The Simpsons’ famed “Treehouse of Horror” episode was a little higher profile than usual this year, thanks to prolific director Guillermo del Toro signing on to direct the opener for the 2013 special episode, which aired this past Sunday. If you were keeping tabs on the special before the release, you probably have already seen the opening sequence, an epic opener which was extended to three minutes after del Toro requested it be that long. I guess you just don’t say no to del Toro when he’s volunteering his services. The opening sequence was filled with references to past “Treehouse of Horror” gags, as well as a slew of names and movies involved with horror since the dawn of the film. Luckily, Movie Pilot has put together a video counting all of those references for us.
If you, like me, watched the opening sequence only when it aired on TV, you probably only caught a handful of the slew of references mentioned. Movies like The Phantom of the Opera, Godzilla, The Shining and The Day the Earth Stood Still are all mentioned, among many others. Additionally, a few famous people, like Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King and Ray Bradbury get their own animated cameos. And del Toro makes sure his own work is in the spotlight, giving Mr. Burns a makeover by turning him into the creepy pale man from Pan’s Labyrinth. A lot of del Toro’s other onscreen work is referenced, as well.
I really like how the video pointed out some of the more obvious references I missed, like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc. I also appreciate the effort the site took to locate and label as many references as it could possibly find. The one thing I really wish was that the site had kept a count and given us a sum total at the end of the video, but alas, I was too lazy too actually do this myself. Regardless, take a look at the above video. Even if you did catch the opening credits on Sunday night, you may notice a few references in this video that you missed before.
The Simpsons is currently airing its 25th season on Fox. Last week, the network announced that the long-running show has been picked up for Season 26, as well. You can check out this year’s “Treehouse of Horror” couch gag or the credits without all of the references pointed out. Additionally, new episodes of the comedy air on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.
