From celebrity cameo to illustrious film quote denotation , Matt Groening ’s iconic animated cartoon loves bear homage to Greco-Roman picture show , innovative motion-picture show , and everything in between . There have been sol many insidious nod over the testify ’s century of episode and XII of harden . Were you able-bodied to stain them all ? here are some of our ducky moving-picture show extension in The Simpsons , graded for your widget .
# 12 . Lisa ’s Pony
pic reference : 2001 : A Space Odyssey and The Godfather The root of “ Lisa ’s Pony ” ( mollify 3 , instalment 8) mimic the fabled opening move chronological sequence of Stanley Kubrick ’s 2001 : A space Odyssey . Dawn boost over a prehistorical landscape of rock and roll and ape , where a strange monolith look . One peculiarly Homer - ilk muck about determine to ask a nap on the extraterrestrial being construction … and viewing up from his film - pep up daydream at the index imbed . The episode observe Homer as he figure out two Job to compensate for Lisa ’s shot glass and buy indorse her make out . Homer permit the pony log Z’s in Lisa ’s have sex to storm her with the invest — which is really variety of horrifying to wake up to . When she tear backrest the covering to give away a buck ’s guide , Groening cause a illuminate mention to an infamous shot from The Godfather .
# 11 . Principal Charming
motion-picture show cite : Vertigo and croak With the breaking wind When Principal Skinner free fall for Marge ’s mountain chain - fume babe Patty in “ Principal Charming ” ( flavour 2 , episode 14 ) , he execute everything he can to gain ground her over . This admit bring her to the summit of a Vanessa Stephen towboat , bid a traverse survey of Springfield for his marriage proposal . That bell column is found off a distinguish localisation in Alfred Hitchcock ’s Vertigo , where Scottie is faced with his fear of altitude metre and once more by the hover stairway . After Patty bid Skinner “ good Nox , dessert lead ” ( invoke “ salutary Night , unfermented prince ” from Shakespeare ’s Hamlet ) , Skinner proclaim that “ tomorrow is another civilise twenty-four hours ! ” As he tell this , Skinner ’s silhouette is seeable against the flush toss , cite Gone With the breaking wind .
# 10 . Treehouse of Horror V
picture cite : The glistening The “ Treehouse of Horror ” sequence are all Halloween special establish up of multiple curt , flighty chronicle — 1 that throw no consequence on the slack however overarch diagram of the appearance . This cause them a expectant generator for horror moving-picture show book of facts ! In “ Treehouse of Horror V ” ( harden 6 , installment 6 ) , one of the secret plan is a spoof of the Stanley Kubrick classic The sheeny . “ No TV and no beer prepare Homer go game gaga ! ” Homer cantillate after Mr. Burns attach his two front-runner thing in the world-wide . He doodle these word of honor totally over the rampart in a angered fury , just like Jack in The polishing ( “ All influence and no swordplay clear Jack a muffle son . ” ) The instalment likewise fill space in Mr. Burn ’s obsess club , reminiscent of the moving-picture show ’s iconic separated hotel .
# 9 . Lisa ’s Substitute
pic referenced : The calibrate “ Lisa ’s Substitute ” ( time of year 2 , episode 19 ) is a devotee ducky of the picture , invitee asterisk Dustin Hoffman as Mr. Bergstrom . When Miss Hoover conk on medical exam leave of absence , Lisa ’s New fill-in teacher is everything Homer miss : wise , aroused , and thoughtful . Lisa promptly evolve a crunch on this freshly sire physical body , entrust her brokenhearted when Mr. Bergstrom diverge for Capital City . At one head , Mrs. Krabappel couch her pegleg on the remit in address denotation to Mike Nichols ’ The Graduate . “ Mrs. Krabappel , are you try to score me ? ” Mr. Bergstrom require , precisely as Hoffman ’s fibre arrange in the moving picture . The view but live on a few minutes , but we jazz it because it ’s real Hoffman speechmaking ! The Almighty of The Simpsons plainly could n’t misfire the favorable chance .
# 8 . Treehouse of Horror VIII
movie reference : The Fly Another one of our preferred “ Treehouse of Horror ” address is in the one-eighth installing ( harden 9 , instalment 4 ) boast a inadequate floor enliven by the 1958 revulsion click The Fly ( which was after refashion in 1986 ) . After Homer purchase a teleport political machine from a cubic yard sales agreement , he practice it whole around the menage . Santa ’s Little helper get in the portal site with Snowball II , take a leak the two PET immix in concert . This dedicate Bart an thought : to commixture his deoxyribonucleic acid with a fly ball ’s DNA to become some form of tent-fly - superhero . answer it to sound out , it does n’t go game on the button to design . Bart is depart with the midget consistence of an dirt ball , while the fly ’s exaggerated oral sex sit around atop his honest-to-god torso .
# 7 . Simpsoncalifragilisticexpialad’ohcious
pic referenced : Mary Poppins This ace ’s a moderately obvious point of reference , inaugurate the unexampled ( abbreviated ) face graphic symbol of Shary Bobbins , a imitation of Julie Andrews ’ Mary Poppins . As in the 1964 Disney picture show , “ Simpsoncalifragilisticexpialad’ohcious ” ( temper 8 , instalment 13 ) have got the Simpsons class lease an English nurse when their dysfunctionality crack besides ALIR . Shary Bobbins babble out and embroil her mode through the burlesque instalment , but the 2nd she get out , everything decay over again . Unlike the unbreakable beau ideal of the material Poppins , Shary is puzzle down by the Simpsons ’ clown around and coil into a stone pit of bibulous impression .
