Springfield Googolplex

Few movies have been as shaped by their pop culture legacy as Godzilla (1954), and hey, that’s the premise of this podcast! Adam and Nate watch this influential monster movie for the first time on its 70th anniversary alongside “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (S10E23), the Simpson family’s controversial vacation to Japan. Also in this episode: • Godzilla vs. Kong (or is it Godzilla x Kong?): We compare the rampages of these two iconic movie monsters • How the American adaptation, Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), influenced how the world understood the original for 50 years • What movie has the most Simpsons actors besides The Simpsons Movie? • Something called an “oxygen destroyer” After a short break, we’ll be back in June with Batman: The Movie (1966)—the Adam West one—and the Simpsons send-up of superhero movies, “Radioactive Man” (S7E2).

Ah, The Natural (1984), a classic American tale about… an underdog baseball team, a serial killer, a love triangle, a match fixing scandal, a freak accident in the outfield, and a magic baseball bat? We’ll get into it, along with “Homer at the Bat” (S317), a star-studded Simpsons episode that stretched the reality of the show. Also in this episode: • Randy Newman (yes, of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” fame) delivers a banger of a score that The Simpsons parody again and again • Is all the plot nonsense worth it for that astonishing Hollywood ending? • Bump Bailey and other old-time Swartzweldian baseball nicknames • How can a star like Robert Redford get beyond roles like “baseball Jesus”? Next time… GODZILLA. …The 1954 version. Also, “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo” (S10E23).

With the 96th annual Academy Awards complete, Adam and Nate review the night’s festivities and finally get a chance to talk about recent movies for a change. Also in this episode: • Highlights from the show, from its “perfectly cromulent” host* to Al Pacino’s big moment—hoo-ah! • Adam and Nate’s (very different) lists of top 10 movies of 2023 • A trivia game about Best Picture Winners parodied on The Simpsons, fresh from the Simpsons Movie Reference Database Next time, we return to our regularly scheduled programming with The Natural (1984) and The Simpsons’ ode to baseball “Homer at the Bat” (S3E17).

On its 40th anniversary, Adam and Nate endured Police Academy (1984) so you don’t have to! They also give a rundown of the many times The Simpsons has slammed this movie, with a deep dive into the episode, “Marge Be Not Proud” (S7E11), a hilarious and heartbreaking classic that Adam can barely watch. Also in this episode: • Trying to empathize with the fans who give this 10/10 on IMDb • What makes good low-brow humor? • Speculation about why the Simpsons writers hate this movie so much • CanCon corner: Toronto on film, playing itself and others • Plus every Simpsons reference to Spinal Tap at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com Next time, Adam and Nate take a swing at The Natural (1984) and The Simpsons’ ode to baseball “Homer at the Bat” (S3E17). Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

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. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

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).

To celebrate the festive season, Adam and Nate revisit a classic Christmas movie on its 50th anniversary—The Exorcist (1973)! Considered by some to be the scariest movie ever made, this The Simpsons has mostly parodied this William Friedkin joint with blink-and-you-miss-it references, including in “Faith Off” (S11E11). Also in this episode: • Why the heck was this movie released the day after Christmas? • What’s scarier, the demon inside Regan or the medical treatments to get it out? • How a slow-moving movie can satisfy even an impatient editor’s standards for pacing • When great directors can’t stop messing with their movies—and can’t keep their stories straight The boys will be taking a short break for the holidays, but the podcast will return Tuesday, February 13, 2024, with a brand new season of movie and their Simpsons parodies.

“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! Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Letterboxd, and YouTube.

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)! Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Letterboxd, and YouTube.

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)! Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Letterboxd.

In the final episode of our musical miniseries, Adam and Nate tackle Richard Attenborough’s A Chorus Line (1985), the maligned movie adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning stage show that tells the true life stories of Broadway dancers trying to book their next job. It’s also the subject of a short but memorable Simpsons parody in “Treehouse of Horror V” (S6E6), which starts with a fog that turns people inside out. Also in this episode: • Perhaps the best damn dancing we’ve seen in this miniseries • Why do so many musical film adaptations add a weird love story? • Some very eighties twists on this seventies musical • Can Michael Douglas overcome his sex-thriller-creep mystique in this role? • The value of movie adaptations of stage shows—even imperfect ones We are taking a brief hiatus for the Toronto International Film Festival, but we’ll be back on September 26, 2023 with Thelma & Louise (1991)!

