Top 10 Treehouse of Horror segments

10. It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse - Treehouse of Horror  XIX

Many people agree that the Simpsons quality started going downhill around its 10th season. And at this point it is pretty clear that nowadays Simpsons seasons are consisted with more bad than good episodes. However every once in a while an episode comes that is truly great, or in this case a segment in Halloween episode. Treehouse of Horror episodes are the only ones that I'm really looking forward and anticipating every year, and one of the best segment from newer seasons is - It's the Grand Pumpkin, Milhouse. This episode parodies Peanuts Halloween special. Millhouse basically play Linus who believes that the Grand Pupmkin exists and that it comes alive on Halloween. Of course the Grand Pumpkin gets pissed when he finds out that humans are carving up pumpkins. Paying a great homage to Charlie Brown's Halloween special this episode manages to bring some truly great laughs. Last couple of minutes of this episode get really crazy. Watching giant pumpkin fighting giant turkey seems like the type of craziness that the Simpsons was known back in the day.

Favorite quote/conversation
Nelson - "Touch me and I'll cut your friend."
The Grand Pumpkin - "What do I care? That's a yellow pumpkin."
Nelson - "You are Racist."
The Grand Pumpkin - "All pumpkins are racist. The difference is that I admit it.

9."The HΩmega Man," Treehouse of Horror VIII

Homer is easily the best character on The Simpsons, so a whole Halloween segment following Homer can't be anything but great (I guess this was only true for first 10 seasons). In this episode The French launch a nuclear bomb towards Springfield, and only one dude is left alive - Homer Simpson. Homer takes advantage if being last man on Earth, however soon we find out that he is not actually last men alive since story goes in zombie territory and Homer gets chased by mutated residents of Springfield. This episode is a parody of movie The Omega Man (based on Richard Matheson's book I am Legend).

Favorite quote/conversation
Herman - "Now, this baby is called 'The Withstandinator.' It can take a six megaton blast. No more, no less."

Comic Book Guy - "But Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills! You're from two different worlds!'' (He sees the nuclear missile headed straight for him.) ''Ohhh, I've wasted my life." 

8. Clown Without Pity - Treehouse of Horror III

Clown Without Pity is a parody of one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes titled Living Doll. So in this episode the role Krusty the clown doll is equivalent of Talky Tina doll from that Twilight Zone episode. This segment pretty much plays the same way as Living Doll plays out. Krusty doll is constantly trying to kill Homer when no one is in Homer's presence, so naturally no one believes Homer that doll is trying to kill him. This is not the only Twilight Zone spoof that the Simpsons, and among those parodies it is the funniest. What I really like about this episode is the very conclusion which is so stupid that its brilliant (doll was set on evil).

Favorite quote/conversation

Grandpa Simpsons - “That doll is EVIL, I tells ya. EVIL. EEEEEEVVVVIILLLLL.”
Bart - “Grandpa, you said that about all the presents.”
Grandpa Simpsons - “I just want attention…”

7. The Devil and Homer Simpson - Treehouse of Horror IV

In this episode Homer states that he would sell his soul for a donut. The Devil (who is revealed to be Ned Flanders) offers Homer a contact to seal the deal. Homer figures out that if he doesn't eat the entire donut The Devil won't be able to take his soul. Unfortunately while half-asleep Homer eats the final piece of doughnut that he put in the refrigerator. Marge and Lisa plead with Ned not to take Homer's soul getting him to agree to give Homer a trial.
It is a classic Halloween segment that hits all the right notes from Ned Flanders unexpectedly playing the Devil to the trial being held by Jury of the Damned (consisted of Lizzie Borden, Benedict Arnold and the starting line of the 1976 Philadelphia Flyers). Conclusion is very heartwarming since the Devil can't have Homer's soul, because he's already pledged it to Marge. Overall a well rounded Treehouse of Horror segment.

Favorite quote/conversation

Marge - "Homer, stop picking at it."
Homer - "But I'm so sweet and tasty!"

6. Bart Simpson's Dracula - Treehouse of Horror IV

After Bart gets bit by Mr. Burns he turns into vampire. very soon a bunch of Springfield residents turn into vampires. Lisa then figures out that everyone will turn back if she kill the Head Vampire. Aside from being very funny this segment is also very creepy. When I was growing up for some reason this segment really scared me, particularly the scene when Bart was hovering outside of Lisa's bedroom window. And the twist revolving around who is the Head Vampire probably stands as one of my favorite surprises form any Halloween segment. Also Mr. Burns makes an excellent (pun intended) Dracula. 

Favorite quote/conversation

Kent Brockman: "Another local peasant has been found dead, drained of his blood with two teeth marks on his throat. This black cape was found on the scene.'' (The cape reads "Dracula.") "Police are baffled."
Chief Wiggum: "We think we're dealing with a supernatural being, most likely a mummy. As a precaution I've ordered the Egyptian wing of the Springfield museum destroyed."

Lisa - "The only way to get Bart back is to kill the head vampire: Mr. Burns!"
Homer - "Kill my boss? Do I dare to live out the American dream?"

5. Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace - Treehouse of Horror VI

Doing a parody of a movie series that has become a parody of itself seems like a hard work. However Simpsons manage to do a great parodz of Nightmare on Elm Street. After Groundskeeper Willie dies in an accident at a PTA meeting he vows to get revenge on everyone by killing their children. He then takes the role of Freddy and starts hunting children in their dreams. In this Haloween segment is where The Simpsons really got a chance to be really creative. Some of the dream sequences involve some of the most inventive bits of animation that Ive ever seen on The Simpsons. 

Favorite quote/conversation

Marge - "It all started on the 13th hour of the 13th day of the 13th month. We were there to discuss the misprinted calendars the school had purchased."
Homer - "Lousy Smarch weather."

