Springfield Googolplex: The Movie Podcast for Fans of The Simpsons – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Bust out your telephoto lens, because this week we take a hard look at “Bart of Darkness” (S6E1) and Rear Window (1954) on its 70th anniversary. Nate and Adam are joined by That Shelf Managing Editor and Jeopardy champ Emma Badame to reminisce about baby’s first Alfred Hitchcock movie and the episode of The Simpsons that convinced us to do this podcast.

Also in this episode:

• The mystery references of this episode’s Hitchcockian climax

• The insanely detailed set and sound design that take this movie from a “bottle episode” to a cinematic classic

• Nate’s own Rear Window story and the ethics of neighborliness

• Your epidermis is showing

• Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading

After a short break, we’ll be back on September 24, 2024, with Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and a retrospective on Springfield’s favorite desperate salesman Ol’ Gil, starting with “Realty Bites” (S9E9).

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network.

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Former Simpsons writer and showrunner Bill Oakley (now founder of the Steamed Hams Society) joins Adam and Nate as they continue their double feature inspired by “22 Short Films About Springfield” (S7E21) with a rewatch of Pulp Fiction (1994) on its 30th anniversary.

Also in this episode:

• Bill discusses his Brett Kavanaugh-like taste in movies, including Pulp Fiction and Cold Turkey (1971), the process of piecing together “22 Short Films about Springfield,” and the shared pop culture DNA of The Simpsons and Quentin Tarantino

• Bill also provides the behind-the-scenes story of what killed the Simpsons spinoff “Springfield”

• When does a mixed-up timeline work on film, and when is it just a gimmick?

• Quentin Tarantino’s homage (French for “theft”) of one of his favorite directors Sergio Leone

• Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading

Next time, That Shelf Managing Editor Emma Badame joins the podcast to revisit Alfred Hithcock’s Rear Window (1954) on its 70th anniversary, and its parody in “Bart of Darkness” (S6E1).

“The Simpsons” Surf-Rock style theme performed by The Supersonicos.

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Film and music writer Marko Djurdjic joins Adam and Nate to revisit Rob Reiner’s groundbreaking rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (1984), alongside the band’s Simpsons cameo in “The Otto Show” (S3E22).

Also in this episode:

• How mockumentaries became the baseline in contemporary comedy

• The attention to detail that make this the best faux documentary around

• Marko’s guide to the sublime and the ridiculous in heavy metal

• Why do we poke fun at the things we love?

Plus every Simpsons reference to Spinal Tap at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com

Next time, Adam and Nate enroll in Police Academy (1984) and one of the many Simpsons slams on this movie in “Marge Be Not Proud” (S7E11) to celebrate (or lament?) the movie’s 40th anniversary.

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Adam and Nate take a trip to Westworld (1973), Michael Crichton’s somewhat forgotten directorial debut with a long shadow that reaches into sci-fi and slashers movies, theme parks, and open-world video games. Along the way, they dig into The Simpsons’ full-length parody, “Itchy & Scratchy Land” (S6E4).

Also in this episode:

• The incomparable influence of Michael Crichton on 1990s culture

• Special effects that changed the face of movie-making 

• The Simpsons’ many unclear movie references, including Principal Skinner’s walk through the river in “The Boy Who Knew Too Much” (S5E20)

• Our memories of Disneyland, including its recent shift toward role playing

Next time, special guest Marko Djurdjic joins Adam and Nate to turn it up to 11 with This Is Spinal Tap (1984) and “The Otto Show” (S3E22).

“Unwittingly, he trained a dolphin to kill the president of the United States.” What a tagline. This episode, Adam and Nate dive into The Day of the Dolphin (1973), a forgotten entry from director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, The Birdcage) that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Does this forgotten movie deserve a second look, or is its parody in The Simpsons’ “Treehouse of Horror XI” (S12E1) segment “Night of the Dolphin” enough?

Also in this episode:
• How the great Mike Nichols and George C. Scott ended up making a movie about talking dolphins

• Who is this movie for? Is it a political thriller or an animal movie for kids?

• Adam finds out whether or not dolphins can actually talk

• A preposterous plot… or is it?

