Ep. 1 Extras - You Only Live Thrice: Aki’s Revenge
Looking for roundups of more Simpsons movie references? After the first season of the Springfield Googolplex podcast, we started including this kind of extra goodness into the show notes for each episode. Check out our full back catalogue for more!
In episode 1 of Springfield Googolplex (available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), Adam introduced Nate to You Only Live Twice (1967), perhaps the most ridiculous James Bond film of the Sean Connery era.
Read on to see every reference to every James Bond movie on The Simpsons, plus some movies to check out if you liked this one, and links to further reading and viewing.
Every Reference to ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
Duffless (S4E16): Bart sitting in the chair, stroking the hamster is a reference to James Bond character Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who strokes a cat in his chair (scene).
Whacking Day (S4E20): When Willy meets a Scottish lassie, he is framed between her legs much like Bond is in the hot spring scene.
You Only Move Twice (S8E2): The conversation between Homer and Scorpio takes place in front of a parody of the climactic battle from You Only Live Twice. Also, the title of the episode is, of course, a parody of the title of the movie.
Bonus: Other James Bond References on ‘The Simpsons’
Dr. No (1962)
And Maggie Makes Three (S6E13): The couch gag for this episode spoofs the famous shooting scene from Dr. No.
The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular (S7E10): The deleted scene from "$pringfield" in which Homer plays blackjack with James Bond.
From Russia with Love (1963)
Two Bad Neighbors (S7E13): During their fight, former President Bush attempts to kill Homer by strangling him with piano wire that he pulls out of his watch. This is the villain, Red Grant's, signature weapon in the film.
Goldfinger (1964)
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire (S1E1): To remove his tattoo, Bart is strapped to a table with a laser moving towards him similar to Bond in this movie.
Homer Defined (S3E5): Homer averts the crisis at Springfield Nuclear Power Plant as the timer reaches "007," mimicking the de-activation of a nuclear bomb in the James Bond movie.
Cape Feare (S5E2): An Itchy & Scratchy cartoon spoofs the iconic laser scene from this movie.
You Only Move Twice (S8E2): Laser-scene killer machine scene is parodied with "James Bont" instead of Bond. The "Do you expect me to talk?" "No, I expect you to die!" dialogue is also spoofed.
You Only Move Twice (S8E2): Credit music is a parody of the Goldfinger theme.
Homer to the Max (S10E13): Homer sings a "Max Power" version of the theme tune.
Casino Royale (1967)
You Only Move Twice (S8E2): One of Scorpio’s employees is named Miss Goodthighs, after a character from the 1967 James Bond parody Casino Royale. In the climactic battle, she can be seen attacking a character modeled after U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf with her legs, which some have claimed is a reference to Xenia Onatopp’s similar move in GoldenEye, but we think it’s just a happy coincidence, given the short turnaround between the movie’s release (November 17, 1995) and the episode’s air date (November 3, 1996).
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Joy of Sect (S9E13): Marge running across the gators is a recreation of a similar move by Roger Moore in Live and Let Die.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Treehouse of Horror XII (S13E1): When Bart says “007,” Marge asks, “George Lazenby?”
Octopussy (1983)
Lisa's Wedding (S6E19): Homer says he saw Octopussy twice.
Girly Edition (S9E21): Bart calls Lisa “Octopussy.”
Bart the Mother (S10E3): Nelson refers to Bart as “Octo-wussy.”
License to Kill (1989)
Das Bus (S9E14): The bus plunge off the overpass was inspired by the climax of the 1994 film True Lies, although some Simpsons animators remarked that a similar scene happened in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill, where a corrupt cop helps to free the Bond villain from custody.
Did we miss something? Let us know on our Contact page.
Extra Credit
Enjoyed this movie? Here are a few other movies we would recommend:
Live and Let Die (1973): Roger Moore’s run as Bond embraced the silliness that was already just beneath the surface in the Connery era. Live and Let Die also stands out in the franchise as a blaxploitation movie that just happens to star James Bond.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997): You Only Live Twice is the template for so much in Austin Powers, particularly Dr. Evil, his numbered henchmen, and general aesthetic. If you haven’t revisited this comedy in a while, you’ll appreciate it even more after having seen this movie.
Die Another Day (2002): This was the movie that nearly made Adam give up on the Bond franchise, but rewatching it after the Daniel Craig run helped save the series, he can appreciate it as an entertaining mess.
Plus, here’s some further reading and viewing we came across in our research:
Bilge Ebiri, “Every James Bond Movie, Ranked,” Vulture, Oct. 8, 2021. You Only Live Twice comes in at a generous 13 of 26, but this line from the review sums up our thoughts nicely: “There is probably a special, separate-admission room reserved in the #Problematic Hall of Fame for a movie in which James Bond’s first line is ‘Why do Chinese girls taste different from all other girls?’“
Adam K. Raymond, “‘No, Mr. Bond. I Expect You To Die!’ The Red-Hot Story Behind ‘Goldfinger’s Laser Scene,” Yahoo Entertainment, Nov. 5, 2015. I wonder why Sean Connery got sick of playing Bond?
Paul Duncan, The James Bond Archives (Taschen, 2012). This is the tome that Adam read our synopsis from. It’s a very cool book, if you’re a big fan of James Bond and you can find it on sale.
A Gyrojet Rocket handgun from You Only Live Twice, auctioned by Christie’s in 2006. These things were real!
Mr. Burns orders an autogyro in “Mother Simpson” (S7E8), Nov. 19, 1995. Whoa, Nellie! I guess James Bond isn’t the only one with an affinity for tiny helicopters.
