History Recap / TheSimpsonsS11E1BeyondBlunderdome

** The Hollywood Auto museum includes the cars from ''Series/TheBeverlyHillbillies'', ''Series/TheMonkees'', ''Film/MadMax2TheRoadWarrior'' (which Homer and Gibson steal as a getaway vehicle), and ''Series/Batman1966'', which is decorated with wax figures of Creator/AdamWest and Creator/BurtWard... or so it seems.

* SpecialGuest: Comedy legend Jack Burns as studio executive Edward Christian.

* ShoutOut: The episode title is one for Mel Gibson movie ''Film/MadMaxBeyondThunderdome''.

* OffModel: When Homer takes his hand off Bart's shoulder, [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S11E01/633360.jpg the hand's still there]].

-->'''Smith''': [[VerbThis Yield]] ''[[VerbThis this]]'', Senator Paine! ''(Smith throws an American flag like a spear, [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling Paine from behind on it]])''.
* {{Pun}}: When the studio executives are chasing Homer and Mel, their car is hit by what appears to be Mel Gibson...
--> '''William Milo''': This is just a dummy!\\
'''Edward Christian''': I know, but he sells tickets. ''[long pause as neither of the execs laugh]'' ...Let's go.

-->'''Mel Gibson''': [[CatchPhrase I'm getting too old for this crap!]]
** Mel's character impaling an enemy of his with the American flag is one to ''Film/ThePatriot''.

'''Homer:''' They will if you set up that the dog is evil. All you do is have to show him doing this. ''[lowers eyelids and glances around in shifty-eyed fashion]'' [[TropeNamer The people will suspect the dog.]]

* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: Mel thinking that Homer was the OnlySaneMan with the guts to tell him that not having violence in the movie was a bad thing, when there were several hundred people writing glowing reviews saying otherwise. When Homer is just incredibly low brow and hates movies that aren't action packed. This is dramatic because it completely wrecks his career.
* DudeNotFunny: The rewritten climax of the remake of ''Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'' has everybody who sees it (but Homer and Gibson) become horrified at the defilement of a piece of cinematic history. The test audience that comes out on the final scene includes Flanders saying that he's holding back vomiting from how bad it is and ''Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter,'' who threatens to sue both men for such a blatant defamation of her grandfather's work.

* ActionizedAdaptation: In-universe. Homer criticizes the movie for having Gibson's character talk for hours and not shooting anybody (something Gibson himself regrets). Homer is invited to help edit the movie, and they mutually decide to reshoot the ending of the movie so that Mr. Smith goes on a violent rampage against the Senate, culminating with him decapitating the President of the United States. Nobody likes the result, not even Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter, and in the end the movie becomes a StarDerailingRole for Gibson.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Despite the rave reviews his ''Mister Smith Goes to Washington'' remake got at the test screening Mel Gibson decides to hire Homer as a consultant as he's the only one with the "guts" to tell him the truth. When they premiere their new more violent cut of the remake, the audience walks out of the test screening in disgust, Jimmy Steward's granddaughter threatens legal action, and Gibson's career and reputation are badly damaged because he made the decision of listening to Homer's suggestions.

* IgnoredEpiphany: While editing their new cut, Homer suggests speeds up the footage in some scenes because it looks and sounds funny, and randomly suggests that [[TheDogWasTheMastermind a suspicious looking dog is the main villain]]. Mel begins doubting that bringing in Homer as a consultant may not have been a good idea and offers to pay for the return fare, but changes his mind when Homer suggests that the ending was boring, and they should film a more actionized ending.

* RageBreakingPoint: After the disastrous premiere of their cut is savaged by the test audience and critics alike, Homer tries to console Mel and lists several suggestions for their next project while getting a ride home in the limousine, including a raunchy teen comedy, and their own take on ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' because (he wrongly believes) that nobody owns the copyright to that. That last statement causes Mel to open the door and kick Homer out of the limo, stranding him right outside the movie theater.

* BeCarefulWithWhatYouWishFor: Mel laments how most people act like YesMen to him and will never tell him whenever he does something wrong, which is why he's initially drawn to Homer. However, the people at the end ravaging the second version of ''Mr. Smith'' shows him that no, people are more than willing to throw negative criticism his way.

* BrickJoke: During a Q&A before the test screening, Professor Frink asks if the movie will have any [[Film/TheAbsentMindedProfessor Flubber]] in it, and is disappointed to learn it won't. Later when the studio is reading the audience's reactions, one of cards mentioned that they loved the film even though it didn't have any Flubber, indicating Frink was the one who wrote it.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Moe of all people finds the ending to the remake disgusting.

** During the studio tour, the guide points to a set that Creator/HughGrant filmed one of his movies for, catching Marge's attention. Then the guide reveals that movie was ''Film/NineMonths'', causing Marge to recoil in disgust.

* DudeNotFunny: The rewritten climax of the remake of ''Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'' has everybody who sees it (but Homer and Gibson) become horrified at the defilement of a piece of cinematic history. The test audience that comes out on the final scene includes Flanders saying that he's holding back vomiting from how bad it is and ''Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter,'' who threatens to sue both men for such a blatant defamation of her grandfather's work.
** This was also the Ford Motor Company's reaction to the "Elec-Taurus" parody as they pulled all of their ads from the show as a result.

* RageBreakingPoint: After the disastrous premier of their cut is savaged by the test audience and critics alike, Homer tries to console Mel and lists several suggestions for their next project while getting a ride home in the limousine, including a raunchy teen comedy, and their own take on ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' because (he wrongly believes) that nobody owns the copyright to that. That last statement causes Mel to open the door and kick Homer out of the limo, stranding him right outside the movie theater.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: despite the rave reviews his ''Mister Smith Goes to Washington'' remake got at the test screening Mel Gibson decides to hire Homer as a consultant as he's the only one with the "guts" to tell him the truth. When they premier their new more violent cut of the remake, the audience walks out of the test screening in disgust, Jimmy Steward's granddaughter threatens legal action, and Gibson's career and reputation are badly damaged because he made the decision of listening to Homer's suggestions.

* YourSizeMayVary: Mr. Smith appears to shrink down to about 2ft tall when he's cartwheeling around on the table shooting up the Senate.

* DudeNotFunny: InUniverse, the rewritten climax of the remake of ''Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'' has everybody who sees it (but Homer and Gibson) become horrified at the defilement of a piece of cinematic history. The test audience that comes out on the final scene includes Flanders saying that he's holding back vomiting from how bad it is and ''Jimmy Stewart's granddaughter,'' who threatens to sue both men for such a blatant defamation of her grandfather's work.

* YourSizeMayVary: Mr. Smith appears to shrink down to about 2ft tall when he's cartwheeling around on the table shooting up the Senate.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: despite the rave reviews his ''Mister Smith Goes to Washington'' remake got at the test screening Mel Gibson decides to hire Homer as a consultant as he's the only one with the "guts" to tell him the truth. When they premier their new more violent cut of the remake, the audience walks out of the test screening in disgust, Jimmy Steward's granddaughter threatens legal action, and Gibson's career and reputation are badly damaged for because he made the decision of listening to Homer's suggestions.