Treehouse of Horror XX/References

References/Trivia

Culture References

The first segment is a pastiche of numerous Alfred Hitchcock films. The main plot derives from Strangers on a Train, where two men plot to kill off each others' enemies, while other elements of North by Northwest, Vertigo and other Hitchcock movies are included. Hitchcock himself is shown in a brief cameo stepping out of a bus (as he did in the title sequence of North By Northwest).
The second segment is a parody of both 28 Days Later and Children of Men, in that a plague of pseudo zombies are ravaging the world, and that a child holds the key to mankind's salvation and must be protected at all costs. It could also be a slight parody of the horror-comedy movie Zombieland, since both epidemics started via a contaminated burger.
The third segment is a parody of Sweeney Todd.

In the second segment, when Bart and Homer initially step outside and Homer blows their cover, Kirk Van Houten is seen in the back right of the muncher mob breaking down the front door to try to get to the Simpsons. Yet, when they make it to the safe zone, Mr. Van Houten is clearly seen in the front of the crowd before the Simpsons push themselves through. While it may be a goof, it could also be someone similar to him, though the physical features are astonishingly alike.
Ralph Wiggum is seem as a muncher eating his own arms. Yet he is seem happy and healthy at the end of the segment. Of course this could mean that Bart's immunity also doubles as a cure for the already infected. You can see Homer is still in his "muncher cage" behaving like a muncher.

This is the first episode since Treehouse of Horror X to air in October
The segment, Don't Have a Cow Mankind, is the second time Springfield has been over run by zombies (the first being Treehouse of Horror III)
At the end of the second segment, Homer still hasn't been changed back to normal (Bart probably wanted Homer to stay that way.)
The ending song is the first time the main theme has been used for a song sung by the Simpsons
Ratings: 8.59 million viewers.