Welcome to Recommend Tree Houses of Horror

By accident, I started watching every “Simpsons” Halloween episodes. With how streaming services work, I became committed to finishing the infamous Treehouse of Horror episodes. Over the years, I’ve seen most of them - though there are large gaps in my memory - and my marathon rewatch has been both a treat and a bag of tooth paste and dental floss.

Some of the episodes still hold up. Others aged like milk left out on the Fourth of July. 

The fact that “The Simpsons” is still airing, is mind boggling as far as I’m concerned. The “golden years” of the series was definitely the first ten with occasional hits afterwards. That’s doesn’t mean these episodes and seasons aged well. It’s just when the series was the most relevant. 

I was mostly watching “The Simpsons” somewhere in the mid 2000s. Fox network reran older episodes at 5:00PM - a perfect post homework, pre-dinner time to watch TV for teenage me. However, my favorite episodes were the “Treehouse of Horror” anthologies. 

In recent years, I’ve kept my rewatch of the series to a few episodes I have on DVD - most are the Halloween specials with the addition of the Cape Fear parody from season 5 with Side Show Bob (which I feel is an honorary addition). Now that  Disney+ offers every “Simpsons” episode ever made for streaming, I can easily watch all of the episodes. I’m only doing this now because my sibling came to visit and we needed something fun to watch that was spooky and we both liked.

So here is my list of “The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror” segments I think are still watching. These aren’t full episodes (necessarily) because some of the shorts in one episode are great, while others are full on duds. Due remember that this list is my opinion and you are allowed to disagree - just know I have the right to ignore your wrong opinion.

So here’s my count down list:

Honorable Mention: “Halloween of Horror” - though not a true Treehouse of Horror episode, this Simpsons’ Halloween special is hilarious and has a great parody of the “Time Warp”. 

#13: The opening of Treehouse of Horror XXIV directed by Guillermo del Toro - there are so many references in this opener and some of the visuals make me jump. If only the rest of the episode was as entertaining.

#12: “Coralisa” from Treehouse of Horror XXVIII - I love the book and movie Coraline and Neil Gaiman makes a guest appearance in this middle segment. I love how the animation changes when Lisa first goes to the “other world” and meter her “other family”. The buttons in the eyes is still creepy, as is “other” Marge turning into her true form.

#11: “It’s the Grand Pumpkin, Mulhouse” from Treehouse of Horror XIX - it’s a spot on parody of a beloved classic. It’s funny and somewhat disturbing at times. I especially love the animation done.

#10: “There’s No Business Like Moe Business” from Treehouse of Horror XX - the Simpsons has done a number of musical parodies over the years (the one with Lisa spoofing Evita lives rent free in my mind), however this one is all Sweeney Todd. Moe using Homer’s blood mixed with beer to make Marge fall in love with him is disturbing and funny. My favorite part of this episode is the fact that it’s framed like a play with some backstage shots included.

#9: “Four Beheadings and a Funeral” from Treehouse of Horror XV - a mash up of From Hell and Sherlock Holmes. The Simpsons kids are investing the gruesome murders of Jack the Ripper’s victims. Homer and Marge play a small role in this and Chief Wiggum has a lot more screen time than usual. My only issue with the segment is that it all ends in an opium dream for Ralph. Why? It’s obvious that this isn’t part of the main Simpsons storyline. 

#8: “Heck House” from Treehouse XVIII - Ned Flanders having a connection to hell or the devil is a bit of a trope at this point in the Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror episodes. I enjoy this one for the parody of the movie Hell House and the tricks played the kids. Some people don’t enjoy this episode, but I think it’s pretty funny with some good horror imagery.

#7: “Easy-Bake Coven” from Treehouse of Horror VIII - if anyone was going to be a witch in the Simpsons, I would have guessed Lisa. Marge and her sisters being evil witches is also a good choice. It’s a fun take on how trick-or-treating started and the I like the many references to witches in folklore and popular culture.

#6: “Scary Tales Can Come True” from Treehouse of Horror XI - this segment reminded me of older Bugs Bunny parodies of fairy tales. I loved that the family lives in a pumpkin and the scene where Goldilocks dies is delightfully gruesome.

#5: “House of Whacks” from Treehouse of Horror XIII - I grew up with the movie Smart House and that movie scared me as a kid. Seeing a Simpsons parody of the movie with the voice of 90s 007 as the evil robot house was a lot of fun. I feel a little bad for the robot going to Patty and Selma in the end, but the ridiculous murder of Homer is a good laugh.

