Frankenstein (1931) with Dede Crimmins

2025-11-25

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Inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s new take on Mary Shelley’s classic creature, Adam and Nate invited film critic Dede Crimmins to help them reanimate Frankenstein (1931) and its multiple parodies in “Treehouse of Horror II” (S3E7). Together, we explore how this movie became one of the most referenced movies on The Simpsons, including the warnings and creepy credits at the beginning of almost every “Treehouse of Horror” episode.Also in this episode:• The silent magic of Boris Karloff’s performance as the creature• When parodies set up f...

Inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s new take on Mary Shelley’s classic creature, Adam and Nate invited film critic Dede Crimmins to help them reanimate Frankenstein (1931) and its multiple parodies in “Treehouse of Horror II” (S3E7). Together, we explore how this movie became one of the most referenced movies on The Simpsons, including the warnings and creepy credits at the beginning of almost every “Treehouse of Horror” episode.

Also in this episode:

• The silent magic of Boris Karloff’s performance as the creature

• When parodies set up false expectations for classic movies

• That time Frankenstein inspired one of the most deep-cut references on The Simpsons ever

• How the hell was this episode going to end with a Broadcast News parody?

Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading.

Next time, Nate and Adam go crazy for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) at 50 and the forbidden episode…

For more of Dede’s movie reviews and more stay tuned to her Bluesky @dedecrim.bsky.social.

For more Simpsons movie parody content, check out SpringfieldGoogolplex.com, or follow us at @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Letterboxd. Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network.