Springfield Googolplex: The Movie Podcast for Fans of The Simpsons

In the final episode of our musical miniseries, Adam and Nate tackle Richard Attenborough’s A Chorus Line (1985), the maligned movie adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning stage show that tells the true life stories of Broadway dancers trying to book their next job. It’s also the subject of a short but memorable Simpsons parody in “ Treehouse of Horror V ” (S6E6), which starts with a fog that turn...

Adam and Nate watch The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), a top-grossing musical comedy that barely exists. Burt Reynolds and Dolly Parton star as star-crossed lovers, a small-town sheriff and a madam, both trying to save the local brothel from a meddling media personality. Sound familiar? This movie/musical/true story inspired the plot of “ Bart After Dark ” (S8E5), one of Nate and Adam’s f...

What happens when a multiple Oscar-winning screenwriter and a Pulitzer Prize-winning director adapt a musical by one of the most successful Broadway duos of all time? An absolute disaster. Adam and Nate force themselves to watch Paint Your Wagon (1969), an infamous musical flop and part of the hilarious wraparound for Simpsons musical clip show, “ All Singing, All Dancing ” (S9E11). Also in this e...

Adam and Nate team up with ThatShelf.com senior critic Rachel West to unpack Mary Poppins (1964), and The Simpsons’ first full musical episode, “ Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious ” (S8E13). We explore what happens when the immovable dysfunction of the Simpson family meets a British nanny so perfect that her butt waxes the banister. Also in this episode: • Rachel talks about her lo...

Adam and Nate are joined by Simpsons writer and co-executive producer Michael Price to talk My Fair Lady (1964) and the parody episode he wrote, “ My Fair Laddy ” (S17E12). It’s a loverly musical transformation tale with theatrical flair, speak-singing, and questionable Cockney accents. Also in this episode: • How Michael brought his background in musical theater to the Simpsons writer’s room • Mi...

Adam and Nate start their tour of musical parodies on The Simpsons with On the Town (1949), known for being the first movie musical shot on location and better known as the inspiration for Bart and Milhouse’s Broadway-style Squishee bender in “ Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood ” (S5E8). Join Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and a third guy as they take New York City by storm! Also in this episode: • An ode to New...

Have you ever watched one of The Simpsons beloved musical numbers and been stumped by what the heck it’s parodying? Join Adam and Nate as they introduce a new miniseries all about the movies behind your favorite Simpsons musical numbers! Also in this episode: • The musical DNA of The Simpsons , from Matt Groening to Danny Elfman to Alf Clausen • How the show slowly bent its own rules to become a B...

In this non-denominational holiday episode, Nate and Adam are joined by special guest Daniel Baptista (co-host of The Movie Podcast ) as they revisit It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), one of the top 10 most referenced movies on The Simpsons . From saving the Leftorium to the highly specific disguises of Homer’s guardian angels to a documentary imagining a world without zinc, we’ve got a bevy of Simpso...

Adam and Nate look back on the journey so far through the wonderful world of Simpsons movie parodies. They compare the first batch of movies they watched together, and sum up what they’ve learned about film, parody, and The Simpsons . Also in this episode: • What movies and directors are referenced most on The Simpsons ? (The answer may surprise you.) • Exploring the full smorgasbord reference typ...

Adam and Nate explore Jerry Lewis’s The Nutty Professor (1963), who helped inspire the voice and look of Professor Frink on The Simpsons , mm-hey. It’s a colorful, cartoony comedy filled with inventive filmmaking and Rat-Pack swagger. But watching this retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, we can’t help but talk about Lewis’s real-life duality, too. Also in this episode: • Exploring the cinematogr...

Nate and Adam strap on their spooky names for a very special Halloween viewing of A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Wes Craven’s surreal, funny, and maybe even beautiful slasher. Join us as we take our first dip into that near-bottomless well of Simpsons parodies, “Treehouse of Horror,” with a segment from the sixth entry in the series, “Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace” (S7E6). Also in this episode...

Nate took Adam to Planet of the Apes (the movie, not the planet), one of the most thoroughly parodied movies on The Simpsons , after Citizen Kane . But will Adam resist its charms, or will Nate finally make a monkey out of him? Also in this episode: • One of the wildest movies to ever get a G rating from the MPAA • A deep dive into Troy McClure’s big musical comeback, arguably the greatest film pa...

This week, Nate and Adam revisit Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), our first of many Stanley Kubrick movies we will likely cover on the show, and a favorite of many Simpsons writers. You might remember it from such Simpsons episodes as “Homer the Vigilante” (S5E11) and “Sideshow Bob’s Last Gleaming” (S7E9). Also in this episode: • Is this the best comedy...

This week, Nate shares one of his favorite childhood films with Adam, The Karate Kid (1984). Immortalized by The Simpsons in “Dead Putting Society” (S2E6), this VHS classic brings together a potent mix of eighties style, karate action, and touching drama. You’re the best! Also in this episode: • Early Bart as a stand-in for Matt Groening • The unsung filmography of John G. Avildsen, a master of na...

This week, Adam introduces Nate to You Only Live Twice (1967), perhaps the most ridiculous James Bond film of the Connery era and fodder for the beloved Simpsons episode, “You Only Move Twice” (S8E2). Come for Roald Dahl’s wacky take on the James Bond formula, stay for the tremendous amount of cringe! Also in this episode: • Some of Bond’s most outlandish gadgets, including an autogyro named “Litt...

Welcome to the Springfield Googolplex, the movie podcast for Simpsons fans! In this short episode, Nate and Adam share the inspiration for this podcast, what to expect in upcoming episodes, and their geekiness about movies and The Simpsons . Also in this episode: • How The Simpsons writers passed down the • tradition of secondhand movie literacy from Mad Magazine • Some of Adam and Nate’s favorite...