Video: Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘Treehouse of Horror’ Couch Gag

For its annual “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween episode, The Simpsons asked horror-film expert Guillermo del Toro to direct its couch gag. The big-screen director is known for fantasy and horror films, such as Pan’s Labyrinth and The Devil’s Backbone, as well as action movies, including Hellboy and Pacific Rim.

For The Simpsons, del Toro developed a special 2 minute and 45 second couch gag in which the family escapes from creepy creatures and strange spirits that plague Springfield before arriving to sit on their couch. The horror-themed opening featured many references to multiple horror films, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Del Toro’s own Pan’s Labyrinth.  There were also appearances made by some classic monsters, including the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Wolfman.

“We talked about doing it around the movies I have done, but I felt I’d rather mix those images with the creatures and monsters of film, which have influenced me enormously,” del Toro said. “So, I said, ‘Why don’t we do a really long riff on the title sequence, rather than just a couch gag?”

Did you miss Del Toro’s The Simpsons opening last night?  Don’t worry.  We’ve got the full video for you below: