good standalone segment in it's own right.
"Hungry Are The Damned"
-Hey look, it's the one and only dolly zoom in on The Simpsons! I mention that first and foremost because I think that one moment embodies the spirit of this whole thing. Not a particularly "spooky" segment, but "Hungry Are The Damned" is pound for pound the funniest of the three. Kang and Kotos are iconic, and after watching this segment it's very easy to understand why. I was laughing hard enough to struggle for air watching the "How to Cook for Forty Humans" joke, and their spaceship needing a second tractor beam to lift Homer was a close second.
I thought the camera angle where Homer and Marge's heads looked like they were on the platters was a pretty innovative visual gag, and is a fine example of just how darned layered The Simpsons could be with it's jokes. Funnier than the first, not quite as stylistic as the third, this one serves it's purpose well as a fun and engaging middle segment.
"The Raven"
-I will come right out and say it, this segment is beautiful. Jam-packed with visual gags (Marge's hair needing a second picture frame, anyone?) and snappy jokes yes, but also masterful in it's angles and moody color choices, it makes for a viewing experience that gets you right into that spooky spirit. The narration by James Earle Jones is what really sells this for me, if I'm being completely honest.
His sophisticated tones are a perfect match for Poe's words, making for a downright mesmerizing narration of one of Poe's most famous works. All in all, "The Raven" is the perfect balance between being The Simpsons and being a genuinely stellar adaptation, capping off an already good Halloween special with a great segment all around. Oh, and Friday the 13th reference!
Quoth the Raven..."Eat my shorts."
The dust has settled on our very first outing into the spooky world of Treehouse of Horror, and I feel like we walked away with a sizeable haul of candy tonight, Ladies and Gents. For their very first endeavor into the world of Halloween specials, I think The Simpsons stands out as having nailed the concept right off the bat. Is this first Treehouse of Horror the best ever?? Probably not, but ultimately that is for you to decide, there is a lot of great stuff in the long history of the special. That said, best or not, it's hard to ignore as being leagues better than it had any right to be.
