14 setembro 2006

Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances

(The 18th season premiere is titled "The Mook, The Chef, The Wife and His Homer" )

#25: Glenn Close
Voiced: Mother Simpson

Before the seventh season episode "Mother Simpson," Homer's mom had been glimpsed a couple times before, via flashbacks in season two's "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and season six's "Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy," but in those brief appearances she was voiced by Maggie Roswell (who also voiced Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, and others). For "Mother Simpson," the first episode that centered on Homer's mom, the Simpsons producers tapped acclaimed actress Glenn Close for the role. Close truly made the role her own, presenting a misunderstood woman who's been on the run from the law since the 1960s who bonds with Lisa. Close appeared again as Mother Simpson in the fifteenth season episode, "My Mother the Carjacker."

#23: The Hullapalooza Performers
Voiced: Peter Frampton, Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill and Sonic Youth as themselves

In the seventh season episode "Homerpalooza," Homer ends up going on tour with Peter Frampton, Smashing Pumpkins, Cypress Hill and Sonic Youth as part of a genre-spanning music festival called "Hullapalooza." Frampton uses a talkbox (which leads to Otto seeing his shoes talking), Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan has a great exchange with Homer (Billy: "Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins." Homer: "Homer Simpson, smiling politely."), Cypress Hill performs "Insane in the Brain" with an orchestra, and Sonic Youth plays a great grunge version of the end credits; on the commentary track for the episode, Matt Groening says it's his favorite alternative theme song for the show.

#20: The Cast of Cheers
Voiced: Sam Malone, Woody, Carla, Cliff, Norm

When Homer is banned for life from Moe's bar, his quest for a new place he can hang out and get drunk includes a visit to a very familiar place where everybody knows your name. Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt and John Ratzenberger all reprise their famous roles, in a great scene that deftly parodies the popular bar-based series. The highlight is perhaps a rage-filled, drunken Norm, yelling at Woody, "give me another beer, you brain dead hick!", before breaking a bottle and threatening to kill everyone in the bar. Interestingly, despite his frequent appearances as Sideshow Bob, Kelsey Grammer does not voice Frasier Crane, who is seen but not heard in this episode.

#19: Mel Gibson
Voiced: Himself

In the eleventh season premiere episode, titled "Beyond Blunderdome," Homer attends a screening of Mel Gibson's latest movie, a remake of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. While everyone else in the audience loved the movie, Homer hates it and Mel decides to let Homer help him edit the movie. Together, Homer and Mel craft the film into a horribly violent action movie.

#18: Spinal Tap
Voiced: David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel, Derek Smalls

#16: Stephen Hawking
Voiced: Himself

World-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking has appeared as himself in two Simpsons episodes to date: season ten's "They Saved Lisa's Brain" and the sixteenth season's "Don't Fear the Roofer." Hawking played a fairly major role in "They Saved Lisa's Brain," as he stepped in to stop Springfield's smartest citizens from ruining the town. Hawking had some really great lines in the episode, including "Your theory of a donut-shaped universe is intriguing, Homer. I may have to steal it." Hawking appeared just briefly in "Don't Fear the Roofer," which featured Ray Romano in the main guest starring role of a roofer named Ray that no one but Homer could see. Hawking came on to explain that Bart couldn't see Ray on time because there was a black hole appearing directly behind Ray.

#13: Elizabeth Taylor
Voiced: Maggie Simpson

After four seasons, little baby Maggie Simpson was going to finally speak. For such a momentous occasion in Simpsons you don't just go to any actress. So who else, but the legendary, iconic, Academy Award-winning Elizabeth Taylor? Sure, Taylor said only one single word: "Daddy." But that was part of the fun of having her guest star in the first place.

#11: Leonard Nimoy
Voiced: Himself

Appearing as himself in two episodes, Leonard Nimoy has made a hilarious impact on both of the episodes. In "Marge vs. the Monorail," Leonard is called in to be a part of the inaugural run of Springfield's monorail. In the episode he saves Krusty's life and takes credit for the monorail stopping safe. In the episode "The Springfield Files," Nimoy is used as the narrator of the episode. In the very sci-fi themed episode it was great to see a classic sci-fi actor appear to move the story along - and subsequently leave halfway through to join the story that he was previously narrating.

#10: The Beatles
Voiced: Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney as themselves

Appearing in three separate episodes, Matt Groening has said that it is a personal achievement that he was able to get all the living members of The Beatles onto his show. Paul McCartney appeared on "Lisa the Vegetarian," with then wife Linda McCartney. In this appearance they show Lisa that it is okay to be a vegetarian. Ringo Starr appeared in the episode "Brush with Greatness." In the episode Marge makes a painting of Ringo and sends it to him, only to have him compliment her on her ability. Finally George Harrison appears in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet," to show Homer where the brownies are on a buffet and claim that the Quartet singing on the roof of Moe's had been done before. Although none of these appearances were really large, the fact that the most popular band of all time appeared on The Simpsons is a large statement on the popularity and importance of the show.

#3: Dustin Hoffman
Voiced: Mr. Bergstrom

Dustin Hoffman, credited as "Sam Etic" for contractual reasons, turns in one of the first and still one of the best guest performances on The Simpsons to date in the second season episode, "Lisa's Substitute." Hoffman's character, Mr. Bergstrom, is kind, funny, smart and engaging -- exactly the kind of teacher Lisa's always wanted. The episode stands up to repeated viewings, with Hoffman shining every time.



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