4. Dial Z for Zombies - Treehouse of Horror III

The Simpsons did several zombie parodies over the years, but the best one is easily Dial "Z" for Zombies. This episode starts out as a parody of two classic horror movies Night of the Living Dead and Pet Cemetery, before eventually getting into Simpsons own type of craziness. Doing a riff on zombie movie genre offers a lot of possibilities and this segment didn't disappoint. Some of the funny bits in this segment include all of the different incantations used to revive and destroy the zombies.

Favorite quote/conversation
Homer (while killing zombies) - "Take that, Washington! Eat lead, Einstein! Show's over, Shakespeare!" Zombie Shakespeare - "Is this the end of Zombie Shakespeare?!"

Bart - "Dad, you killed the zombie Flanders!"
Homer - "He was a zombie?"

3. Citizen Kang - Treehouse of Horror VII

Since my major is in political science I really appreciated all of the small in-jokes in this episode regarding election system in the US. Kang and Kodos take over bodies of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole (presidential candidate) in order get elected as president and rule the Earth. This episode parodies in a great way Presidential elections and politics in general. The Simpsons don't really go that often for topical political humor, so it was quite refreshing to see a Treehouse of Horror segment that deals with politics. This episode has plenty of clever moments and funny lines.

Favorite quote/conversation
Kodos (as Clinton) - "My fellow Americans: As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball. But tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom."

Homer Simpson: "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos."

2. Time and Punishment - Treehouse of Horror V

Homer accidentally creates a time machine wile trying to fix a toaster. He then finds out the implications of even smallest changes in the past to a future situation. What Homer does in the past leads to an exploration of some incredible what if scenarios in The Simpsons world. Some of the more memorable present day changes include a giant sized Simpsons family, the sky raining donuts... It is truly an incredible and funny episode that I consider for the longest time as my favorite, but over the time it was bumped to a second place by another segment. 

Favorite quote/conversation

Maggie, speaking in James Earl Jones' voice  -  ''This is indeed a disturbing universe.''

Homer - “OK, don’t panic. Remember the advice your father gave you on your wedding day."
Abe Simpson in Homer's taught bubble - “If you ever travel back in time, don't step on anything, because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can't imagine."

1. The Shinning - Treehouse of Horror V

This segment was the part of what I consider to be the best Treehouse of Horror episode. Often described as best Haloween segment, it is also my favorite Treehouse of Horror segment. This one was the most memorable for me and I have some really fond memories of this particular segment. As title pretty much says it this episode parodies Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, and being that Kubrick's movie is one of my favorite horror movies I really appreciated all of references to that classic. Moe as a ghost, Willie playing a weird version of Dick Hallorann. The Simpsons often do parodies of famous movies but none is better than this one. It is easily one of the most quotable Simpsons Halloween segments.

Favorite quote/conversation

Groundskeeper Willy - "Boy... you read my thoughts! You've got the Shinning."
Bart Simpson - "You mean "Shining."
Groundskeeper Willy "Shh! You want to get sued?"

Homer Simpson - "Well, what do you think, Marge? All I need is a title. I was thinking along the lines of... No TV and no beer make Homer something, something."
Marge - "Go crazy?"
Homer Simpson - "Don't mind if I do!"

Thoughts on 87th Academy Awards

So another Academy Award passed and this one was just OK. There weren't any big surprises, and there weren't any fuck ups either. And to be honest I wanted to see something weird, I wanted to see do something controversial. I plan on doing a list on some of my favorite Oscar fuck ups, so more about that would be in other blog. I did my predictions blog in late January and well I did decently, but I missed the mark on some big categories. Out of 23 categories I got 17 correct. I was wrong on best director and best director, I though that Boyhood was going to win since it received most praise and won most awards prior to the Oscars. However I couldn't be happier that Birdman won, since it was my favorite film of 2014. I was really happy to see it win award in this two category.

 Another big category that I guessed wrong was best actor. We all knew that iw would be between Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne. Ive picked Keaton since I enjoyed his performance more, and I also felt that Academy would go with veteran actor who probably wonćt have that many opportunities to win an award. Instead Academy went with Redmayne who gave amazing emotional and physical performance. Other acting categories were not surprising. J.K. Simmons and Patricia Arquette won  awards in their respective supporting categories, and deservedly so. Julianne Moore won for best actress, although I would have preferred if Rosamund Pike had won it.

I also guessed wrong in animated movie category. The fact that The LEGO movie, which I felt was by far the best animated movie, didn't even get nominated really made this category kind of bullshit. I've seen all of the nominees in this category and to be honest the two movies that I liked the most had pretty much no chances of winning - The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and Song of the Sea. I've picked How to Train Your Dragon 2 since it won at the Golden Globes and was getting most of the buzz. And I factored in the fact that Dreamworks is in financial problems and that they really needed that win. At the end of the day it was no surprise that Disney won it for Big Hero 6.

 All of the short subject and technical awards I guessed right, The other two categories I've guessed wrong were best editing for which I choose Boyhood but it went to a movie I preferred for this award Whiplash, and in best original score.
Neil Patrick Harris was a decent host, most of his jokes worked very well although they were a bit on the safe side. Opening music number was decent, even though at this point I'm really tired of those arbitrary musical numbers. The whole running joke thing with the briefcase I really didn't like.
As far as speeches go there weren't any weird ones. Probably the funniest one was the dude that won an award in best foreign film category for Ida. He was being really sincere and funny, but probably the best thing about his speech was that he simply wasn't going away even after music played him off. Eddie Redmayne had probably the most sincere reaction to winning award releasing some really weird sounds of joy. Inarritu who was up on the stage three times and each time he played it really cool and he had a really good speech inserting a joke every once in a while.
As far as fashion goes I'm not really an expert and I can't give an insight on it, but I swear to God J. Lo was wearing the same dress as she was wearing at Golden Globes where that whole thing with Jeremy Renner's joke happened

 Overall it was a good show, it wasn't a train-wreck as far as the host goes but after that year when James Franco and Anne Hathaway anything is a huge improvement. At least there were no cringe worthy moments and I guess that is enough for this type of award show. I was really happy that Birdman won since it has been a long time since a movie I really felt it was the best of that year actually won a best picture.