Adam and Nate watch The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), a top-grossing musical comedy that barely exists. Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton star as star-crossed lovers, a small-town sheriff and a madam, both trying to save the local brothel from a meddling media personality. Sound familiar? This movie/musical/true story inspired the plot of “Bart After Dark” (S8E5), one of Nate and Adam’s favorite Simpsons episode of all time. Also in this episode: • The real-life Maison Derriere, a brothel that operated illegally (and discretely) near LaGrange, Texas, for 63 years • How parodies of overblown media, side-stepping politicians, and mob mentality make this one of the most Simpsons-y movies we’ve watched so far • The short and underappreciated career of Colin Higgins (Harold and Maude, 9 to 5) • The rise of Dolly Parton, the fall of Burt Reynolds, and the magic moment where they overlapped • Adam and Nate fall down a deep Dom DeLuise rabbit hole (The Charlie Horse Music Pizza, anyone?) Next time, Adam and Nate step up for A Chorus Line (1985).

What happens when a multiple Oscar-winning screenwriter and a Pulitzer Prize-winning director adapt a musical by one of the most successful Broadway duos of all time? An absolute disaster. Adam and Nate force themselves to watch Paint Your Wagon (1969), an infamous musical flop and part of the hilarious wraparound for Simpsons musical clip show, “All Singing, All Dancing” (S9E11). Also in this episode: • An attempt to capitalize on 1960s counterculture with a cowboy throuple and folk music • How Alan Jay Lerner’s back-seat directing derailed the production and drove Joshua Logan insane • An uneasy combination of westerns and musicals, realism and slapstick • Lee Marvin’s alcoholic antics and the tragicomic on-set affair between Clint Eastwood and Jean Seberg • Why did anyone think this was a good idea in the first place (seriously)? Next time, Adam and Nate check out a blockbuster that barely exists, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982).

Adam and Nate team up with ThatShelf.com senior critic Rachel West to unpack Mary Poppins (1964), and The Simpsons’ first full musical episode, “Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious” (S8E13). We explore what happens when the immovable dysfunction of the Simpson family meets a British nanny so perfect that her butt waxes the banister. Also in this episode: • Rachel talks about her love for this film and her mixed feelings about the episode • Why Simpsons writer Mike Reiss questions whether magic belongs on the show • Are Simpsons parody songs better than the originals? • The fabtrabulous performance of Dick Van Dyke • Do the special effects hold up today? • Plus more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com Next time, Adam and Nate check out the infamous flop Paint Your Wagon (1969). Yes, it’s a real movie.

Adam and Nate are joined by Simpsons writer and co-executive producer Michael Price to talk My Fair Lady (1964) and the parody episode he wrote, “My Fair Laddy” (S17E12). It’s a loverly musical transformation tale with theatrical flair, speak-singing, and questionable Cockney accents. Also in this episode: • How Michael brought his background in musical theater to the Simpsons writer’s room • Michael walks us through “Wouldn’t It Be Adequate,” his parody of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” featuring Groundskeeper Willie • Can a film adaptation be too faithful to the source material? • The legendary musical throwdown between Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews • Is the relationship between Eliza and Henry Higgins a romance… or something else? • Plus more bonus material at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com Next time, Adam and Nate check out Mary Poppins (1964) with ThatShelf.com Senior Critic Rachel West! Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Twitter and Instagram.

Adam and Nate start their tour of musical parodies on The Simpsons with On the Town (1949), known for being the first movie musical shot on location and better known as the inspiration for Bart and Milhouse’s Broadway-style Squishee bender in “Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood” (S5E8). Join Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and a third guy as they take New York City by storm! Also in this episode: • An ode to New York on screen, including “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” (S9E1) • Gene Kelly’s on-set pranks on Frank Sinatra • How old is Sinatra in this, anyway? (Or, why did they make that one Muppet out of leather?) • Some refreshingly simple cinematography and editing that puts dancing first • Find out why Louis B. Mayer called this musical “smutty and communistic” • Plus more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com Next time, Adam and Nate check out My Fair Lady (1964) with Simpsons writer and co-executive producer Michael Price! Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Twitter and Instagram.

Have you ever watched one of The Simpsons beloved musical numbers and been stumped by what the heck it’s parodying? Join Adam and Nate as they introduce a new miniseries all about the movies behind your favorite Simpsons musical numbers! Also in this episode: • The musical DNA of The Simpsons, from Matt Groening to Danny Elfman to Alf Clausen • How the show slowly bent its own rules to become a Broadway musical (sometimes) • A preview of the six movies we will be covering in the miniseries • Plus more bonus content at SpringfieldGoogolplex.com In the first episode (available now), Adam and Nate take shore leave in the Big Apple for On the Town (1949). Miniseries Air Dates: 5/23 (Today): On the Town (1949) 6/6: My Fair Lady (1964) with Michael Price 6/20: Mary Poppins (1964) with Rachel West 7/4: Paint Your Wagon (1969) 7/18: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) 8/1: A Chorus Line (1985) Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Twitter and Instagram.