Fantasia is a 1940 animated film, directed and produced by Walt Disney, which mixes animation with classical music. At the time, it received mixed reviews and didn't make back its initial budget, but years later it was acknowledged as a groundbreaking, influential film, often named one of the greatest animated films ever made. Various scenes from the film are frequently referenced on The Simpsons, most commonly the Sorcerer's Apprentice (starring Mickey Mouse), the Rite of Spring and the Night on Bald Mountain segments. Matt Groening has often expressed the idea of making a Simpsons-themed feature film based on Fantasia, which would be titled Simpstasia. [1] [2]
References to Fantasia on The Simpsons[edit]
| Picture
|
Season
|
Episode number
|
Episode name
|
Reference
|
|
2
|
22
|
"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
|
When the children in Springfield turn off their TV set and go out to play outside, their idyllic fun is accompanied by Ludwig van Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, the same music that accompanies the idyllic lives of the Greek mythological characters on Mount Olympus in Fantasia.
|
|
5
|
86
|
"Treehouse of Horror IV"
|
When Homer claims to be smarter than Flanders the Devil, Flanders transforms into Chernabog the Devil from the Night on Bald Mountain segment, complete with the same musical score.
|
|
6
|
104
|
"Bart of Darkness"
|
As Bart uses his telescope to watch space he sees several things which he deems to be "boring." One of them is the circle of stars which opens the Rite of Spring segment in Fantasia.
|
|
6
|
107
|
"Itchy & Scratchy Land"
|
The Scratchtasia segment spoofs the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment, with Scratchy playing the part of Mickey and Itchy as the brooms. The soundtrack is an abridged version of Paul Dukas' music.
|
|
10
|
221
|
"Simpsons Bible Stories"
|
Goliath II's angry appearance from the rubble of his tower mimics the scene where Chernabog the Devil throws his hands in the air in the Night on Bald Mountain segment. The background music even quotes from Modest Mussorgsky's Night On Bald Mountain.
|
|
18
|
394
|
"Homerazzi"
|
Homer's Evolution couch gag is a direct parody of the Rite of Spring segment in Fantasia. Particularly the scenes with the cells multiplying, Homer swimming around like a fish nearly grabbed by an octopus, going on land as an amphibian, the T-Rex fighting a stegosaur, dinosaurs driven to extinction until there are only skeletons around... The camera angles are similar too.
|
|
17
|
373
|
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore"
|
During the final musical sequence a monkey is seen swinging an elephant around by its trunk. This is very similar to the final dance sequence in The Dance of the Hours in which hippopotamuses swing crocodiles by their tails.
|
|
24
|
526
|
"Pulpit Friction"
|
As more and more frogs arrive, the soundtrack plays Paul Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, mimicking the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene in Fantasia, where hundreds of brooms rise up and pose a threat.
|
|
|
|
|
24
|
530
|
"Dangers on a Train"
|
An employee of Kannabis Korner advices Otto Mann to watch Fantasia.
|
|
25
|
549
|
"What to Expect When Bart's Expecting"
|
When Bart conducts his "magic" his sorcerer's hat and robe look similar to Mickey Mouse's in the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment in Fantasia.
|
|
27
|
593
|
"Fland Canyon"
|
The couch gag spoofs various Disney movies, with Bart taking on the role of Mickey Mouse in the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" sequence from Fantasia. He creates a magical tide, just like Mickey did in the film.
|
|
33
|
716
|
"A Made Maggie"
|
Marge's hair is stylized as Mickey Mouse's hat in the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment.
|
|
Specials[edit]
| Picture
|
Special name
|
Reference
|
|
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"Plusaversary"
|
One of the brooms from Fantasia makes an appearance.
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External links[edit]
