Beyond Blunderdome/References

General

References/Trivia

Appearances

Gags

Credits

Quotes

	Season 11 Episode References
← 226 "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo"	227 "Beyond Blunderdome"	"Brother's Little Helper" 228 →

Cultural references

• The title is a reference to the movie Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, in which Mel Gibson starred.
• The scene where Homer drives the Elec-Taurus into the water is from the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
• William Milo and Robyn Hannah greenlit all of Shaquille O'Neal's movies, including Kazaam.
• Edward Christian mentions that the movie is a follow up to Braveheart.
• Professor Frink asks if there will be any "Flubber" in the movie, referencing the movies The Absent-Minded Professor and the remake Flubber.
• Mel Gibson's pilot is John Travolta, who plays a pilot in a number of films including Look Who's Talking, but is also himself a certified pilot who owns five aircraft.
• William Milo tells Robyn Hannah that she has to see the director's cut of Booty Call.
• When Homer is watching a test screening for Mel Gibson's remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, he badmouths it, saying "At least the Jimmy Stewart version had the giant rabbit who ran the savings and loan!". These are references to Harvey and It's a Wonderful Life.
• Homer says that Mel Gibson and Jack Valenti think they can have any women they want.
• The George Kennedy Airport is a reference to actor George Kennedy, who starred in the film Airport.
• The police shoot-out scene with Robert Downey Jr. is a reference to Downey's problems with the law in the 1990s, during which the actor battled drug addiction and was arrested on several occasions.
• The tour guide points out the spots where the Brown Derby used to be and where Hugh Grant filmed the movie Nine Months.
• On a tour of celebrity homes, Marge pointed out the house owned by the dog from Frasier and the house where Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche live.
• In the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remake, Homer says "I second that motion... with a vengeance.", referencing Die Hard with a Vengeance.
• Mel Gibson tossing away his U.S. Senator badge at the end of the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remake is similar to the endings of Dirty Harry and High Noon.
• The Polystar Pictures executives tell Mel Gibson his Mr. Smith Goes to Washington remake was going to be the studio's "prestige picture" (a movie where the studio is less concerned with its box office and made more raise the studio's artistic integrity through things like recruiting respected talent, positive reviews, major awards, etc.) citing Howards End and Sophie's Choice as examples. Homer says those movies "sucked" and he only saw them to "get Marge into the sack."
• Edward Christian said that they had already bought five Golden Globe awards. Mel Gibson mentions that he has two Oscars.
• Edward Christian says that the new version of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is worse than Godfather III.
• Rainier Wolfcastle is seen filming Saving Irene Ryan, a reference to both Saving Private Ryan and the TV sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies.
• During the revised ending of the film, parts of the songs "America (My Country, 'Tis of Thee)", "Battle Hymn of the Republic", "Hail to the Chief", and "You're a Grand Old Flag" play.
• The movie billboard in Hollywood that Homer and Mel Gibson crashed through featured a woman (implied to be overgoing labor) and the title "She's Having a Baby... Again!", spoofing the movie She's Having a Baby.
• After the studio cart crashes, Mel says to Homer, "I'm getting too old for this crap," paraphrasing what Danny Glover's character police sergeant Roger Murtaugh often says to Mel Gibson's character police officer Martin Riggs in the Lethal Weapon film series.
  • In the Hollywood Auto Museum, Homer says that Lethal Weapon shows us that suicide is funny.
• Vehicles seen in the Hollywood Auto Museum include:
  • The Munster Mobile from The Munsters.
  • The Monkeemobile.
  • The Batmobile (with Batman and Robin in).
  • The Flintstone Mobile with Fred, Wilma and Dino Flintstone in it, from The Flintstones.
  • Herbie
  • The Road warrior car from Mad Max.
  • The General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard.
• Marge says that she used up the last camera roll on the man she thought was Judge Judy.
• Homer asks Mel Gibson if Braveheart and Payback ran away.
• Homer asks Mel Gibson if anyone owns the rights to Indiana Jones.

Trivia

• The Elec-Taurus car seen at the start of the episode is a driveable vehicle in The Simpsons Road Rage and The Simpsons: Hit & Run.
• Butterfinger held a contest prior to this episode. If the phrase in the wrapper matched Bart's chalkboard gag in this episode, the winner would get animated on an episode of The Simpsons.

Continuity

• At the end of the episode "When You Dish Upon a Star", Judge Snyder declares that Homer cannot be within 500 miles of any celebrity, living or dead. However, in this episode, the restraining order seems to have been either dropped or forgotten.
• In Marge Simpson Living, Marge reminds Homer that he has tried snowplowing ("Mr. Plow"), webhosting ("The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"), trucking ("Maximum Homerdrive"), fortune cookie writing ("A Hunka Hunka Burns in Love"), cartoon voiceovers ("The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"), food critic ("Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"), screen writer ("Beyond Blunderdome"), mixologoist ("Flaming Moe's"), bootlegger ("Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment") and astronaut ("Deep Space Homer") when he was searching for a new job.
• The movie poster for Space Mutants XII: Return on Klepnorg is nearly the same as the one for Space Mutants VI where the Space Mutants transform into alluring women. ("Colonel Homer" and "Bart's Friend Falls in Love")

Goofs

Homer with a hand both on Bart and attached to his arm

"McBain" written as "McBane"

• When Homer talks to Bart outside of the cutting room, he places his hand on Bart's right shoulder. However, when Homer removes his hand, his fingers are still on Bart's shoulder.
• One of the posters at Aztec Theater misspells "McBain" as "McBane".

← Season 10 Season 11 References Season 12 →

Beyond Blunderdome • Brother's Little Helper • Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? • Treehouse of Horror X • E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) • Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder • Eight Misbehavin' • Take My Wife, Sleaze • Grift of the Magi • Little Big Mom • Faith Off • The Mansion Family • Saddlesore Galactica • Alone Again, Natura-Diddily • Missionary: Impossible • Pygmoelian • Bart to the Future • Days of Wine and D'oh'ses • Kill the Alligator and Run • Last Tap Dance in Springfield • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge • Behind the Laughter