#4: “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” from Treehouse of Horror VI - this segment is amazing from the death of Martin to Willie showing up at the end getting off a bus. I will forever enjoy cursing out the “stupid Smarch” weather.

Okay so here is where I ditch the segments and list my top three episodes that I love watching every year.

#3: Treehouse of Horror IV - all three segments are gruesomely funny. This is the first episode Ned Flanders shows up as the devil and his ironic punishment of Homer after not getting his soul is perfect. The gremlin puns are great and may have inspired me in some of my creative works. By far the best is the last one “Bart Simpson’s Dracula” and is a great parody of the Coppola film. Mr. Burns’s hair is fantastic and when else was Bart supposed to go down the “Super Happy Fun Slide”?

#2: Treehouse of Horror V - This is one of the first Treehouse of Horror episodes that I got on DVD and have watched every year. From Willie dying in all three segments with an ax to the back to the near gruesome end to the Simpson children it’s an all around classic treat. If only Homer had stayed for five more seconds for his donut. Shh “you wanna get sued?”

#1: Treehouse of Horror I - the original is still my favorite and a classic. Special guest James Earl Jones is the highlight in all three segments. His reading of “The Raven” is one of my favorite things in animation (and may have introduced me to the famous gothic poet). It’s not perfect, but it is my favorite.

As of writing this post, I haven’t yet seen this year’s special (it’s a few hours before it airs). The segment parodying “Death Note” looks promising. I kind of hope there are potato chips (look it up on YouTube).

If you have a favorite Treehouse of Horror episode or segment, let me know in the comments. I’m still not sure why I did this to myself, but such is life.

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If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y’all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to My Least Favorite Parts of Spooky Season

I have happily shared with you guys my love of the Halloween season. The beautiful colors of the falling leaves, the creepy yet fun decorations, and the wonderful things to eat are all wonderful. I'm fond of seeing all the little kids in their costumes and their excitement going trick or treating. 

However, I must admit that there are a few things about this time of year that either get on my nerves or cause me distress. It's not all sugar and spice and everything delightfully spooky this time of year and here are are a few of mine. 

Haunted House Mazes 

Some of you might be surprised that I'm not a fan of these pop up attractions - especially since I've been noted to enjoy Buschgardens Hall-o-Scream. Except I can't stand the sensory overload that is the haunted house (or haunted maze as my family always called them). From an overstimulation of noise, and overuse of strobe lights, to lots of fake fog to trigger my asthma, and the over use of jump scares, I just don't enjoy this experience. If I am somehow talked into (or blackmailed into) entering one of these monstrosities, I typically will be walking with my ears covered - much to the confusion of everyone but my family. These are great for some people, but not so much for me.

The only Haunted House I do enjoy is the one at Disney World/Disneyland.

Fake Chain Saws

Similar to Haunted House Mazes, these beyond evil noise makers never fail to freak me out. If you want to see me jump about a foot in the air, rev up a real chain saw in my general vicinity. I guarantee you a freaked out reaction. So if I can't handle the real ones, why would I like the fake ones often used in theme park scare zones or outside Haunted House Maze attractions. I hate them with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.  

Zombies

First of all, the modern "zombie" is actually more of a traditional ghoul. The origin of zombies comes from Haitian and Caribbean voodoo (or Vodou) which is an actual religious practice. Most depictions of Vodou zombies in western media are wrong and insulting to the practitioners of voodoo/Vodou. Depictions of the more ghoul like zombie freak me out and the fact that the US military has a plan in place for when a zombie out break occurs doesn't help with my irrational fears. I'm not sure if it's the amount of violence associated with zombies or the sheer mindlessness of their existence that cause my skin to crawl more. Zombies are a big no thank you.

Fun Fact: I was once asked in college if I'd survive a zombie apocalypses. Before I could answer and without skipping a beat, my college roommate goes: "they'd die." Alas, my college roommate is probably right.

Harming of Animals

Sadly, Halloween and spooky season is also associated with the mindless harm of animals - especially black cats. Some of my friends growing up had a black cat and their family always made sure to securely lock the kitty away on Halloween for fear that someone would harm her. It's not cool to harm animals on Halloween for a prank or try to commune with the devil. 

PSA - keep all cats and dogs inside on Halloween, especially if they have black fur.

Overly Sexual Costumes for Children

Why is this a thing?

Pumpkin Spice Flavored Hate

I get that it's everywhere. I get that some people are totally put off by it. But I enjoy it and I don't care if that makes me "basic". Pumpkin spice and everything nice is a wonderful part of this season. The haters can go have their hate party in another part of the Internet.

