Remember that time when Homer became Mr. Burns’ prank monkey? Adam and Nate watch The Magic Christian (1969), an adaptation of Terry Southern’s satirical novel that inspired The Simpsons episode “Homer vs. Dignity” (S12E5). Peter Sellers and Ringo Starr punking rich Brits to prove that everyone has their price—how could you go wrong? Well, let us tell you.

Also in this episode:

• Terry Southern’s influence on The Simpsons, Stanley Kubrick, The Beatles and beyond

• Is Peter Sellers’ talent as big as his ego? 

• The undeniable and underutilized magnetism of Ringo Starr

• How this movie became a pop culture vortex in the careers of The Beatles, Monty Python, Yul Brynner, and Roman Polanski

• Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading

We’ll be taking a brief hiatus, but for our Non-Denominational Holiday Fun Fest on December 17th, we’ll be back to revisit The Terminator (1984) and “Grift of the Magi” (S11E9) with “the villain of Letterboxd” Matt Lynch.

Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.