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Simpsons Movie References
Over the course of 200+ episodes the Simpsons have made reference to more movies than any other comedy show in history. The references range from subtle gags to whole inspirations for episodes. (Contributions to this list would happily be excepted. Just write them in the body of an email. Thank you.)
  • 2001  A Space Odyssey - A primitive Homer leans against the beacon ...  Fetal Homer is struck by the Fox satellite ... Homer sitting in the Spinemelter chair.
  • The Amityville Horror - The windows of the house in the season 1 Halloween house are identical.
  • All the President's Men - The overhead shot where Lisa is researching the election results from a desk in a municipal building (Sideshow Bob for Mayor episode).
  • Animal House - Homer's fiasco in college. Especially the Louie, Louie song during the closing credits. 
  • Basic Instinct - Willie's interogation in the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" second episode. Uncrosses his kilt covered legs.
  • Batman - Lisa looks at herself in the mirror after she's had braces put on and a menacing laugh ensues. 
  • Ben Hur - Burns' short film entry includes a scene from the classic.
  • Bram Stoker's Dracula - Burns plays the lead, but Marge is the head vampire.
  • Braveheart - Homer and Mel Gibson moon some studio execs.
  • Breakfeast at Tiffany's - Apu grabs some breakfeast at Tiffany's during a Valentine's episode.
  • Cannonball Run - The whacky racing scene at the end of the cat burglar episode.
  • Cape Fear - Sideshow Bob's stalking of Bart. Hell his theme music is straight out of Cape Fear.
  • Citizen Kane - The Mr. Burns campaign for governor has a few references: the stage for his speech, "You can't do this to me, I'm ..."  Sideshow Bob's run for mayor also has the Kane platform for his speech.
  • A Clockwork Orange - Bart's Halloween costume ... Burns, laid up in bed, asks Smithers to peal peanut  skin. 
  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind - The welcoming band for the alien (Mr. Burns) plays the welcoming music. 
  • The Deer Hunter - Krusty and Skinner play Russian Roulette in the back of Moe's bar. 
  • Deliverance - Ernest Borgnine's rafting trip with the junior campers.
  • Dr. Strangelove - Homer rides a bomb to kill some hippies. 
  • The Empire Strikes Back - Darth Vader appears in a cloud while Bleeding Gums is talking to Lisa.
  • The Exorcist - Maggie's head makes a turnaround for an early Halloween episode.
  • The Fall of the House of Usher - The season 1 haunted house meets a similar fate.
  • The Fly - Bart turns himself into a half-fly freak using Frink's matter transporter. 
  • Frankenstein - Burns uses Homer's brain for the "ideal" worker.
  • Free Willie - Homer watches the director's cut. The boy gets smashed by the whale in [1F19] The Boy Who Knew Too Much.
  • The Fugitive - A U.S. Marshall has a showdown with Milhouse in front of a waterfall. Homer's escape from a police truck in the "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" finale.
  • Full Metal Jacket - During the Bart the general episode, the men training against the sunset. Colonel Hap Hapablap (R. Lee Ermey) says his famous line "What's your major malfunction?..."
  • Glengarry Glen Ross - The salesman, Gil acts just like Jack Lemon's character, Levene. 
  • The Godfather - Bart is ambushed with snowballs a la Sonny Corleone ... Lisa finds a pony's head (and body)  in bed with her.
  • Godfather II - Homer's brush with being head of the Nuclear Plant Union.  He walks through the street in the white suit speaking Italian.
  • Gone with the Wind - Skinner vowes to take back his school from Bart after his breakup with Patty.
  • The Graduate - Dustin Hoffman's character (Mr. Bergstrom) is seduced by Edna K ... Grampa interrupts Burns and Jackie Bouvier's wedding.
  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - The whole scene where Malloy the cat burglar sends Springfield searching for treasure in [1F09] Homer the Vigilante.
  • I Know What You Did Last Summer - Halloween episode.
  • Lethal Weapon - McBain's partner is a black cop with a sailing boat on his last day before retirement.
  • The Lion King - Mufasa appears in a cloud while Bleeding Gums is talking to Lisa in [2F32] 'Round Springfield.
  • Mary Poppins - If you didn't catch this reference in the Shary Bobbins episode you weren't paying attention.
  • Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail - Homer's nerd tutors do the "Knights who say meep" routine [1F02] Homer Goes to College.
  • Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - Homer advices Mel Gibson to alter the remake.
  • Nightmare on Elm Street - Willie goes after the Springfield kids in their dreams ... Robert Englund guests in a Halloween intro. scene.
  • The Odd Couple - Skinner cleans while Homer makes a mess after the pair are sequestered in [1F19] The Boy Who Knew Too Much
  • Omega Man - Homer is the only left alive and he must fend off flesh eating zombies. 
  • One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest - Barney smothers Homer and throws the drinking fountain through a window ... When Bart goes to volunteer at the retirement castle Chief "Breaks Everything" gives out some casino pamphlets before throwing a fountain through the window.
  • Patton - Bart as General Patton in an early episode.
  • Planet of the Apes - Troy McClure stars in the musical version ... Springfield kids are chased down for church.  
  • Poltergeist - The Halloween episode Simpsons house is built on an Indian burial ground.
  • Pulp Fiction - Wiggum, Snake and Herman play out the pre -"Gimp" scene.
  • Raging Bull - Homer's black and white rise to the top in the boxing ranks.
  • Rain Man - The brothers from the movie pop in while Homer is working the Black Jack table.
  • Resevoir Dogs - Itchy cuts off Scratchy's ear to "Stuck in the Middle with you."
  • Road Warrior - Homer and Mel Gibson toss his wax likeness at pursuing studio executives.
  • The Shining - Halloween "Shinning" episode. 
  • Shortcuts - the concept of the 22 short stories episode comes from this movie.
  • Sliver - Burns has a secret camera installed in every Springfield House. 
  • Soylent Green - During Bart's future as a Supreme Court Justice Homer mmms to a Soylent Green order. 
  • Star Trek - A spoof pointing out the old age of the cast appears on TV ... Homer's nerd tutors talk about why Captain Kirk is better than Picard in [1F02] Homer Goes to College ... Leonard Nimoy says the Monorail could do at least Warp 5. Numerous references throughout the series.
  • Star Wars - Chewbacca shows up in an alien lineup ... Quimby uses an incorrect reference when talking to Leonard Nimoy, "and may the Force be with you"
  • A Streetcar Named Desire - Springfield puts on a musical version "Oh, Streetcar!" with Marge as Blanche and Ned(!) as Stanley.
  • Taxi Driver - Moe does the "You talking to me" bit to his mirror and then shatters it with his gun. 
  • The Tell-Tale Heart - Lisa hears a diorama pounding beneath the floorboards.
  • The Ten Commandments - Moses (Milhouse) leads the elementary school children away from evil Skinner. 
  • Terminator 2 - Homer chases the Flanders family in their Geo.
  • Thelma and Louise - Marge and Ruth Powers go on the lam. 
  • This is Spinal Tap - Spinal Tap plays a gig in Springfield.
  • Titanic - Smithers draws Burns on a yacht.
  • West World - Principal Skinner's trance as he chases after Bart in [1F19] The Boy Who Knew Too Much.
  • The Wild One - Homer's Hell's Satans episode. 

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