Favorite Academy Award winning performances - supporting actor

Since Oscars have just finished I decided to highlight some of my favorite winning performances and movies. First up I will highlight some of my favorite performances in supporting category (5 male and 5 female), then in leading roles category and at the end I will do my top 10 favorite Oscar winning pictures. 

5. Heath Ledger (posthumous) - The Dark Knight - The Joker

There hasn't been a transformation that impressed me more that Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. When it was first announced that he was going to play the Joker everyone was baffled (myself included), sure he had proven himself as a good actor but he didn't seem like a good choice for the role. However once movie came out we were all blown away. He was completely absorbed in the role of the Joker and he was completely unrecognizable. If I didn't know previously that he was going to play the Joker I would have never guessed that it was Heath Ledger playing him. His acting and transformation was that impressive. 

4. Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men - Anton Chigurh

 No Country for Old Men is my favorite Coen brothers movie. There is not a single bad performance in this movie, but a true standout was Javier Bardem. In this movie he plays serial killer who seems like a quiet dude with a funny hair, but when you see him speak with other people and his demeanor he becomes one of the scariest characters I've ever seen. Scene bellow shows in the best way the weirdness and the greatness of his performance.

 

3. Kevin Spacey - The Usual Suspects - Roger "Verbal" Kint

I put this with one caveat that this is not actually a supporting performance. Seriously no one had more screen time in this movie than Kevin Spacey. This is not the first time that Academy did this. Spacey played this character so well that none of us saw that ending twist coming. Even though his performance was a bit subdued it was still enjoyable to watch. It was a great performance and a well deserved win.

2. Robert De Niro - The Godfather Part II - Vito Corleone

Robert De Niro is one of the finest actors out there, and his performance in Godfather II was one of his more impressive roles. His portrayal of young Vito Corleone is one of those performances that stay with you for a long time. An amazing actor giving a performance for ages, what is there not to like.

1. Joe Pesci - Goodfellas - Tommy DeVito

There isn't a more memorable performance for me than that of Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. Even though this role was tailor made for Joe Pesci it doesn't really take away from its greatness. He managed to make me laugh almost in every scene he was in, but even when he played it seriously he was really impressive. Maybe he didn't have to stretch a lot for this role, but for me this is my favorite supporting actor winning performance.

Top 10 South Park episodes

   Since I did a top 10 of the Simpsons episodes it seems natural to do a top 10 of some other animated shows that I really like. First up - South Park. Unlike the Simpsons South Park managed to stay really good even after so many years. They are still making episodes that can rank up with the classic ones it is just that there are more duds in the last couple of seasons than there were in earlier ones. 

10. The Losing Edge - season 9, episode 5    

    This episode probably won't show up on that many top 10 lists, but for some reason I really enjoyed this episode a lot. Randy Marsh is one of my favorite characters and this episode puts Randy in the spotlight. In this episode the boys try to lose baseball games on purpose so they would avoid playing baseball all summer. However all of the other teams from little league are trying to lose as well. A side plot from this episode revolves around Randy who trains to fight the other fathers at the games. The side plot involving Randy includes some of my favorite Randy moments of the entire show, and this episode gave birth to my favorite Randy line - "I thought this was America." This episode also brings back Kyle's cousin Kyle Swartz, that annoying kid who is pretty much terrible at everything.

Favorite quote/conversation
 

Cartman: At this point in the baseball movie, they usually get a really sweet player to help them win the championship.
Kyle: Like the motorcycle kid in Bad News Bears? 
Cartman: Yeah! So we need a player who totally sucks ass. 

9. 200 and 201 - season 14, episodes 5 and 6

    At number 9 I actually have two episodes since they don't really go without each other. As a celebration of their 200 episode Matt Stone and Trey Parker decided to do a 2 part special, in which they brought back a whole bunch of characters from previous season, biggest highlight being Scott Tenorman. When Stan insults Tom Cruise by calling him a fudge packer. This starts a chain reaction which leads to 200 previously ridiculed celebrities filing a lawsuit against the town of South Park. And when you add ginger kids, Muhammad and Mecha-Streisand to the mix you are sure to see some insanity to the screen. These two episodes reminded me of so many great episodes from previous seasons, it was just amazing to see some of the old forgotten characters. Mephisto that mad scientist who was very prominent in those first couple of season didn't really come up in that many episodes after season 5, so it was cool to see him back since he was one of those side characters that I really liked. Probably the best part of this episode was bringing back of Scott Tenorman and basically going the full circle by revealing him as Cartman's father.  



Favorite quote/conversation

Kyle Broflovski: You see, I learned something today. Throughout this whole ordeal, we've all wanted to show things that we weren't allowed to show, but it wasn't because of some magic goo. It was because of the magical power of threatening people with violence. That's obviously the only true power. If there's anything we've all learned, it's that terrorizing people works.
Jesus Christ: That's right. Don't you see, gingers? If you don't want to be made fun of anymore, all you need are guns and bombs to get people to stop.
Santa Claus: That's right, friends. All you need to do is instill fear and be willing to hurt people and you can get whatever you want. The only true power is violence.

