6. Cape Feare
Season Five
1993
Sideshow Bob had plenty of appearances fighting Bart and his cohort Lisa. He even teamed with his brother Cecil, in a hilarious guest spot from David Hyde Pierce. But the best and pure quintessential battle that defined the immortal feud between Sideshow Bob and Bart begins and ends with “Cape Feare.”
“The Wind Rises” is such a beautiful note for Hayao Miyazaki to leave us on. It’s a bittersweet affair as a film and an animated feature, mainly because Miyazaki hasn’t lost his ability to tell stories. He’s the most incredible animator working today, and his retirement is heartbreaking because the man has many more years left to deliver lucid, entertaining and thought provoking stories to his fan base. “The Wind Rises” is not an explosive, fantastical exit for Miyazaki, but a respectful and quiet bow out. One that really does stick with you long after the credits have ended.
7. Itchy & Scratchy Land
Season Six
1994
The writers on “The Simpsons” pull off one of their many excellent satires of classic films with “Itchy & Scratchy Land,” this time spoofing “West World,” and “Jurassic Park.” Much in the realm of “The Shinning,” the episode doesn’t so much mock the films as they twist the conventions of the narrative to fit the comic elements of the series. With summer now on its way, Bart and Lisa are convinced by Krusty the Klown to go to Itchy and Scratchy Land. Bart and Lisa do whatever it takes to go there, even convincing them that Bart’s dead. Dead serious about going to Itchy and Scratchy Land.
I can understand why Disney loves Studio Ghibli so much. Many of their epic films revolve around death and lack of parental units in the lives of youngsters, and Hayao Miyazaki quite often depicts a world where children are either without a mother and father, or are at risk of losing their mother and father. Like many of Studio Ghibli’s animated works, there’s an entirely vast and amazing world that many never explore unless they’re given that privilege.
8. Behind the Laughter
2000
Season Eleven
“Behind the Laughter” is one of those episodes of “The Simpsons” where nearly every single word of the teleplay is quotable. You could pick out your favorite lines, and go through the entire script from beginning to end. It’s a lightning in a bottle spoof of the popular “Behind the Music” series. The often self important VH1 Documentary series gets the Simpsons treatment, profiling America’s favorite family. Ad hilarity.
It also presents a tongue in cheek satire of “The Simpsons” and how they went from a cute animated show to a worldwide phenomenon in the nineties. With immense exaggerations, of course. “Behind the Laughter” is a look at how the family grew in popularity and their inevitable saturation on pop culture. The writers are never afraid to mock the actual Simpsons’ over abundance of popularity in the nineties, profiling their goofy music albums (they actually had albums), enormous roster of guest stars, and their often contrived episodes that put new twists on characters. Including the episode where we find out Principal Skinner is not actually Skinner.
There are numerous hilarious moments to be mined here, from the creation of Homer strangling Bart as a popular gag, Richie Rich replacing Bart in future episodes of “The Simpsons,” Bart’s paying Lenny and Carl to kiss, to their pondering “Hey, did we ever get that money?” There’s also Homer’s declaration “Fame was like a drug, but what was even more like a drug, were the drugs.” Host of “Behind the Music,” Jim Forbes, even takes part in the fun with nuggets like “But reckless spending and interracial homoeroticism were just volume one of the Encyclopedia Self-Destructica.”
With a guest spot from Willie Nelson, “Behind the Laughter” is never afraid to take shots at stunts from “The Simpsons,” mocking them with sharp writing, all the while fabricating endless bits of witty and laugh out loud gags. That includes the Simpsons living in MC Hammer’s old mansion, Marge singing her version of “I Shot the Sheriff” (with a smile!), and Lisa’s accusation that the family gave her anti-growth hormones. Prompting Homer to argue “That’s ridiculous. How could I even get all five necessary drops into her cereal…? What?”
9. The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
1997
Season Eight
The Simpsons tackle that classic television series trope where a successful series has begun dwindling in the ratings, and adds a new character. As we’ve seen with “Diff’rent Strokes,” and most famously, “The Brady Bunch,” the results are almost always disastrous. This time around the Simpsons not only comment on the desperate grasp for ratings the stunt always is, but they’re also never afraid to get meta. Homer is set to play a hip new character being shoe horned in to the Itchy and Scratchy show in an effort to improve the ratings. Meanwhile the Simpsons have a hip new house guest named Roy, who is a walking nineties cliché with a Fonzi attitude.
Director Derek and Dan Morrow’s short film “Comet” has potential to really be the next fun kids film about two unlikely friends. Made on a small budget, and a limited crew, “Comet” is a short claymation film with very limited budget qualities, but great potential. The classic tale of a visitor from another world stuck on Earth, the Morrow brothers manage to plant the seeds for a wonderful narrative that they hope will blossom in to a feature film.