Springfield Googolplex: The Movie Podcast for Fans of The Simpsons

Remember that time when Homer became Mr. Burns’ prank monkey? Adam and Nate watch The Magic Christian (1969), an adaptation of Terry Southern’s satirical novel that inspired The Simpsons episode “Homer vs. Dignity” (S12E5). Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr punking rich Brits to prove that everyone has their price—how could you go wrong? Well, let us tell you.

Also in this episode:

• Terry Southern’s influence on The Simpsons, Stanley Kubrick, The Beatles and beyond

• Is Peter Sellers’ talent as big as his ego? 

• The undeniable and underutilized magnetism of Ringo Starr

• How this movie became a pop culture vortex in the careers of The Beatles, Monty Python, Yul Brynner, and Roman Polanski

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

We’ll be taking a brief hiatus, but for our Non-Denominational Holiday Fun Fest on December 17th, we’ll be back to revisit The Terminator (1984) and “Grift of the Magi” (S11E9) with “the villain of Letterboxd” Matt Lynch.

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

On our election day special in America, Nate and Adam invited filmmaker and podcaster Devan Scott (How Would Lubitsch Do It?) to dissect the painfully relevant political thriller All the President’s Men (1976) and its Simpsons send-up in “Sideshow Bob Roberts” (S6E5). Join us as we try to laugh through the nausea and exorcize the ghosts of elections past!

Also in this episode:

• The Simpsons’ surprisingly timeless satire of populism and corruption in American politics

• Why they call cinematographer Gordon Willis the “Prince of Darkness” and why they shouldn’t

• The delightful chemistry and realism of Robert Redford’s Woodward and Dustin Hoffman’s Bernstein

• Is it a bad sign that a movie about a real-life government conspiracy orchestrated by one of the most corrupt presidents in American history makes us feel nostalgic about simpler times?

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

Next time, Adam and Nate explore the film adaptation of Terry Southern’s cult classic novel, The Magic Christian (1969) and Homer and Mr. Burns’s reenactment in “Homer vs. Dignity” (S12E5). Peter Sellers. Ringo Starr. Elaborate practical jokes. Pow.

For more of Devan Scott’s film content, check out the complete podcast How Would Lubitsch Do It? and his video essays on YouTube, or follow him on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Instagram.

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

Film critic and horror aficionado Dede Crimmins (That Shelf, Rue Morgue) is back to help Adam introduce Nate to Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and its Simpsons parody in “Treehouse of Horror IV” (S5E5). Will they gush over Francis Ford Coppola’s bloody visual feast, or will his overly loyal adaptation leave them cold?

Also in this episode:

• The origin story of this film from Coppola’s time as a drama camp counselor

• Can the scenery chewing of Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins allow us to forgive Keanu Reeves’ flat performance?

• Coppola and his magician of a son Roman show how style over substance isn’t always a bad thing

• Are movies that call for Tom Waits (or his lookalikes) a sub-genre?

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

Next time, filmmaker and podcaster Devan Scott joins the podcast to discussAll the President’s Men and “Sideshow Bob Roberts” (S6E5) just in time for the scariest day of all—election day in America.

For more of Dede Crimmins’ film reviews, check out her profile on Muck Rack or follow her on Twitter/X at @dedecrim.

And a special thanks to Bill Watterson (not that Bill Watterson) for the updated typography in our album art this week!

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

Submitted for your approval, that twilighty movie about that zone. Film critic and podcaster Matthew Simpson joins Nate and Adam to unpack Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), a cursed compilation of episode remakes from Rod Serling’s pioneering TV series directed by Stephen Spielberg, Joe Dante, George Miller, and Simpsons shudder John Landis. We also revisit The Simpsons’ own adaptations of two of the same Twilight Zone episodes in "Treehouse of Horror II" (S3E7) and "Treehouse of Horror IV" (S5E5).