And Finally: The Glorification of Serial Killers

I have a question - are TikTokers who watch the glamorized dramatization "documentaries" of serial kills and claim that they weren't disturbed okay? No, seriously, are you okay? It's one thing to enjoy watching Freddy or Jason or Michael Meyers on the big screen. It's an entirely different can of worms if you can watch media on real life evil people and not want to vomit. Please stop encouraging the glorification of people who have done horrific things to other people. Families of victims don't deserve this. The victims of these crimes don't deserve this. I honestly wish that these people would fade away from public consciousness. We don't need any more of these "documentaries" dropping around Halloween time (or ever).

I love the Halloween season and enjoy some of the spooky things that come with it. But as much as I love "all things spooky", there are a few draw backs. However, I can (usually) avoid the things I don't enjoy. 

You can find me this season hanging out in a pumpkin patch or exploring a corn maze (I promise to only sacrifice one family to the corn). I also enjoy seeing the cool decorations - minus any loud noises or jump scares. 

What are your favorite parts of the Halloween season? Have any least favorite things about the season?

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week. 

Welcome to Sleepy Hollow

 Not too far north of New York City, along the Hudson River, lies Tarrytown. It was while American writer Washington Irving was visiting an inn in Tarrytown, that he first heard the folk lore of the region - which included a certain headless horseman. Not long after Irving would publish the famous short story "Sleepy Hollow". 

The Sleepy Hollow town in New York today actually got its name about 30 years ago when the town of Tarrytown expanded to include the the area known as Slapershaven in the earliest years of Dutch colonialism in America. This name literally translates to "Sleeper's Haven" (according the village history page). 

When I lived in New Jersey, I lived about a half an hour from Sleepy Hollow, New York and spent some time enjoying the small town. It really takes it's legacy as the home Bram Bones, Katrina van Tassel, Ichabod Crain, and the Headless Horseman seriously. My personal favorite event was the annual pumpkin festival that included hundreds, if not thousands, of carved pumpkins lit up in festive displays. 

What Sleepy Hollow is not, is anything like the 1999 Tim Burton movie. 

Instead of a dark rural area with a forest to the west. Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are bright urban areas with a giant river to the west. It's also really close to Manhattan Island - even on the commuter trainline. It might have taken the average New Yorker in the 1790s half a day to get to.

Also, that movie is a terrible adaptation of the original short story.

The original "Sleepy Hollow" story is considered an American classic. However, the legends of headless horseman go back to Europe such as the Irish dullahan - which is actually an evil fairy. Irving may have been influenced by the folklore of his Scottish family (which also have headless horseman legends) along with stories about the Revolutionary War and other folklorists that were his contemporary.

The interesting thing about the story of "Sleepy Hollow" is that Ichabod isn't really a hero - his more of our modern day "nice guy". In fact, Irving doesn't seems to even like his main character - often portraying his motivations and actions as being less than honorable. The object of his affection, Katrina van Tassel, is just that - an object. Whereas Ichabod's rival, Brom Bones, actually seems to care about the person Katrina is. Ichabod is more interested in Katrina's beauty and her father's property.

In fact, it's heavily suggested that the headless horseman ghost of the story is less of a ghost and is instead Brom Bones playing another prank on Ichabod (he does several throughout the story). Ichabod is well known for being superstitious, despite his claims that his education makes him superior to the "simple" people of the rural town. Ichabod believes that he brings culture to the sleepy little village...with some success with the ladies, while really annoying everyone else.

The Disney version (which can be viewed on Disney+ with Mr. Toad) comes the closest in the adaptations I've seen to getting the spirit of the story across. It's also got some great musical numbers. However, the Wishbone episode "The Legend of Creepy Collars" is probably the best direct adaptation of the story I've seen.

This weekend, my sibling and I went to a ballet adaptation of "Sleepy Hollow" at one of my local theater productions. It was a lot of fun - though I don't remember any witches in the original story. There were plenty of beats from the original story along with a few additions that were clearly influenced by the 1999 Tim Burton film - like a tree with skulls on it. 

The ballet was about an hour and half long with beautiful dancing. The ending of the story was also slightly changed to make the headless horseman real rather than a prank by Brom Bones and Katrina feel bad about Ichabod's prank - honestly I was a little confused by this choice. Otherwise, I enjoyed the performances (especially when the little kids came on stage).

"Sleepy Hollow" is a fun story that is often misinterpreted and has some language that raises eyebrows in the modern day (specifically around Native Americans and Black people). I'd love to see a reinterpretation or adaptation that centers around Katrina and Brom's relationship rather than Ichabod's creepy obsession with Katrina. 

