Review of Simpsons, The: Heaven And Hell

Introduction

I missed out on Simpsons mania, being one of those benighted few for whom Sky was just pie in the, um well… sky. I caught the initial segments that were aired on the Tracy Ullman show, but when everyone else was doing the Bartman, I was left scratching my head in bemusement. It was only when The Simpsons came to the BBC, that I could find out what the fuss was about, but like all the surreal moments in various sixties spy series, I found myself trapped in a nightmare world where no matter when I turned the television on, it would be the same episode playing. So where the majority of Simpsons fans are as knowledgeable as Comic Book Guy regarding their favourite series, for me the Simpsons is only an occasional pleasure, I may only rarely watch an episode, but I remain comforted in that I know for sure that I`ll be entertained for 20 minutes. While the Season releases of The Simpsons trickle out at what must be an infuriating pace, these specials discs with episodes selected to fill a theme, must be like the proverbial oasis in a desert, appreciated by fans and dilettantes alike.

The Simpsons: Heaven And Hell explores the spiritual side of all things Springfield with four classic episodes taken from various seasons in the Simpsons` endless run.

Homer The Heretic from 1992 has Homer decide that going to church is a bad idea. So bad that after a conversation with God, Homer starts his own religion, much to the consternation of the devout Marge.

Treehouse Of Horror IV is 1993`s addition to the annual Simpsons Halloween anthology. This years three stories include The Devil & Homer Simpson where Homer sells his soul for a doughnut to a very familiar looking devil, The School Bus where Bart has a nightmare bus ride; if you have seen the William Shatner Twilight Zone episode this will seem more than familiar, and finally Bart Simpson`s Dracula, where the Simpsons get invited to Mr Burns` castle in Pennsylvania.

Bart Sells His Soul (1995) is where Bart makes the trade with Millhouse for $5. Soon Bart isn`t feeling his old self, and even pulling a prank on Homer doesn`t raise a chuckle.

In Marge We Trust (1997) When Marge sees that Reverend Lovejoy`s sermons are no longer inspiring, she volunteers to help make things better. Soon she`s the go to gal when it comes to matters of the spirit. Meanwhile Homer finds his face on a Japanese detergent box.

Video

The picture reflects the original 4:3 ratio and the quality is more than acceptable. It`s a little soft but on the whole the transfer is nice and clean and gives no cause for complaint.

Audio

There are soundtracks in DD 2.0 Surround English, French, German, Spanish and Italian. The dialogue is clear, which is all you can really ask for. A neat touch I noticed was Bart reading out his blackboard punishment when speaking another language. I also never knew that one Danny Elfman was responsible for that iconic Simpsons theme.

Features

You get two trailers for further Simpsons releases. There are also more subtitle tracks than you could conceivably find use for.

Conclusion

What is it with copyright warnings? You get a copyright warning when you first play the disc, warnings when the disc ends, and warnings every time you select an episode to watch. The only way to avoid half the warnings is to select the play all option from the main menu. I think the point is that if you spend all this time watching copyright warnings that you aren`t allowed to ignore, then you won`t have time to copy the damned disc anyway. Was I ranting?

Well, I`m not going to bad mouth The Simpsons, a show that has transcended mere comedy into true genius. Even better, this disc had two shows that I hadn`t seen before. As if you needed convincing, but The Simpsons are hilarious, the scripts are sublime, intensely witty and sharp as a tack. The satire is always spot on, and the number of in-jokes and sly winks is relentless. Yet the stories are never less than intelligent, the characters are brilliantly realised and some of the plots can be remarkably moving. I was surprised to feel a little choked up in the Bart Sells His Soul episode. There are some great references to other shows, I loved the end of Treehouse Of Horror IV, which referenced A Charlie Brown Christmas, also produced by Roman animation. Nearly every line is magic, I`m still chuckling at Apu`s "Please stop throwing peanuts at my God" and hearing Homer in Japanese is worth the price of the disc by itself, almost.

I suppose I`m preaching to the converted here, but the Simpsons are magic. This Heaven & Hell compilation will certainly tide you over as wait patiently for Season 5.