Beyond Blunderdome
Encyclopedia
"Beyond Blunderdome" is the 11th season
premiere of The Simpsons
, and the last episode produced for the tenth season. It first aired on the Fox
network in the United States on September 26, 1999. Homer test drives an electric car because it will get him a gift. The gift is that Homer and Marge get to be part of a test audience for the new remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
, starring and directed by actor Mel Gibson
. Everyone loves the film except for Homer, who despises it. Because Mel Gibson thinks Homer is the only one who dares to speak his mind, he asks Homer to help him change the film. Therefore, Gibson takes Homer, Marge, Maggie
, Bart and Lisa
to Hollywood, and asks Homer to help him rewrite the film. The episode was written by then-executive producer Mike Scully
and was directed by Steven Dean Moore
. It guest starred Mel Gibson
as himself, and Jack Burns
as Edward Christian.
takes a test drive of a new electric car so that he can get a free gift. After destroying the car, the family return to the dealer to receive their gift, which they forget to open until Homer and Marge
are in bed. His gift turns out to be free tickets to a preview screening of the new Mel Gibson
movie, a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
. The audience members are given comment cards to fill out so that the filmmakers can change the movie based on the audiences' reactions. The movie is a smash with everyone but Homer, who calls it "more boring than church." During the screening, Mel Gibson, having come to the test screening unannounced, is assured by the producers that the movie is wonderful. "But I don't shoot anybody," he laments. Mel tries to escape through an emergency exit, triggering an alarm and thus causing everyone present to notice him. Marge asks if Mel will be reading the comment cards himself, and he says he will read hers personally and kisses her hand, which angers Homer and is the last motivator he needs to write a bad review. Later, while reading the comment cards, Mel is certain that everyone loves him too much to tell him how to improve the movie. When he reads Homer's comments, he decides that Homer was the only person brave enough to tell him the truth.
Mel shows up at the Simpsons' door and invites Homer and his family to come with him to Hollywood to change the movie, while Homer originally thinks that he is out to take Marge from him. They fly in a plane piloted by John Travolta
. Homer and Mel begin work on the film while the rest of the family explores Hollywood. The family sees Robert Downey Jr.
in a shootout with the cops, which they at first believe to be a movie shoot until Bart
notices that there are no cameras present. When Homer's ideas prove to be stupid and pointless (an example is Homer's idea of having a villain be "a dog with shifty eyes"), Mel begins to wonder whether he made a mistake. However, he is enthusiastic when Homer tells him his ideas for the famous "filibuster
" scene at the end. The next day, they present the new ending to the producers. In the new version, Mr. Smith goes berserk and slaughters every member of the United States Congress
and the President
in a mindless action movie sequence. The producers are horrified at this, saying that "Mr. Smith" was meant to be the studio's big prestige picture and that they have already "bought five Golden Globes." They attempt to burn the new ending, as Homer and Mel, determined to save their movie, run for it.
They meet up with the rest of the family at a car museum. They steal a replica of the main villain's car from The Road Warrior and engage in a ludicrous car chase
through the streets of Hollywood, with the film executives hot on their trail. Homer, taking an idea he believes to be from Braveheart
, moons the execs along with Mel, which leads to Homer getting the car's front end stuck in his backside. Homer and Mel then attend the movie's premiere back in Springfield
, but when the film ends, the entire audience walks out disgusted, and Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter walks up to them, slaps them, and threatens to sue them for the bad movie. Homer then tries to apologize to Mel, but he does not blame him, arriving to the conclusion there is no place for violence-lovers like them in Hollywood; however, as soon as Homer suggests similarly stupid ideas for "their" next movie while leaving the theater, Mel kicks him out of his limousine. While Homer yells after Mel, thinking that he just fell out, the scene then zooms in to a dog with evil, shifty eyes, like the one Homer had suggested before to Mel.
. Rainier Wolfcastle is seen filming Saving Irene Ryan. This is a reference to the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan
and the character Irene Ryan
from the sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies
. After the studio cart crashes, Mel says to Homer, "I'm getting too old for this crap," a reference to a line said by Danny Glover
's character Roger Murtaugh
to Gibson's character Martin Riggs
in the Lethal Weapon
film series. Homer says, "you had me at 'hello'," a quote from the film Jerry Maguire
(1996), when Mel asks for his help on his film. Mel throwing his Senator badge away at the end of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a reference to the ending of the film Dirty Harry
(1971). The airport is called "George Kennedy Airport". This is a reference to actor George Kennedy
, and his role in the film Airport (1970), and its three sequels, Airport 1975
(1974), Airport '77
(1977) and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979). Edward Christian's frequent use of the terms "Huh?" and "You know what I mean?" is a reference to a comedy routine performed by Jack Burns
(who voiced Christian) and Avery Schreiber
. A poster for Mel's film Braveheart
is on the wall in the editing room. When Homer and Mel are being hunted by the executives they enter a car museum. The museum features the Batmobile from the television series Batman
, General Lee
from the series The Dukes of Hazzard
, Herbie the Love Bug from the 1968 film The Love Bug
and later films, the Monkeemobile
from the series The Monkees
, the Munster Koach
from the series The Munsters
, the car from the series The Flintstones
and the Road Warrior car from the 1981 film Mad Max 2, which Homer and Mel (who starred in the film) steal.
