Greetings, Boils & Ghouls...
...and welcome to 'Day Twenty-Eight' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" where I aim to bring you another creepy cartoon classic from the plethora of spooky animated short films that have been released throughout the course of animation history - any of which can be streamed on TV via the magic of Roku players - so let's dim the lights, for more fun & frights! :-O
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published twenty-eight days ago, you will know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my previous post on 'Day Twenty-Seven' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that it featured an 8 year-old boy named 'Ralf' who had plenty of reasons to be scared of the various "monsters" lurking in the shadows. By way of coincidence, today's creepy cartoon classic also features an 8 year-old child... only this time, it's a girl named 'Lisa' who also has plenty of scary situations to contend with - but, unlike the previous posts in this series, I'm taking a totally different approach with today's spooky short in so much as the focus is solely on the opening sequence of what would otherwise be a longer anthology of animated shorts. My reason for so-doing is that there was a special guest director, namely Guillermo Del Toro, who was invited to create (and put his own unique spin on) a re-imagined opening to 'The Simpsons' for the "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" episode:
Released on 6th October 2013, "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" is the second episode from 'Season 25' of American animated sitcom, "The Simpsons", and marks the 532nd episode of the series. If you're not familiar with this particular anthology, there's three short stories: “Oh, The Places You’ll D’oh!”, with 'Homer' as "The Fat in the Hat", a 'Dr. Seuss' type tale set in a Whoville-styled Springfield, plus; “Dead And Shoulders”, and; "Freaks no Geeks", which is a parody / spoof of the classic horror film "Freaks" (1932) [dir. Tod Browning]. However, better than any of the spooky tales that comprise this anthology is the very special opening sequence by Guillermo Del Toro... which includes a multitude of horror-related references from books, to horror films, to past episodes of "The Simpsons", as well as a few of his own movie titles, all of which are condensed into just three minutes of horror heaven that even includes a (brief) cameo appearance by the well-known horror writer, Stephen King! :-O :-)
Rather than do my usual breakdown of the cartoon, with screen captures and various other images, as has been the case with my previous posts in this series, I thought - since there are so many references hidden-away (in plain sight) throughout the course of this animated sequence - that it might be fun for you to try and spot them by watching it for yourselves... so, here it is:-
Of course, in addition to watching the embedded version of this video right here on my blog, you can also choose to stream it on your television using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted twenty-eight days ago... to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you'll first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that walks you through the process step-by-step! ;-)
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
On whichever platform you decide to stream this video, watch out for some of my personal favourite horror references... such as the various 'Universal Monster' films, whose main characters are pictured here as having turned the tables on the townsfolk of 'Springfield' and, instead of running-away from a chasing crowd, can (themselves) be seen holding pitchforks and flaming torches while pursuing their tormentors. I also like the references to great horror novelists and, in addition to 'Stephen King', there are brief glimpses of 'H.P. Lovecraft', seen sharing a cup of tea with 'Cthulhu', and 'Edgar Allan Poe' who is enjoying the company of 'The Raven', plus 'Ray Bradbury' who is with "The Illustrated Man", and 'Richard Matheson' - accompanied by one of the mutants from "The Omega Man" which, in case you missed the connection, was based on his novel: "I Am Legend" - and that's just a few of them! ;-)
Naturally I spent a lot of time watching (and re-watching) this animated sequence, while researching this article, and (after a lot of "Pause" and "Play" button presses) managed to find more than sixty of these "hidden" references. Hopefully you will be able to find plenty of them yourselves but, if you do
get stuck, there is another 'YouTube' video which highlights most (though not all) of them and might come in handy. It's also useful for those who don't wish to "play" along, but are still curious enough to know what those references are/were. By way of some additional clues, I'm going to share a couple more screenshots with you, each of which features a still frame collage, of scenes from this opening sequence that may (or may not) contain a hint for one (or more) of the answers that you're missing:-
Although I was unable to find an official film poster for "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" (2013) that I could share with you... I did come across a 'Limited Edition Fine Art Giclee', that was produced by Twentieth Century Fox in 2016 (as a 200-piece edition) [Size 17" x 25" inches] and, since many of the sources I came across online have been using this image to represent a film poster for this short, I've decided to also include it as part of this article - in the absence of any other memorabilia! ;-) :-D
In our house, it just wouldn't be Halloween without the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode(s) from 'The Simpsons' and I thought this Guillermo Del Toro directed opening sequence / couch gag combo was a perfect fit for my series of posts about Halloween / Horror-related animated shorts. Hopefully you will like it, too, because it warrants several viewings to get the most out of it! To begin with, it's probably a good idea just to watch it straight through, like a regular cartoon, but if you're trying to get all of the references, you will definitely need to re-watch it and pause some scenes. There's one bit in particular where it looks like Guillermo Del Toro has decided to just use-up all the remaining horror titles on his list and squeeze them all into a short panning sequence... and you will definitely need to pause the video to get all of the references there, because it's crazy busy and goes by in a flash. This was intended as a nod to Mad magazine’s Mort Drucker, Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman, of whom Del Toro said: “They would try to cram so many references in" adding that, as a kid, you could spend an afternoon on your bed with your magnifying glass going through a frame of Mad magazine and finding all these references to this and that” - which is something I'm sure many of us can relate to! ;-)
Certain answers will come easily, because the clues are fairly straight forward, but (even then) a lot of thought has gone into the specific framing of those shots. For example, the scene in which we see 'Ms. Krabappel' sitting on a bench outside the school with 'Alfred Hitchcock' - that references the film "The Birds" (1963) - was deliberately set outside 'Springfield Elementary' to reflect the scene in the original movie that was shot outside of the school in 'Bodega Bay'. Believe it or not, Del Toro is said to have left a lot more of these references to horror / fantasy masters and iconic characters on the cutting-room floor... purely and simply because they did not have the time. One such addition, that I know he planned-on, was to include a Mexican wrestler but having been told by casting producer Bonnie Pietila that "We’ve got to go! We cannot keep adding and adding stuff!", it had to be dropped.
One last little bit of trivia for you is that, when asked what his favourite moment was from the final version of this opening sequence, Guillermo Del Toro said "The scene in which 'Smithers' tends to 'Mr. Burns' - seen as the 'Pale Man' from "Pan's Labyrinth" - before meeting his demise" which, as the director (himself) points-out, defines the relationship between those two characters perfectly. As to the question of him directing a full segment in a future "Treehouse of Horror", he's already expressed his interest and, given the chance, he believes "...it would be great to make a Treehouse of Horror that is really scary — that actually makes you shiver” - and I, for one, could not agree more! ;-) :-D
I'd also like to remind readers of this blog that there are now just three days left to go till Halloween !!
If you read my special hallowe'en blogathon preview - FOUND HERE - published twenty-eight days ago, you will know that I plan to post a Hallowe'en / Horror related article every day, throughout the month of October, featuring one vintage cartoon classic with spooky overtones each and every time. With recommendations for thirty-one of the most spook-tacular shorts I can find, by the end of the month, this means you'll have plenty of great choices for your creepy cartoon viewing as we count down the days to Hallowe'en... as well as ensuring lots of laughs & screams come October 31st! :-D
Likewise... if you read my previous post on 'Day Twenty-Seven' of this month-long blogathon, you may recall that it featured an 8 year-old boy named 'Ralf' who had plenty of reasons to be scared of the various "monsters" lurking in the shadows. By way of coincidence, today's creepy cartoon classic also features an 8 year-old child... only this time, it's a girl named 'Lisa' who also has plenty of scary situations to contend with - but, unlike the previous posts in this series, I'm taking a totally different approach with today's spooky short in so much as the focus is solely on the opening sequence of what would otherwise be a longer anthology of animated shorts. My reason for so-doing is that there was a special guest director, namely Guillermo Del Toro, who was invited to create (and put his own unique spin on) a re-imagined opening to 'The Simpsons' for the "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" episode:
Released on 6th October 2013, "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" is the second episode from 'Season 25' of American animated sitcom, "The Simpsons", and marks the 532nd episode of the series. If you're not familiar with this particular anthology, there's three short stories: “Oh, The Places You’ll D’oh!”, with 'Homer' as "The Fat in the Hat", a 'Dr. Seuss' type tale set in a Whoville-styled Springfield, plus; “Dead And Shoulders”, and; "Freaks no Geeks", which is a parody / spoof of the classic horror film "Freaks" (1932) [dir. Tod Browning]. However, better than any of the spooky tales that comprise this anthology is the very special opening sequence by Guillermo Del Toro... which includes a multitude of horror-related references from books, to horror films, to past episodes of "The Simpsons", as well as a few of his own movie titles, all of which are condensed into just three minutes of horror heaven that even includes a (brief) cameo appearance by the well-known horror writer, Stephen King! :-O :-)
Horror Writer, Stephen King, Makes A Brief Cameo Appearance !!