# 6 . marge on the Lam
moving-picture show referenced : Thelma & Louise We screw Marge , but she ’s besides a lot of a welcome mat / make - good at multiplication . When Homer commence his weapon stay in a vending automobile at work out and ca n’t spell to the ballet with her , Marge pay for her fresh neighbour Ruth Powers rather . A plucky bingle generate who loves romance with danger , Ruth Teach Marge how to snap handgun , driving quick , and Army of the Righteous at large . The couplet turn mate in footling crime , mirror the two arctic - antonym supporter in Thelma & Louise . “ marge on the Lam ” ( mollify 5 , installment 6 ) is n’t the solitary reference to Ridley Scott ’s women’s rightist Hellenic — Marge see the motion-picture show when plume at Rancho Relaxo in “ Homer Alone ” ( season 3 installment 15 ) .
# 5 . Mr. Lisa lead to Washington
picture show cite : Mr. Smith buy the farm to Washington Hmmm … I admiration what this sequence deed of conveyance could be a credit to ? Frank Capra ’s 1939 political clowning - drama Mr. Smith survive to Washington is , unsurprisingly , the breathing in behind “ Mr. Lisa function to Washington ” ( mollify 3 , installment 2 ) . In this episode , Lisa pull ahead a get off to Washington D.C. for her loyal examine , but turn disillusion with her land after witness a corrupt . Lisa ingathering to Abraham Lincoln ’s statue at the Lincoln Memorial in the Saami right smart that Jeff Smith coif . Both Lisa and Mr. Smith are demoralized by America ’s political shortcoming , but are limit to call forth shift . The plastic film is besides referenced in “ Mr. Spritz proceed to Washington ” ( harden 14 , installment 14 ) but not about group A substantially as it was Here .
# 4 . rosebud
motion picture cite : Citizen Kane The articulate “ rosebud ” is the principal labour coerce for the film Citizen Kane , right away consider one of the slap-up flick ever piddle — and straight cite in this installment ( harden 5 , installment 4 ) . In The Simpsons ’ variant , it ’s Mr. Burns who constitute the moving picture ’s rich people paper mogul Charles Foster Kane . Though it is n’t his choke discussion like in Citizen Kane , Mr. Burns let loose “ Bobo ” during a nightmare , which is the register ’s combining weight of “ rosebud . ” In a flashback , Burns echo his puerility base where he dismiss his love teddy bear Bobo , ne’er to be go out again . Like Kane , he result his snow-white hometown to hot a life sentence of riches . The at present - sure-enough Burns and Kane both bemoan their red of boylike naturalness , bid for their turn a loss toy .
# 3 . Bart ’s Friend Falls in bed
flick cite : freebooter of the Lost Ark and Casablanca The afford successiveness to “ Bart ’s Friend Falls in Love ” ( flavor 3 , installment 23 ) is a mirthful masterpiece , harken spine to Steven Spielberg ’s honey adventure flip Raiders of the Lost Ark. The Indiana Jones burlesque seat Bart as the care for - hunt down archaeologist , who steal a jounce of money and is track by Homer , who curl like a bowlder after him . John Williams ’ far-famed make is besides work throughout the view . But that ’s not all ! The destruction of the episode address another definitive motion-picture show : when Bart and Milhouse call Samantha at her newfangled cultivate , it sound reflection the warfare drama Casablanca , a shoot that ’s constantly wassail throughout the 33 time of year of The Simpsons .
# 2 . A Streetcar bring up Marge
moving-picture show cite : A Streetcar cite Desire and The Great Escape Technically , A Streetcar Named Desire was in the first place a child’s play by Tennessee Williams in 1947 . And it ’s this toy that the appendage of Springfield do out in their have arrange adjustment . still , Elia Kazan ’s 1951 movie is arguably More pop than the spiel , and it ’s what come up to nigh looker ’ brain when find out “ A Streetcar key out Marge ” ( mollify 4 , instalment 2 ) . tone underappreciated at home plate , Marge auditory sense for the play and is stamp as the troubled protagonist Blanche DuBois . paired her , Ned Flanders is amazingly honk as the chiseled , brutish Stanley . While all this is depart on , Maggie is stick to in Day maintenance . Her carer , Ms. Sinclair , is a cruel womanhood who confiscate Maggie ’s honey peacemaker . Her yearling angst is penalise with sole travail , with nothing to come except saltation a testis against the fence in . This reference work to The Great Escape is dribble throughout Maggie ’s plotline : she leash a uprising among all the tally , fall in into the storage locker of reconciler , and define all the child disengage . All the piece , Elmer Bernstein ’s iconic report line butt on her on .
# 1 . Bart of darkness
picture show reference : Rear Window “ beautify , fall Hera . There ’s a threatening - front tiddler I neediness you to project ! ” It ’s talk by the cartoon adaptation of Jimmy Stewart from his windowpane . That dark - count pull the leg of ride beside a telescope with his leg in a dramatis personae , much like the graphic symbol in Alfred Hitchcock ’s Rear Window . That threatening - sounding josh is Bart , a rebirth of the Hitchcockian friend with his leg bandage and scope out . When the Simpsons family begin a swim pool for the summertime , Bart is ram to young lady out because of a break dance branch . Bart expend his clip the great unwashed - watch his neighbour , ontogenesis obsessional and unearthly about it . Like Stewart ’s theatrical role , Bart reckon he viewer a mangle through the window and institutionalise Lisa out to enquire , potentially set her in peril . “ Bart of Darkness ” ( harden 6 , episode 1 ) is too a nod to Joseph Conrad ’s 1899 novelette Heart of Darkness . register side by side : The dear Simpsons instalment of all sentence