ranked 20th on AOL
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars. and Simon Crerar of The Times
listed his performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show. Total Film
s Nathan Ditum ranked Gibson's performance as the seventh best guest appearance in the show's history. However a 2000 article in Salon points to "Beyond Blunderdome" as the greatest precursor to that date as showing that the Homer who would be more predominant in the Mike Scully-run era was “Jerkass Homer”, a Homer who "is not only dumb, but [has also become] disgusting and semi-sociopathic. This is the Homer who, in the season opener ['Beyond Blunderdome'], showed Marge's wedding ring to Mel Gibson and stated, 'This is a symbol that as per our marriage, she's my property and I own her.'"
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
premiere of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and the last episode produced for the tenth season. It first aired on the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network in the United States on September 26, 1999. Homer test drives an electric car because it will get him a gift. The gift is that Homer and Marge get to be part of a test audience for the new remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...
, starring and directed by actor Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
. Everyone loves the film except for Homer, who despises it. Because Mel Gibson thinks Homer is the only one who dares to speak his mind, he asks Homer to help him change the film. Therefore, Gibson takes Homer, Marge, Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
, Bart and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
to Hollywood, and asks Homer to help him rewrite the film. The episode was written by then-executive producer Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
and was directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
. It guest starred Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
as himself, and Jack Burns
Jack Burns
Jack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...
as Edward Christian.
Plot
HomerHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
takes a test drive of a new electric car so that he can get a free gift. After destroying the car, the family return to the dealer to receive their gift, which they forget to open until Homer and Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
are in bed. His gift turns out to be free tickets to a preview screening of the new Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
movie, a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...
. The audience members are given comment cards to fill out so that the filmmakers can change the movie based on the audiences' reactions. The movie is a smash with everyone but Homer, who calls it "more boring than church." During the screening, Mel Gibson, having come to the test screening unannounced, is assured by the producers that the movie is wonderful. "But I don't shoot anybody," he laments. Mel tries to escape through an emergency exit, triggering an alarm and thus causing everyone present to notice him. Marge asks if Mel will be reading the comment cards himself, and he says he will read hers personally and kisses her hand, which angers Homer and is the last motivator he needs to write a bad review. Later, while reading the comment cards, Mel is certain that everyone loves him too much to tell him how to improve the movie. When he reads Homer's comments, he decides that Homer was the only person brave enough to tell him the truth.
Mel shows up at the Simpsons' door and invites Homer and his family to come with him to Hollywood to change the movie, while Homer originally thinks that he is out to take Marge from him. They fly in a plane piloted by John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
. Homer and Mel begin work on the film while the rest of the family explores Hollywood. The family sees Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr.
Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
in a shootout with the cops, which they at first believe to be a movie shoot until Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
notices that there are no cameras present. When Homer's ideas prove to be stupid and pointless (an example is Homer's idea of having a villain be "a dog with shifty eyes"), Mel begins to wonder whether he made a mistake. However, he is enthusiastic when Homer tells him his ideas for the famous "filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
" scene at the end. The next day, they present the new ending to the producers. In the new version, Mr. Smith goes berserk and slaughters every member of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and the President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in a mindless action movie sequence. The producers are horrified at this, saying that "Mr. Smith" was meant to be the studio's big prestige picture and that they have already "bought five Golden Globes." They attempt to burn the new ending, as Homer and Mel, determined to save their movie, run for it.
They meet up with the rest of the family at a car museum. They steal a replica of the main villain's car from The Road Warrior and engage in a ludicrous car chase
Car chase
A car chase is the vehicular pursuit of a suspect by law enforcement officers. Car chases are often captured on film and broadcast due to the availability of video footage recorded by police cars and police and media helicopters participating in the chase...
through the streets of Hollywood, with the film executives hot on their trail. Homer, taking an idea he believes to be from Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
, moons the execs along with Mel, which leads to Homer getting the car's front end stuck in his backside. Homer and Mel then attend the movie's premiere back in Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
, but when the film ends, the entire audience walks out disgusted, and Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter walks up to them, slaps them, and threatens to sue them for the bad movie. Homer then tries to apologize to Mel, but he does not blame him, arriving to the conclusion there is no place for violence-lovers like them in Hollywood; however, as soon as Homer suggests similarly stupid ideas for "their" next movie while leaving the theater, Mel kicks him out of his limousine. While Homer yells after Mel, thinking that he just fell out, the scene then zooms in to a dog with evil, shifty eyes, like the one Homer had suggested before to Mel.
Production
According to DVD commentary (and the deleted scene reel), the episode had a slightly different ending: After Homer and Mel get shunned for their gory remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Apu suggests that they sell the movie to India, since the people of India love violent, action-packed American movies.Cultural references
The plot revolves around a Mel Gibson remake of the 1939 film Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonMr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a 1939 American drama film starring Jean Arthur and James Stewart about one man's effect on American politics. It was directed by Frank Capra and written by Sidney Buchman, based on Lewis R. Foster's unpublished story. Mr...