8. Major Boobage - season 12, episode 3

    South Park doesn't try to have parts of the episode in another animation style that often, but when they do they really make something special. Plot of this episode revolves around a new method of getting high - being sprayed with urine from male cats as a defense mechanism. Once Kenny gets high he descends into a surreal world where he is surrounded by breast. This dreamlike segment pays a great homage to that all animated movie Heavy Metal. There were some really imaginative things going in this imaginary world. Soon the new method of getting high (dubbed cheesing) becomes very prominent in the town. The idea of getting high from a liquid that cats produce when they mark their territory is pretty funny to begin with, and they managed to do some interesting things with this idea.

Favorite quote/conversation

Major Boobage: [Gerald is getting undressed to have an affair with Major Boobages Daughter] Hold, You cannot caress My Daughters awesome Boobage!
Gerald Broflovski: Aww, why not?
Major Boobage: There is a Suiter...
[Kenny appears]
Gerald Broflovski: [Angrily] What, get outta here, Kid!
[Kenny flips the bird, and muffles at Him irritably]
Gerald Broflovski: ... no, you're too young for this!
Major Boobage: The Fate of these two will be decided at the Breastry Area in Nippopolis!

7. Cartman Joins NAMBLA - season 4, episode 5

      In this episode Cartman decides not to hang out with other boys anymore. He feels that he is way too mature to play with them, so he seeks a more mature company to play with. By accident he joins NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association). South Park was always known for being a show that pushes boundaries and really deals with some issues that most other shows never dare to deal with. This time it was pedophilia, and weirdly enough this wasn't the only episode from this season that had something to do with pedophilia.
     Most people will agree that Cartman is the best character of South Park, and usually episodes that have Cartman at their center are most of the time some of the best South Park episodes. This is definitely one of them.

Favorite quote/conversation

Cartman: [chatting with an older man] "I'm eight and a half inches." Whoa, this guy's tiny. He must be a dwarf.
[types]
Cartman: I don't want to be friends with a midget. Midgets piss me off." Frowny-face.

6. The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers - season 6, episode 13

    South Park did some really great episodes that parody some of the famous movies and Return of the Fellowship is one of the best. The boys embark on a mission to return "The Lord of the Rings" to the Two Towers video store. What they didn't know is that instead of a copy of Lord of the Rings movie they are actually carrying a porn video Backdoor Sluts 9. Butters who actually saw the video becomes entranced by the tape and essentially becomes a Gollum of this story. They are also being chased by 5th graders on bikes who also wanted to get their hands on the porn vid.  The references to the Lord of the Rings are simply great and very imaginative.  

Favorite quote/conversation

Eric Cartman: And so the party journeyed onward: the great Wizard, the skillful Ranger, and the covetous Jew.
Kyle Broflovski: I'm a Paladin, Cartman!
Eric Cartman: Jews can't be Paladins.

5. Good Times with Weapons - season 8, episode 1

    Good times with Weapons is another South Park episode where they did parts of the episode in different animation style, in fact most of the episode is done in Japanese anime style. The boys get "transformed" into Japanese warriors after they buy martial arts weapon at local market. Butters sees the boys and he wants to play with them, but they refuse. He then puts on his cape and helmet in becomes his other persona Professor Chaos. This episode parodies in a great way anime but also in a way pays a great homage to that style of storytelling and animation. I remember that I was really blown away by the animation in this episode. On the top of that this episode was actually hilarious. Watching a simple game that boys have played getting so exaggerated by presenting it in a ridiculous anime fashion was really entertaining. And who can forget that song - Let's fighting love.




Favorite quote/conversation

Cartman: Okay. Go ahead, Kyle. Throw your nun-chucks away. If you can. But you know damn well that your Jewish blood won't let you. You can't throw away something you paid fifteen bucks for. Go ahead and try. Mel Gibson was right, Kyle. Right now the Jew in you is screaming 'No! Those cost money! Get your money back!' You know this to be true. Go ahead. Prove Mel Gibson wrong, Kyle. Do it. 

4. Imaginationland trilogy - season 11, episodes 10-12

    It seems a cheat to put three episodes at one spot but in this case it is justified. I always looked at Imaginationland as a short movie. In fact whenever I watch it I watch it as a whole.
   After Cartman swears that he saw a leprechaun, majority of the kids from the class come to woods in search of said leprechaun. Kyle is of course the one who doesn't believe Cartman's story. Eventually they've found a leprechaun but he disappears. Later on a man takes boys onto his flying machine in order to tell them the truth about leprechaun, and thus brings them to Imaginationland - a place where all of the imaginary critter and people ever imagined lived. terrosts then attack Imaginationland. So it is upt Pentagon to find out who attacked Imaginationland. It all leads up to a big fight between imagination forces of good and evil. Ever since Matt and Trey made South Park Bigger, Longer and Uncut I always wanted to see another feature length movie. I never got one, but this multiple episodes story arcs did a good job of providing me with some great entertainment. From all the hilarious moments from this episode, the most memorable was the part when three of the as they said most imaginative directors are getting interviewed (M. Night, Michael Bay and Mel Gibson). 

Favorite quote/conversation

Military Leader: We need you, M. Night Shyamalan, to come up with ideas to stop the terrorists.
M. Night Shyamalan: What if it turns out, that they aren't terrorists, but that they are werewolves, from the future?
Military Leader: No, they are terrorists, they've been linked to Al Qaeda. 
M. Night Shyamalan: But what if Al Qaeda is the group terrorized, by aliens?
Military Leader: That's not an idea, that's a twist. We need ideas.
M. Night Shyamalan: How about, that we make everyone believe that we are being terrorized, but really, we were already dead.

Eric Cartman: By the way, I should tell you that I haven't had a chance to shower while making my way up here. My balls are.....extra vinegary.

