Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

Tree house of Horror VI - In this Halloween style anthology, advertising icons go berserk in "Attack of the 50 Foot eyesores". Groundskeeper Willie invades the children's dreams in "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace". Homer enters a 3-D world of computer animation in "Homer(3)"

Tree house of Horror VII - This Simpsons showcase features a terrifying look at Bart's evil twin in "The Thing and I." Lisa creating a miniature world in "The Genesis Tub" and aliens stealing the identities of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in "Mr Kang Goes To Washington"

Tree house of Horror XII - In "Hex & The City", a gypsy curses Homer, bringing misery to everyone he loves. In "House of Whacks" a computer (Pierce Brosnan) takes over the Simpson house and attempts to kill Homer for Marge's love. And in "Wiz Kids", Bart and Lisa are students of a school for wizards, where they foil the evil Lord Montymort

Actually, this really should be "Volume 2" of "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror," because it offers "Treehouse of Horror" V, VI, VII and XII. Whatever the joke is here, I am clearly missing out on it. Why not V, VI, VII and VIII? For that matter why not I, II, III and IV? Is it because the first three seasons of the Simpsons are out on DVD? It is because Roman numerals confused the people making the decisions? To add insult to injury, these are bare boned discs. No commentaries, no features, no animated menus, just a some clips of Kang and Kodos (e.g., Kang on Jerry Springer). The episodes are great, but the bad faith effort here loses a star.

"Treehouse of Horror V" offers a take off on "The Shining," Homer traveling through time with the aid of a toaster in "Time and Punishment," and the school staff doing the Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett bit with the students in "Nightmare Cafeteria." "Treehouse of Horror VI" offers killer billboards in "Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores," Groundskeeper Willie as a Freddie Krueger clone in "Nightmare on Evergreen Terrance," and a computer generated Homer making it to the real world in "Homer3". "Treehouse of Horror VII" reveals that Bart's evil twin has been chained in the attic in "The Thing and I," Lisa creates a microscopic world as a science project in "The Genesis Tub," and Kang and Kodos replace Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in the election as "Mr. Kang Goes to Washington." We then skip ahead to "Treehouse of Horror XII" which has a gypsy curse destroying Homer's life in "Hex and the City," the Simpsons living in a computerized home in "House of Whacks," and the Simpsons' twist on Harry Potter in "Wiz Kids."

Of course, the rule of thumb here is what it always has been for "The Simpsons," which is that the more familiar you are with the original films and other pop culture elements being referenced in these episodes, the more you will enjoy them. I should add that these episodes have been "restored" for DVD, which means that the scenes cut for syndication are back in this time around. But the obvious lesson here is that each fall, when the World Series finally ends and FOX gets around to airing the Simpson's new "Treehouse of Horror" episode sometime in early November you should go ahead an tape it to keep for your Halloween enjoyment each year. Who knows when it will actually become available on DVD.