Also in this episode:

• Matthew regails us with his quest to watch and rank every “Treehouse of Horror” segment

• An ode to the horror anthology format, from Eerie Tales (1919) to Black Mirror (2011)

• Nancy Cartwright gets sucked into a cartoon on TV for all eternity (oh, and that happens in the movie, too)

• The on-set tragedy that led to new Hollywood safety standards and overshadows this movie’s legacy today

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

Next time, returning guest Dede Crimmins joins the podcast as we delve even deeper into “Treehouse of Horror IV” (S5E5) and its parody of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). God bless Bonerland.

For more of Matthew Simpson’s film reviews and journalism check out Stretched.ca or catch him every week on The Awesome Friday Podcast.

Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd. Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network.

Adam and Nate dig into the backstory of The Simpsons character Gil Gunderson and his debut in “Realty Bites” (S9E9) by watching Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) for the first time. Does this real estate-based whodunnit live up to its reputation as one of the best movies of the 1990s? 

Also in this episode:

• A superhero team-up of a cast led by the incomparable Jack Lemmon, one-time Simpsons guest star in “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson” (S8E11)
• Is this Al Pacino’s last performance as a real human being? (Hooah!)
• David Mamet’s snappy dialogue and brass balls
• The Neo-Noir stylings of director James Foley, from Madonna music videos to Fear (1996) to Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
• Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading

Next time, as we enter into spooky season, Matthew Simpson joins the podcast to discuss the completely cursed Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) and its parodies in “Treehouse of Horror II” (S3E7) and “Treehouse of Horror IV” (S5E5). The frogurt is also cursed.

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.

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.

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

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.

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

This episode, Adam and Nate will definitely hit their CanCon quota as they review Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993), the namesake of perhaps their favorite Simpsons episode, “22 Short Films about Springfield” (S7E21). This unconventional biopic about eccentric pianist Glenn Gould achieved escape velocity to find its way beyond the Canadian film world and into American media, from Siskel & Ebert to The Simpsons.

Also in this episode:

• A statistical analysis of title parodies on The Simpsons (where some of the spiciest movie references live!)

• How this movie deconstructs the biopic genre through a series of mixed-media shorts 

• Our most Canadian episode yet, featuring Heritage Minutes, the National Film Board, an appreciation of Colm Feore, and the Genies!

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

Next time, former Simpsons and showrunner Bill Oakley joins Adam and Nate as they continue their celebration of “22 Short Films about Springfield” (S7E21) and its parody of Pulp Fiction (1994).

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

Adam and Nate are joined once again by current Simpsons writer and producer Michael Price to share one of his favorite movies of all time, Peter Bogdanovich’s What's Up, Doc? (1972). We unpack his top moments from the movie, its parody in “Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy” (S6E10), and how its timeless slapstick and farce has influenced The Simpsons at large.

Also in this episode:
• Mike Price talks about directing Bogdanovich on The Simpsons, possible movie references in season 36, the first episode of The Simpsons he ever watched, and more
• The Bugs Bunny-like magnetism of Barbra Streisand
• One of cinema’s best—and funniest—car chases of all time 
• Six degrees of Peter Bogdanovich: We’re wowed by his wildly connected career

Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, extra credit, and further reading

Next time, Adam and Nate begin another double feature on a GOAT of a Simpsons episode “22 Short Films about Springfield” (S7E21) by deconstructing its namesake, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993).

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

In part two of a Batman double feature, special guest Shahbaz Siddiqui (The Movie Podcast) joins Adam and Nate to watch a contentious superhero reboot, Tim Burton's Batman (1989). They also dig into multiple Batman parodies in “Last Exit to Springfield” (S4E17), a unionization story that’s considered by many to be the best episode ever of The Simpsons. 

Also in this episode:

• Two gloriously unhinged performances from Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson

• How classic monster movies helped Burton to escape the campy tone of the 1960s TV series (kinda)

• Danny Elfman: The musical connection between Batman and The Simpsons (plus a tangent on Prince’s Batman album)

• The ripple effect of this movie on superhero media and Hollywood blockbusters

Next time, Adam and Nate welcome back Simpsons writer and producer Michael Price to talk about one of his favorite movies, What’s Up Doc? (1972), alongside its Simpsons parody in “Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy” (S6E10).

For complete show notes, including a complete list of Simpsons references, extra credit, and further reading, be sure to visit this episode’s show notes.