3. The Wacky Molestation Adventure - season 4, episode 16

     This episode is probably surprisingly high on this list, since it is not widely considered to be one of the greatest South Park episodes, but for me this episode is something special. I generally like alternative settings and what if scenarios. In this episode we get to see what happens to town of South Park when there are no parents. In this episodes Cartman gets four tickets for Raging Pussies concert and all of the boys want to go, however none of their parents would allow them to do so. Cartman comes up with a plan to call a police and accuse parents of as his says "molestering". Soon all the kids around the town decide to get rid of their parents in the same way.
      Later on we are introduced to a out of town couple who are having a car trouble and are seeking a help in South Park. There they find out that kids are running the town and lets just say that shit hit the fan. This basically South Park's parody of children of the Corn. In this lets say new South Park kids are fighting over a book, and whoever doesn't have it must sacrifice a tribe member. This is definitely one of the crazier South park episodes.  For me some of the funniest scenes were revolving around the parents and their reeducation in prison about not molesting their children.

Favorite quote/conversation 
Kyle: What's "bad touch"? 
Cartman: Something 'bout a swimsuit, I don't remember, but you definitely answer "bad touch"!

2. Scott Tenorman Must Die - season 5, episode 4

By most of the fans of South Park regarded as a the very best episode of South Park, it is only number 2 on my list. :) There isn't that much to be said about the brilliance of this episode that already hasn't been said. We get to see Cartman get humiliated By Scott Tenorman throughout majority of this episode. And every plan Cartman had to get back at Scott Tenorman backfired. That is until the end. Even up at until that amazing end the episode was pretty funny and interesting, but I believe that the ending of this episode is what truly made it great. We get to see the true evil side side of the Cartman.




Favorite quote/conversation

Cartman: Yes, I'm afraid this isn't your chili, Scott. I switched it with Chef's. It's delicious, Chef. I hadn't planned on that. What I did plan on, however, was that my friends, Stan and Kyle, would betray me and warn you that the Chili Con Carnival was a trap.
Cartman: I assumed that they would tell you that I had trained Denkins' pony to bite off your weiner. What they didn't tell you was that Denkins is a crazy redneck who shoots trespassers on sight. Knowing that you would try and do something to the pony, I warned Mr. Denkins that violent pony killers were in the area. I also knew that you wouldn't go yourself, for fear of having your weiner bitten off. You would most likely send your parents. And, I'm afraid that when Mr. Denkins spotted them on his property, he shot and killed both your parents.
Scott Tenorman: My... mom and dad are... dead?
Cartman: I came just in time to see Mr. Denkins giving his report to Officer Barbrady. And of course, to steal the bodies. After a night with the hacksaw, I was all ready to put on my Chili Con Carnival, so that I could tell you personally about your parents' demise! And of course, feed you your chili. Do you like it? Do you like it, Scott? I call it, "Mr. & Mrs. Tenorman Chili." 

Kyle: Dude, I think it might be best for us to never piss Cartman off again.

1. Make Love, Not Warcraft - season 10, episode 8

    You probably saw this coming, but it is hard to argue against the quality of Make Love, Not Warcraft. This is the episode I've watched about 10 times and each time it makes me laugh really hard. It is consistently funny all the way through. It pokes fun at the on line gaming but it also in a way shows appreciation for this type of game. Interestingly enough Blizzard Entertainment actually collaborated with South Park creators on this episode. They actually crafted the machinima for this episode. In spite of that they didn't really go easy on both them and the game.
    Now that I have finished this list it is pretty clear that I am a big fan of South Park episodes that introduce a new animation style. But it wasn't just that refreshing new animation that makes these episodes great. It was what they actually do with that animation that makes it great. And on the top of that they make them really hilarious. For a while I was going back and forth as far as number 1 and number 2 spots on my list go, but ultimately I went with Make Love which didn't have as interesting of a story that Scott Tenorman had but it was in my book much funnier.

Favorite quote/conversation
Kyle: Wow, look at all these people playing right now! 
Cartman: Yeah, it's bull crap. I bet half of these people are Koreans!

Martyrs

Martyrs is one of those truly weird horror movies that because of what it tries to do and say is extremely polarizing. It is one of those movies that is definitely not for squeamish since there are some really hard to watch torture scenes, pretty much the last 30 minutes are one extended torture scene. 

 

The plot itself focuses on a young woman Lucy who breaks into a house of seemingly normal family and kills them all. We then find out that she was actually a victim of abuse when she was a child, and that she the people she killed were actually her tormentors. She is late joined by her friend Anna who was also abused as a child. Anna questions Lucy's sanity and wonders whether or not the people she killed were actually the ones responsible for the abuse. Lucy keeps getting attacked by a weird creature that we later find out what it actually represents and whether or not if it is real, which I'm not going to reveal. There is about half way through a turning point of the film where movie switches gears and becomes something else. 

Actually the one thing that brought most of the debate, and why some people consider this movie brilliant were the last 10 minutes or so. I'm not going to reveal what happens but I'm pretty sure that some people would be baffled by the scene and some were consider it kind of genius. It doesn't really give a flat out answer to a question that it is posing, but there is definitely some thing to take away from that last scene.

The reason why I decided to watch this film was actually due to the fact that I was curious to see what was so polarizing about it. A day before this movie I was watching Irreversible which is another movie that got mixed reviews that range from calling it genius to those that call it cheap exploitation. That movie had about a 9 minute rape scene, which forced some people to stop watching any further. I was in case of that movie on the side of the people who consider it great. Martyrs also got the similar reputation so I was really curious to see what was all the fuss about. 