If you have an adaptation of "Sleep Hollow" you enjoy or have been to the town of Sleepy Hollow, let me know in the comments. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Hocus Pocus

If ever there was a movie that screamed Halloween - it would be Hocus Pocus. From the vibrant color scheme and colorful costume to the setting being the infamous Salem Massachusetts, Hocus Pocus oozes the holiday from the very first frame of Sarah riding her broomstick through the country side. Its a seasonal favorite for my family and many of my friends - especially if you were a kid in the 90s and 2000s. 

Is it a perfect movie? No.

Is it a satisfying movie? Yes. 

--Prepare For Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

Though the Sanderson sisters are a lot of fun, you cheer when they are defeated at the end of the story. You're excited to see the bullies get their comeuppance. It's hilarious when Billy inevitably betrays Winnifred. And its bitter sweet to see Thackery Binx reunite with his sister and move on to the next life. 

The journey Max, Danny, and Allison go on over the course of one night is exciting and scary. Yet, the kids manage to use their wits and ingenuity (multiple times) against the witches to save the lives of all the children of Salem. Each one has a moment to shine. From Danny improvising her interest in meeting the sisters, to Max and the "burning rain of death", and finally Allison with her version of "daylight savings time". 

Though it is a little weird that a Disney movie made for kids is constantly bringing up virginity.

--End of Spoilers for a 30 year old Movie--

The movie also gets a number of things right about witches in the colonial period of Massachusetts that so many other stories get wrong (looking at you Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost). 

Witches were considered evil in the colonial period, having made a deal with the devil. Winnifred, Mary, and Sarah all refer to Satan as their master and proclaim their devotion to him. 

Witches were hanged (or pressed, or drowned) in the colonies - not burned at the stake (that was a continental European thing). North American's wouldn't have burned witches because then the spectators might have seen naked bodies. The last thing a Puritan would have wanted to see is a naked witch. 

The movie actually takes place in Sale, MA and the city really does look like that. Some of the bigger landmarks were missing, such as the hotel and House of the Seven Gables, but that's really the outside of the town hall. Also, there really are underground tunnels throughout the city - there was a huge pirate problem up until the early 1800s. 

However, there is one major inaccuracy to the movie. There were no real witches in Salem during the colonial period. None of the people accused, imprisoned, or murdered for witchcraft were actually witches. They were victims of a mass hysteria, racism, and a scheme to steal property by the elite of the city.  

Memorial to the victims of the Salem Witch Trials.

It took nearly three centuries for the city to address this shameful period in their history. Now there's a beautiful memorial to the victims and a lot of tourist traps for people see. I personally found that a historical ghost tour was a lot more interesting than the wax museums that line the main street. Though the Witch House, which has the recreated jail in the basement was creepy.

Yeah, Hocus Pocus focuses more on the spectacle of Salem's infamous history. But I think creating three completely fictional characters that have the actual historical stereotypes of colonial witches works. It plays up the folk horror of witchcraft, makes it ridiculous, and weaves in a tiny smidge of historic reality.

The new sequel, Hocus Pocus 2, adds to that malicious silliness.  

I don't plan on spoiling that movie, as it only came out three days ago at the time of me writing this post. I found it funny and a cute addition to a story that really didn't need a follow up. Some of the details are a delight - like the witchcraft store (because if Salem has an overabundance of anything, its witchcraft stores) and adults trying to side step explaining what a virgin is to a little kid.

Do I recommend the movie? Maybe - if you really liked the first one, the nostalgia will hit you right in the feels. However, I don't think it'll be the cult classic the first one is.

At their core, the Hocus Pocus movies aren't about the accurate history of Salem, MA, the witch trials, or the trauma surrounding them. 

They are stories about family and friends. The first movie has Thackery and his sister Emily mirrored by the siblings Max and Danny. The second movie is about the relationship of the Sanderson sisters and is mirrored by the three friends Izzy, Becca, and Cassie.

Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that became a cult classic because of how it treats its audience. For adults, its a reminder of what it means to be a kid. For kids, it's an adventure against villains that are silly, but still super evil. It's not perfect, but it doesn't need to be.

Hocus Pocus 2 is okay. It's not good. It's not bad.

Do you have any fond memories watching Hocus Pocus? Mine include catching it on ABC Family on a late fall day and my family realizing that the guy who plays Thackery (but is not the voice actor) was also on NCIS.

Until next week. 

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please, like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.