The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror [DVD] [1990]

However I think it could have been better thought out, instead of slapping a half hearted DVD together for the holidays. The episodes are a randon pick from about 13 specials to date. The episodes chosen aren't the best halloween ones either. Apart from the episodes there is a montage of Kang and Kodos, the cycloptic aliens who always make an apperance in the halloween episodes. This montage is pointless and the jokes make no sense out of context. A waste of 3 minutes.
On the plus side, the episodes(5, 6, 9, 12) do contain a few scenes that were edited out of the original TV release episodes due to bad taste and time restrictions. As for the episodes themselves, they're pretty good, but they could have chosen better episodes for this collection. For simpsons fans only.

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.