Rather than do my usual breakdown of the cartoon, with screen captures and various other images, as has been the case with my previous posts in this series, I thought - since there are so many references hidden-away (in plain sight) throughout the course of this animated sequence - that it might be fun for you to try and spot them by watching it for yourselves... so, here it is:-
Of course, in addition to watching the embedded version of this video right here on my blog, you can also choose to stream it on your television using the "cast" function built-in to the 'YouTube' app(s) for mobile devices on both the iOS (Apple) plus Android platforms. For those who may have missed my special hallowe'en blogathon preview posted twenty-eight days ago... to "cast" the video to your Roku player and/or NowTV device(s), you'll first need to have the Roku channel (app) for 'YouTube' installed to act as a receiver for the stream you are casting. If you're not sure how to go about casting from your mobile device to your Roku there's a help article from 'Roku Support', which can be found on the official Roku website, that walks you through the process step-by-step! ;-)
YOUTUBE..........................................................................COST: FREE [Roku Guide Review]
***FILED UNDER: "WEB VIDEO" in Roku UK Channel Store WHEN FIRST RELEASED***
On whichever platform you decide to stream this video, watch out for some of my personal favourite horror references... such as the various 'Universal Monster' films, whose main characters are pictured here as having turned the tables on the townsfolk of 'Springfield' and, instead of running-away from a chasing crowd, can (themselves) be seen holding pitchforks and flaming torches while pursuing their tormentors. I also like the references to great horror novelists and, in addition to 'Stephen King', there are brief glimpses of 'H.P. Lovecraft', seen sharing a cup of tea with 'Cthulhu', and 'Edgar Allan Poe' who is enjoying the company of 'The Raven', plus 'Ray Bradbury' who is with "The Illustrated Man", and 'Richard Matheson' - accompanied by one of the mutants from "The Omega Man" which, in case you missed the connection, was based on his novel: "I Am Legend" - and that's just a few of them! ;-)
L-R: "The Mummy" (1932), "The Wolf Man" (1941), "Dracula" (1931), and "Frankenstein" (1931)
L-R: "The Invisible Man" (1933), "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935),
CONT'D: "Creature from the Black Lagoon" (1954), "This Island Earth" (1955)
L-R: 'Cthulhu' with 'H.P. Lovecraft'; 'The Raven' with 'Edgar Allan Poe', and; 'Ray Bradbury'
L-R: 'Ray Bradbury'; "The Illustrated Man" (1969); 'Richard Matheson'; "The Omega Man" (1971)
Naturally I spent a lot of time watching (and re-watching) this animated sequence, while researching this article, and (after a lot of "Pause" and "Play" button presses) managed to find more than sixty of these "hidden" references. Hopefully you will be able to find plenty of them yourselves but, if you do
get stuck, there is another 'YouTube' video which highlights most (though not all) of them and might come in handy. It's also useful for those who don't wish to "play" along, but are still curious enough to know what those references are/were. By way of some additional clues, I'm going to share a couple more screenshots with you, each of which features a still frame collage, of scenes from this opening sequence that may (or may not) contain a hint for one (or more) of the answers that you're missing:-
ABOVE: The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror XXIV (2013) [Still Frame Image Collage #1]
BELOW: The Simpsons - Treehouse of Horror XXIV (2013) [Still Frame Image Collage #2]
HINT:- Please CLICK on the above images TO ENLARGE THEM for easier viewing !!