As far as my opinion of Martyrs goes I'm somewhere in the middle. I felt the opening was really strong, providing intense introduction and building an atmosphere in a nice way. There are definitely some questions being raised in the first half of this movie. Then the extensive torture scene starts, which I felt really brought down the movie for me. The torture scene itself didn't really bother me all that much. What actually bothered me was the fact that way too long and to be frank very boring for me. I felt that they unnecessarily lingered on that scene for way to long. They actually brought it back with that last 10 minutes when they introduced some really interesting ideas. I do have some problems whit the message that it tries to convey, but lets just say that my opinion has to do with my beliefs.

Overall an interesting film, which I probably wouldn't recommend to everyone but a movie that it will really make you think.

Better Call Saul - "Uno" and "Mijo" reviews

I am generally skeptical about spin-off shows. There weren't that many of them that worked. Frasier is probably one of the most successful  ones that in certain aspects even surpassed show that was spun-off from (Cheers). I am also not a fan of prequels, this mostly has to the with the fact that I associate this word with new Star Wars movies. So when I've heard that they were making a Breaking Bad spin-off that will be set before events in Breaking Bad, I was immediately skeptical. Show focused on Saul seems like the best idea, since it can differentiate itself from Breaking Bad by being more humorous. Also the fact that most of the original writing cast worked on Better Call Saul gave me high hopes for it. I was a big fan of Bob Odenkirk ever since his sketch comedy show - Mr. Show.

First two episodes of Better call Saul were pretty good. I will now talk a little bit about first episode and then I will give my opinion on second episode. And just to be safe, there are going to be some spoilers so - SPOILER ALERT. 

First episode called "Uno" begins in a very cool black and white style. First couple of minutes that were done in black and white actually show what happened to Saul after the events that happened in Breaking Bad. He is actually working at Cinnabon in Omaha, Nebraska. It was really depressing to see what happened to Saul, he was just another victim of everything Walt did. After those first couple of minutes we are sent back to year 2002 (about six years before Saul meets Walter White) where Jimmy McGill (Saul's birth name) woks as public defender. At the beginning we were introduced to Saul's lawyer world. We get to see whit what he had to deal on a daily bases. Complaining about being payed too little for its work, dealing with a crotchety parking lot attendant (Mike Ehrmantraut), and his credit car being declined. 

He also has to deal with his brother Chuck (Michael McKean - another great comedian) who is forced to leave his job at his own law firm due to electromagnetic hypersensitivity as he describes it. Then he encounters two twins who are trying to put a scam on him, by "accidentally" getting hit by Jimmy's car.It is a good opening episode, that provided us with a good introduction to Jimmy McGil (Saul). Style and writing of the show is similar to that of Breaking Bad, which is a good thing. It is a good thing that they've kept almost all of the original writing stuff, which makes this show shine as much as Breaking Bad did writing wise. I also liked that this episode moved at a steady pace, there weren't that many drawn-out scenes that left me inpatient. In the first episode we weren't introduced to some interesting side characters (Saul's brother might be the one however). So far Mike has been reduced to a couple of lines, so I'm hoping that we are going to see more of him in the following episodes.

In the next episode called Mijo we get introduced to some new characters. We also got to see one familiar face. Although it seemed a bit convenient to see Saul stumbled upon Tuco's house, I still didn't mind it all that much. They managed to do some interesting stuff with Tuco and Saul. Although since we know that both Tuco and Saul will live, the scene between two of them wasn't that tense. Nevertheless the dialog in that opening scene and later in the desert was simply amazing. It was also cool to see Tuco go into another of his crazy episodes, screaming like crazy. We were introduced to Nacho Varga (played by Michael Mando - he voiced Vaas in Far Cry 3), who seems to be an interesting character. What I really like about him that in spite of being a criminal he seems exceptionally intelligent. And since he is listed as one of the main characters, I will be looking forward to seeing what he is up to.

I feel that the whole dynamic between Jimmy/Saul and his brother Chuck could have some interesting implications. I think that their relationship could really help humanize Saul and show us that he is not just a sleazy lawyer. One of the minor problems that I had with this episode was the long and drawn-out scene in the restaurant. Overall this was amazing episode that is setting a stage in a nice way for things to come.

Even though the show covers some familiar ground, it still manages to by having some unique stuff happening differentiate itself from Breaking Bad.

RATINGS

"UNO" - 8.5/10

"MIJO" - 8.7/10

Top 5 weakest Breaking Bad episodes

After doing top 10 list of my favorite Breaking bad episode it seemed appropriate to make another list, of episodes I feel were the weakest. Generally speaking Breaking Bad had very few episode that can be even criticized. So instead of doing 10 I've decided to make a top 5, but I can't say that even these 5 were bad episodes. 

5. Fly - season 3 episode 10

This is probably the most polarizing episode of Breaking Bad. A lot of people consider this one to be the very worst, and on the other side you have people who think that is brilliant. I land somewhere in the middle. The first time I watched this episode I've really hated it, granted I was zoning out a little bit while I was watching but nevertheless I didn't like it. When I watched it the second time I learned to really appreciate it.  This one is what you call a "bottle episode" taking place entirely in one room (lab in this case). Since Walt's and Jesse's meth yields keep running short  So majority of this episode is spent on Walt trying to catch this fly, and it is pretty clear why people would find this sequence boring. However I felt that this episode showcased in a great way how obsessive Walt can get. In spite some good character stuff and a scene where Walt almost tells Jesse that he watched Jane die this still pretty much felt like filler episode.

