The Simpsons : Best Movie Parody Episodes

Episodes of The Simpsons have always been packed full of pop culture references. These can often just be subtle little nods, such as Moe doing his best Travis Bickle in the mirror, Mr Burns being wheeled into court like Hannibal Lecter or the unforgettable Raiders of the Lost Ark parody when Bart steals Homer’s change jar. However sometimes the show goes all out and spends an entire episode providing an enjoyable homage to a popular movie.

Bart of Darkness

(Credit : AV Club)

Hitchcock movies are referenced in numerous episodes of The Simpsons, but the finest example comes in this perfect Rear Window pastiche in which Bart accidentally breaks his leg and finds himself stuck in his room with only a telescope for company. Just as James Stewart does in the original movie, Bart begins to suspect his neighbour of a heinous crime. In this case, Bart begins to suspect Flanders has killed his wife and buried her in the garden. He eventually resorts to sending Lisa over to investigate just as James Stewart did with Grace Kelly in Hitchcock’s masterpiece. It’s a brilliant episode which embraces Hitchcockian tension and plays with it to hilarious comic effect.

Rosebud

(Credit : Simpsons Wikia)

A classic Mr Burns episode here in which his life story, including being sent to live with a heartless businessman at a young age, is told very much in the style of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Just as Charles Foster Kane longed for a lost symbol of his childhood innocence, so Burns longs to be reunited with his beloved bear Bobo. The opening scene, complete with slow fade in to Burns’ mansion and the breaking snow globe, is an inspired, almost shot-for-shot recreation of Welles’ film’s legendary introduction.

Cape Feare

(Credit : Simpsons World)

This episode sees the show taking on Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake of the classic thriller, Cape Fear. Perennial villain Sideshow Bob fulfils Robert DeNiro’s Max Cady role and is determined to get his revenge on Bart once more. This time, Bob tracks the family down after they’ve been put into witness protection to escape his evil machinations. There are plenty of references to Cape Fear throughout, including Bob frustrating the family in a movie theatre and the climax taking place on a river boat. Perhaps the greatest gag however revolves around Bob’s knuckle tattoos. Owing to the Simpsons cast having only four digits, Cady’s “Love” and “Hate” from the movie, simply becomes “Luv” and “Hat” instead.

22 Short Films About Springfield

(Credit : Simpsons Wikia)

This unique episode offers a clear homage to Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction as it follows the show’s supporting characters and weaves together seemingly unrelated storylines taking place over the same day. There are plenty of direct references to Tarantino’s movie thrown in as the storylines develop. We get Chief Wiggum discussing the little differences between Krusty Burger and McDonalds, Snake accidentally bumping in to Wiggum as a stop sign just as Bruce Willis does with Ving Rhames’ Marsellus Wallace and finally Wiggum and Snake getting accosted and taken hostage in an army surplus store. Luckily the show decides to stop its homage to Pulp Fiction there before it got distinctly non-PG.

You Only Move Twice

(Credit : No Homers Club)

This wonderful Bond parody sees Homer inadvertently start working for Hank Scorpio, a friendly and helpful boss who also happens to be an evil megalomaniacal villain. From his plans of world domination to the final assault on his secret lair, it’s got Bond movie written all over it. The difference here is, this time it’s told mostly from the point of view of a mid-level nobody on the Bond villain’s staff. The greatest Bond moment comes when Scorpio has a tuxedo wearing spy pinned down to a table about to be killed by a laser as seen in Goldfinger. The spy tries to make his escape but thanks to Homer’s direct intervention, he gets taken down instead and summarily taken care of.

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A musical episode here that sees the show parody beloved family movie Mary Poppins. Officially of course it’s about an entirely original character called Sherry Bobbins (like Rickey Rouse or Monald Muck) who just so happens to hold a remarkable similarity to the aforementioned nanny. Sherry enters into the family’s life, descending from upon high clutching an umbrella, and proceeds to turn things around for the better. To begin with. Unlike in the case of Julie Andrews, she meets her match in the Simpson family and discovers that ultimately, they cannot be changed and are happy just the way they are.

(Main Image credit : Simpsons Wikia)