. Rainier Wolfcastle is seen filming Saving Irene Ryan. This is a reference to the 1998 film Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
and the character Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan was an American actress, one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway....
from the sitcom The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
. After the studio cart crashes, Mel says to Homer, "I'm getting too old for this crap," a reference to a line said by Danny Glover
Danny Glover
Danny Lebern Glover is an American actor, film director, and political activist. Glover is perhaps best known for his role as Detective Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon film franchise.-Early life:...
's character Roger Murtaugh
Roger Murtaugh
Roger Murtaugh is a fictional character and protagonist in the Lethal Weapon films, played in all four by Danny Glover.-Lethal Weapon:...
to Gibson's character Martin Riggs
Martin Riggs
Martin Riggs is a fictional police officer and protagonist from the Lethal Weapon franchise. He is played in all four films by Mel Gibson.- Military career :...
in the Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon (film series)
Lethal Weapon is a series of films starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a pair of LAPD detectives. All four films in the series were directed by Richard Donner, and also share many of the same core cast members.-Lethal Weapon :...
film series. Homer says, "you had me at 'hello'," a quote from the film Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
(1996), when Mel asks for his help on his film. Mel throwing his Senator badge away at the end of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a reference to the ending of the film Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
(1971). The airport is called "George Kennedy Airport". This is a reference to actor George Kennedy
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. He is perhaps most familiar as the convict Dragline in Cool Hand Luke , airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s and...
, and his role in the film Airport (1970), and its three sequels, Airport 1975
Airport 1975
Airport 1975 is a 1974 disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film Airport. It stars Charlton Heston and Karen Black and is directed by Jack Smight....
(1974), Airport '77
Airport '77
Airport '77 is a 1977 disaster film and second sequel in the Airport franchise.The film stars a number of veteran actors, including Jack Lemmon, James Stewart, Joseph Cotten, Christopher Lee and Olivia de Havilland. Like its predecessors, Airport '77 was a box office hit earning US$30 million and...
(1977) and The Concorde ... Airport '79 (1979). Edward Christian's frequent use of the terms "Huh?" and "You know what I mean?" is a reference to a comedy routine performed by Jack Burns
Jack Burns
Jack Burns is an American comedian and voice actor.-Biography:In 1959, he began his career as a comedy team with George Carlin when both were working for radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas...
(who voiced Christian) and Avery Schreiber
Avery Schreiber
Avery Lawrence Schreiber was an American comedian and actor. He was a veteran of stage, TV, and film.-Biography:...
. A poster for Mel's film Braveheart
Braveheart
Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
is on the wall in the editing room. When Homer and Mel are being hunted by the executives they enter a car museum. The museum features the Batmobile from the television series Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
, General Lee
The General Lee
The General Lee is the modified Dodge Charger driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for the chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode, and for having the doors welded shut, leaving the Dukes to climb in and out...
from the series The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
, Herbie the Love Bug from the 1968 film The Love Bug
The Love Bug
The Love Bug is the first in a series of comedy films made by Walt Disney Productions that starred an anthropomorphic pearl-white, fabric-sunroofed 1963 Volkswagen racing Beetle named Herbie...
and later films, the Monkeemobile
Monkeemobile
The Monkeemobile is a modified Pontiac GTO that was designed and built by designer Dean Jeffries for The Monkees, a pop-rock band and television program...
from the series The Monkees
The Monkees (TV series)
The Monkees is an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968. The series follows the adventures of four young men trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers. The show introduced a number of innovative new-wave film techniques to series...
, the Munster Koach
Munster Koach
The Munster Koach was the family car that was used in the television series, The Munsters. The show's producers contracted George Barristo provide the Koach. Barris asked Tom Daniel to design the car, and had it built at Barris Kustoms, First by Tex Smith, but finished by Dick Dean, his shop...
from the series The Munsters
The Munsters
The Munsters is a 1960s American family television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of monsters. It starred Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily Munster. The series was a satire of both traditional monster movies and popular family entertainment of the era,...
, the car from the series The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
and the Road Warrior car from the 1981 film Mad Max 2, which Homer and Mel (who starred in the film) steal.
Reception
Mel GibsonMel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
ranked 20th on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's list of their favorite 25 Simpsons guest stars. and Simon Crerar of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
listed his performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show. Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
s Nathan Ditum ranked Gibson's performance as the seventh best guest appearance in the show's history. However a 2000 article in Salon points to "Beyond Blunderdome" as the greatest precursor to that date as showing that the Homer who would be more predominant in the Mike Scully-run era was “Jerkass Homer”, a Homer who "is not only dumb, but [has also become] disgusting and semi-sociopathic. This is the Homer who, in the season opener ['Beyond Blunderdome'], showed Marge's wedding ring to Mel Gibson and stated, 'This is a symbol that as per our marriage, she's my property and I own her.'"
External links
- "Beyond Blunderdome" at The Simpsons.com