4. Bit by a Dead Bee - Season 2, Episode 3

After everything that happened with Tuco in previous episode, Walt and Jesse have to go home and explain where they have been all night. So they come up with some  alibis, Jesse get shacked up with a hooker, and Walt walked into store completely naked so that he can attribute his disappearance to mental lapse. The main reason why this episode is on this list is because I cant think of any memorable scenes from this episode. After the death of Tuco in previous episode of this season (great episode BTW), the show I felt really slowed down. It was pretty obvious that they were trying to build a new story arc but it took them a while to actually get to interesting stuff. It was not until the introduction of Saul that this season really hit it off for me. 


3.I.F.T. - Season 3, Episode 3

This episode didn't really capture my attention all the way through, it felt very ADD with all the jumping between the characters. Everything revolving around Jesse and his troubles with coming to terms with his girlfriend's death felt really uninteresting for me early on. Sure it was necessary to show Jesse coping with death of his girlfriend but I feel that they lingered on it way too much. This episode probably solidified the case for the all Skyler haters (see scene bellow)



2. Green Light - Season 3, Episode 4

Green Light is another episode that didn't really move the plot a whole lot. After Walt finds out that Skyler was cheating on him with her boss Ted he pays a visit to Ted's office. Then Walt goes to Ted's office and there he has one of more hilarious meltdowns. That was for me the most memorable part of this episode, and that is saying something. Some development is actually made when Jesse decides to make his own batch of meth and sell it to Gus. Walt call his batch substandard which pisses off Jesse. The only reason why Gus decided to agree to purchase was to lure Walt to work for him. As attested by previous episode, and this one as well, first few episodes of season 3 haven't been that fun to watch. There just has been very little payoff to things happening early on in this episode. Another thing that really brought down this episode and made it somewhat hard to watch  was Hanks collapse into PTSD, it was just way to depressing to watch. 

1. Open House - Season 4, Episode 3

And finally here we have my least favorite episode of the entire Breaking Bad series. Season 4 is probably my second favorite season overall (season 5 part 2 is my favorite). But before getting to a very climactic finish with episodes filled with tension, we had to go trough some that were not really tension filled. One of these episodes was Open House. For me the biggest fail of this episode was that it focused way to much on Marie and her kleptomania. For me Marie was one of the most uninteresting characters of the show. The whole ordeal with her going trough houses on sale and stealing things inside those houses was neither particularly funny nor that interesting to merit more than a one minute or two of screen time. At the beginning of season 3 we had to watch Jesse cope with his girlfriends' death. At the beginning of season 3 we had to watch him dealing with killing an innocent man. The show just cant give Jesse a break. It was hard watching Jesse going through the same phases of depression And this episode had one of those rare parties, depicted in either movies or TV show, which I wouldn't want to attend even if someone payed me. It was that unappealing. Just like with every Breaking Bad episode there was still some great acting and writing. The way in which Skyler planed and pulled off buying a car wash was really clever.

Top 10 Breaking Bad Episode

sBreaking Bad is one of my favorite shows of all time. This show and The Wire always go back and forth for that number 1 all time favorite spot. The fact that Better Call Saul is starting soon, it really made me think about certain scenes and episodes of Breaking Bad. So I've decided to devise a list of my all time favorite episodes. And this goes without saying, but there are going to be some major spoilers for the show.

10. Crazy Handful of Nothin' - Season 1, Episode 6

 The Pilot for this show was really strong, but it wasn't until this episode that I was really sold on Breaking Bad. This episode would be mostly remembered for the meeting between Tuco and Walt, and that whole "This is not meth" scene. And that scene in the car afterwards, where that adrenaline really hit him is often described as a scene where that whole Heisenberg transformation of Walter White started. 

Favorite quote/conversation
Walter: "Let's get something straight. This – the chemistry – is my realm. I am in charge of the cooking. Out there on the street, you deal with that. As far as our customers go, I don't want to know anything about them. I don't need to see them. I don't want to hear from them. I want no interaction with them whatsoever. This operation is you and me, and I'm the silent partner. You got any issues with that?"
Jesse: "Whatever, man."
Walter: "No matter what happens, no more bloodshed. No violence."

9.  Half Measures - Season 3, Episode 12

This episode had to be on the list since my favorite Mike scene is in it. You know the one, where Mike tells Walt his cop story - sending him the message to never go the Half Measure. I really liked Mike even before this scene, but this scene made me appreciate Mike as a character even more. We also at the end of this episode see Walter take matters in his own hand by brutally killing two drug dealers. A one simple word that Walt said to Jesse after all of this still sends the chill to my spine - "Run".

 

Favorite quote/conversation
Mike: "The moral of the story is: I chose a half-measure when I should have gone all the way. I'll never make that mistake again. No more half-measures, Walter."


8. Full Measure - Season 3, Episode 13

This episode follows the circumstances of Walt killing two drug dealers (Gus's men) in previous episode. The entire opening scene with Walt and Gus in the desert reminded me of one of those old school westerns. Gus is mad with Walt, which pretty much sends him the signal that Gus will try to get rid of them. And since Gale (Waltćs lab assistant) pretty much learned the process of making meth, they are now replaceable. So the only way, as they see it, is to kill Gale so that Gus wouldn't have nothing else to do but rehire them. All of this leads to scene bellow. 

Favorite quote/coversation
Walter: [answers phone] "Yeah?"
Mike: "Walter, you see us?"
Walter: "Yeah, I see you."
Mike: "I'd like you to exit your vehicle and start walking toward us."
Walter: "And then what? I'm gonna need some...some kind of assurance."
Mike: "I assure you I could kill you from way over here if it makes you feel any better."

7. Salud - Season 4, Episode 10

It pretty much goes without saying, but Gus Fring is hands down the best villain of this series (that is if you don't count Walt as villain). You can say that this episode was tailor made for all the fans of Gus Fring. Majority of this episode is focused on Gus's visit to Mexico. Main reason for his trip to Mexico was to visit Don Eladio, and as we find out killing all of them. He actually put poison in tequila which he drank as well. As we get to see in the very next episode he planed how to take poison out of his system. Performance wise this was Giancarlo Esposito's strongest episode. 

