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*** This review may contain spoilers ***
I've been intending to watch The Shining and its Simpson parody The Shinning (part of Treehouse of Horror V) back to back for a while now. I guess it's fitting that I've done it now as part of my reviewing of Halloween and horror-themed movies and TV throughout this October. Treehouse of Horror V is, along with Treehouse of Horror IV, the best of the Simpsons Halloween episodes.The first segment of the episode is The Shinning, based on the classic 1980 movie The Shining. It's amazing how much of the two-hour and twenty-minute movie they managed to fit into nine minutes of this episode; redrum, the bartender ghost (here Moe), the wife swinging the bat at her insane husband, the maze, a mention of the history of murders at the building, and the freezing at the end are all here. The Shinning is not only funny, it's able to tell the story in a competent way- so much so that I enjoyed seeing The Shinning as a kid even before I saw The Shining.The rest of the episode deals with time travel and cannibalism at the elementary school. There are some good laughs (Homer evidently thinks a rock is a good tool). The Nightmare Cafeteria segment is surprisingly disturbing- but that makes it perfect for Halloween. The real star of the show, however, is Groundskeeper Willy- axed in the back in all three segments, before coming back to participate in the musical number at the end of the episode. Willy later played an undead murderer in Treehouse of Horror VI, but it's really THOH V where's he's the bigger standout.Happy Halloween.
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