• Plus, every Simpsons reference to The Day of the Dolphin and more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com 

Next time, Adam and Nate celebrate their second Non-Denominational Holiday Fun Fest with a surprise episode under the festive bush!

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Gonna fly now! Adam and Nate step into the ring with Rocky (1976), a classic that not only changed the boxing genre, but may surprise some with its human drama. They compare and contrast with to The Simpsons episode “The Homer They Fall” (S8E3), a mashup of boxing movie parodies.

Also in this episode:

• Parodies of convenience: When a movie reference is just a means to an end

• Is every memorable moment in Rocky thanks to director John G. Avildsen?

• Five stellar performances that balance quirky character with emotional realism

• How Rocky changed cinematography and editing in the boxing genre and beyond

• Nate gives Adam a lightning round on the sequels he’s never seen, from Rocky II to Rocky VII: Adrian’s Revenge!

Next time, Adam and Nate celebrate the 50th anniversary of a classic of American cinema, with Simpsons references in “Treehouse of Horror XI” (S12E1)!

It has sword fights. It has romance. It has Anthony Hopkins questionably cast as a Mexican noble. It’s The Mask of Zorro (1998), perhaps the height of the nineties blockbuster. Adam and Nate revisit this action adventure gem alongside “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” (S11E5), our first Simpsons episode to showcase the titular Springfield Googolplex cinema.

Also in this episode:
• Nineties Zorro = Batman + James Bond + Mexican Revolution?
• The death, rebirth and consolidation of the swashbuckler genre
• The irresistible star power of Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones
• Tomacco, one of the most memorable gags of Simpsons season 11—and a real thing!
• Plus check out every Simpsons reference to The Mask of Zorro and more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com

Next time, Adam and Nate step into the ring with Rocky (1976) and “The Homer They Fall” (S8E3)!

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Adam and Nate welcome film critic and horror expert Dede Crimmins to wrestle with King Kong (1933), a precursor to the modern blockbuster with a legacy as unbreakable as chrome steel. We talk about the full-length Simpsons parody “King Homer” from “Treehouse of Horror III” (S4E5), many other references to the movie throughout the series, and whether this special effects-driven love story between ape and woman holds up.

Also in this episode:

• Is King Kong a horror movie?

• Dede’s Simpsons fandom from early animation festivals to the latest season

• The surprising amount of runtime dedicated to dinosaurs in this movie

• Why are the Simpsons writers so obsessed with putting a giant ape on Broadway?

• Plus bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com

Next time, Adam and Nate load up The Mask of Zorro (1998) and “E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)” (S11E5)!

Adam and Nate discuss the Vietnam War classic Full Metal Jacket (1987) and its parody in “Bart the General” (S1E5), one of the earliest episodes of The Simpsons to go hard on movie parody mashups.

Also in this episode:

• Does Stanley Kubrick really wait to make the last, best movie in every genre?

• Revisiting Nate’s claim that this is Kubrick’s most “accessible” movie…

• How Full Metal Jacket is like My Fair Lady

• The perverse entertainment of R. Lee Ermey’s Gny. Sgt. Hartman

• What’s the mysterious connection between Private Pyle and Animal Mother?

Next time, Adam and Nate capture King Kong (1933) and “Treehouse of Horror III” (S4E5) with film critic and horror aficionado Dede Crimmins!

Adam and Nate watch Thelma & Louise (1991), a groundbreaking road movie about two women escaping the patriarchy, as well as The Simpsons full spoof episode “Marge on the Lam” (S5E6). This movie brings together a breakout screenplay, career performances by Susan Sarandon and Gina Davis, and the high style of Ridley Scott.

Also in this episode:

• Does Marge also have her arms stuck in her own metaphorical vending machines?

• How Thelma & Louise became the Barbie phenomenon of its day

• A star-making performance from a very young, very hot Brad Pitt

• When a movie parody isn’t a parody

• The movie’s cliff-top climax has been spoiled and parodied to death, but does it fly today?

• Plus more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com

Next time, Adam and Nate load up Full Metal Jacket (1987) and “Bart the General” (S1E5)!

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