Favorite quote/conversation
Jesse: "What is this shit? I don't get a vote? I'm supposed to just stay down here forever?"
Mike: "I promise you this: either we're all going home or none of us are. Now settle down."

6. To'hajiilee - Season 5, Episode 13

Second part of season five was consisted of some really strong episodes. This episode made it pretty apparent that we were getting really close to the end of the show. This episode gave birth to one of my favorite memes regarding Huell.

The ending of this episode provided us with one of the best cliffhangers of the show. It left fans debating over who actually made it out of that shootout.  

Favorite quote/conversation 
Hank: [over the phone] "Hey, baby. I got him. Dead to rights."
Marie: "You got Walt?"
Hank: "Yeah. I got him in handcuffs as we speak. Want me to wave to him for you? [waves at Walt, handcuffed in the car] Huh? Well, he's not, uh– he's not feeling too friendly."
Marie: "Oh, my God. You did it. Thank God."
Hank: "Things are gonna be a little rough for the next couple weeks, but they'll get better. Baby, you okay?"
Marie: "I'm much better now."
Hank: "I gotta go. It may be awhile before I get home. I love you."
Marie: "I love you too."

5. Felina - Season 5, Episode 16

The season finale gave the fans pretty much everything they wanted from the last episode. However for all of us who were devising theories about how will the show end there were literally no surprises. Sure there were hints and clues throughout the final season that helped us come up with the conclusion. That predictability is the only reason why this episode is not higher on this list. That being said there episode was amazing. Pretty much every scene worked great, from Jesse's recollection of making a wooden box, to Walt's visit of Elliot and Gretchen (the way in which Badger and Skinny Pete were brought back was amazing), to Walt's scene with Skyler (see below) up to final climax were all amazing.

 
Favorite quote/conversation
Walter: "Do it. You want this."
Jesse: "Say the words. Say you want this! Nothing happens until I hear you say it!"
Walter: "I want this."
Jesse: "Then do it yourself."

4.One Minute - Season 3, Episode 7

I have to admit I wasn't really digging the first couple of episodes of season 3, mainly because of the twins who are presented as the big bads of the season, but for me they felt rather weak. Basically every scene with them felt kind of weak for me. That was until the end of the episode which finished with a great showdown between Hank and Tuco's cousins. I remember that when I first watched this episode I honestly thought that Hank will get killed.  Every scene with Jesse in this episode was pure genius. Seeing Jesse all broken down (after getting beat by Hank) was really hearth-wrenching. If you want to watch any episode where Aaron Paul really excels acting wise, this is the one. 

 
Favorite quote /conversation

Walter: "So what happens now?"
Jesse: "What happens now? I'll tell you what happens now. Your scumbag brother-in-law is finished. Done. You understand? I will own him when this is over. Every cent he earns, every cent his wife earns is mine. Any place he goes, anywhere he turns, I'm gonna be there grabbing my share. He'll be scrubbing toilets in Tijuana for pennies and I'll be standing over him to get my cut. He'll see me when he wakes up in the morning and when he crawls to sleep in whatever rat hole is left for him after I shred his house down. I will haunt his crusty ass forever until the day he sticks a gun up his mouth and pulls the trigger just to get me out of his head. That's what happens next." 

3.Crawl Space -  Season 4, Episode 11

The ending scene alone is one of the main reasons to see this episode. Bryan Cranston's acting was particularly impressive in this episode, and that performance was really punctuated by the last three minutes when he is maniacally laughing. Another highlight of this episode was when Gus visits Hector to gloat over murder Don Eladio and other members of his cartel. This movie builds tension very well all the way throughout the episode, leading to a conclusion that pretty much suggest that Walt would have to go to extreme measures in order to survive. 

Favorite quote /conversation

Gus: "Hello, Hector. [Gus presents Hector with Don Eladio's necklace] All of them, Hector. Don Eladio, Don Paco, Cesar, Reynaldo, Ortuno, Cisco, and Luis. Escalara. All dead. As is your grandson, Joaquin. Do you know who killed Joaquin? Would you like to see? [Gus turns Hector to Jesse] This young man. Do you remember him? That young man shot Joaquin to death while I made my escape. I believe you have met him before. It was just you and Joaquin. He was the only family you had left. Now the Salamanca name dies with you. Will you look at me now? Look at me, Hector. Look at me."

2. Face Off - Season 4, Episode 13

And the result of those extreme measures we got to see in this episode. In a kill or be killed situation Walt decides to use a remote bomb in order to kill Gus. After his initial plan gets foiled, he goes to Hector as he becomes an important piece in his plan B (scene bellow). And we get to see what the whole stuffed bear with a half of his face blown off was foreshadowing.

 

Favorite quote /conversation
Walter: "It's over. We're safe". 
Skyler: "Was this you? What happened?"
Walter: "I won."

1. Ozymandias - Season 5, Episode 14

Picking number 1 for this list was probably the easiest choice for me. Ozymandias is one of those episodes that was both thrilling and very emotional and at certain points hard to watch. There were just too many great scenes in this episode to really pinpoint the favorite - Hank getting shot, Walt saying to Jesse that he watched Jane die, Walt's phone call to Skyler at the end of the episode... However my favorite scene was when Walt comes back home, after the whole Hank getting killed ordeal, and his whole argument and knife fight with Skyler. This scene was filled with so much tension that I didn't really know what to expect from it. This is probably one of the best episodes of any show I've ever seen in my life so far, and a hands down my favorite episode of Breaking Bad.