Although I was unable to find an official film poster for "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" (2013) that I could share with you... I did come across a 'Limited Edition Fine Art Giclee', that was produced by Twentieth Century Fox in 2016 (as a 200-piece edition) [Size 17" x 25" inches] and, since many of the sources I came across online have been using this image to represent a film poster for this short, I've decided to also include it as part of this article - in the absence of any other memorabilia! ;-) :-D
In our house, it just wouldn't be Halloween without the annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode(s) from 'The Simpsons' and I thought this Guillermo Del Toro directed opening sequence / couch gag combo was a perfect fit for my series of posts about Halloween / Horror-related animated shorts. Hopefully you will like it, too, because it warrants several viewings to get the most out of it! To begin with, it's probably a good idea just to watch it straight through, like a regular cartoon, but if you're trying to get all of the references, you will definitely need to re-watch it and pause some scenes. There's one bit in particular where it looks like Guillermo Del Toro has decided to just use-up all the remaining horror titles on his list and squeeze them all into a short panning sequence... and you will definitely need to pause the video to get all of the references there, because it's crazy busy and goes by in a flash. This was intended as a nod to Mad magazine’s Mort Drucker, Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman, of whom Del Toro said: “They would try to cram so many references in" adding that, as a kid, you could spend an afternoon on your bed with your magnifying glass going through a frame of Mad magazine and finding all these references to this and that” - which is something I'm sure many of us can relate to! ;-)
Certain answers will come easily, because the clues are fairly straight forward, but (even then) a lot of thought has gone into the specific framing of those shots. For example, the scene in which we see 'Ms. Krabappel' sitting on a bench outside the school with 'Alfred Hitchcock' - that references the film "The Birds" (1963) - was deliberately set outside 'Springfield Elementary' to reflect the scene in the original movie that was shot outside of the school in 'Bodega Bay'. Believe it or not, Del Toro is said to have left a lot more of these references to horror / fantasy masters and iconic characters on the cutting-room floor... purely and simply because they did not have the time. One such addition, that I know he planned-on, was to include a Mexican wrestler but having been told by casting producer Bonnie Pietila that "We’ve got to go! We cannot keep adding and adding stuff!", it had to be dropped.
One last little bit of trivia for you is that, when asked what his favourite moment was from the final version of this opening sequence, Guillermo Del Toro said "The scene in which 'Smithers' tends to 'Mr. Burns' - seen as the 'Pale Man' from "Pan's Labyrinth" - before meeting his demise" which, as the director (himself) points-out, defines the relationship between those two characters perfectly. As to the question of him directing a full segment in a future "Treehouse of Horror", he's already expressed his interest and, given the chance, he believes "...it would be great to make a Treehouse of Horror that is really scary — that actually makes you shiver” - and I, for one, could not agree more! ;-) :-D
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Anyhow, that's all I've got time for today... but do remember to come back again tomorrow, for my next creepy cartoon recommendation from the archives of animated film history, when I will suggest another spooky short for 'Day 29' of "Abnor Mal's Guide To Creepy Cartoon Classics on Roku" that you can stream right here on this blog - as well as through the equivalent channel on your Roku player(s). Meanwhile... please be sure to visit the "Countdown To Hallowe'en" website and show your support for this annual online Hallowe'en extravaganza PLUS don't forget to use the links you find there and check out all the other 'Cryptkeepers' taking part this year. I know they'll appreciate it, if you visit their blogs and share your thoughts on the contribution(s) they've made.
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ONE LAST THING, BEFORE I GO: Don't forget that, aside from the Hallowe'en / Horror-themed ghastliness going on around these parts for the next month, you can also keep up with the UK Roku action (as it happens) by checking-out my regular 'Weekly RoundUp' posts each weekend where you will find up-to-the-minute info on all things Roku-related is posted on a weekly basis (well, almost).
Until the next time, then...
That's all folks !!
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