David Silverman Movies

MAGGIE SIMPSON IN THE LONGEST DAYCARE The youngest member of the Simpson Family gets a big-screen adventure of her own in this short animated comedy. Busy Marge Simpson enrolls her baby daughter Maggie at a new day care facility, The Ayn Rand School For Tots. As befits the name, the day care center takes a less than compassionate approach to looking after youngsters, and Maggie soon finds herself squaring off with foul-tempered Baby Gerald when she befriends a caterpillar. Inspired by a subplot from a 1992 episode of The Simpsons, "A Streetcar Named Marge," Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare was produced in 3D and released to theaters in tandem with the 2012 animated feature Ice Age: Continental Drift. The short received a 2013 Academy Award nomination as Best Animated Short Subject. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

They've kept television viewers laughing for nearly 20 years, and now the most popular animated family on the small screen makes the leap into theaters as Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, ad Maggie embark on their first-ever feature-length adventure. Directed by David Silverman and written by a whole host of Simpsons veterans including Matt Groening and James L. Brooks, The Simpsons Movie also features special guest appearances by Albert Brooks among others. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Dreamworks SKG's second feature-length animated film blends comedy and drama in an unusual historical adventure. Two genial swindlers working as stable hands stow away with Cortez, the legendary Spanish conquistador, as he searches for El Dorado, the lost City of Gold. Luck smiles on the two con men, and they happen to find a settlement in Mexico that they believe is El Dorado; however, while the two exotic strangers are at first embraced by the Mayan people, they've also arrived just in time to be offered up as the next human sacrifice. The Road to El Dorado was directed by Don Paul, who helmed the first DreamWorks animated feature, The Prince of Egypt; Will Finn, a featured animator on Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin; Bibo Bergeron, who worked on Ferngully: The Last Rainforest; and David Silverman. It features new songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, and the voice cast includes Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Rosie Perez, Edward James Olmos, and Armand Assante. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The citizens of Springfield are being inundated with advertisements heralding the arrival of something called "Gabbo," raising curiosity to a fever pitch. One day, it is revealed that Gabbo is the irrepressible wooden sidekick of ventriloquist Arthur Crandall (voice of Hank Azaria), and that they are to star in a new television show. However, much to the dismay of Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith), Gabbo's show is scheduled to air opposite that of their favorite entertainer, Krusty the Clown (voice of Dan Castellaneta), and soon Krusty's ratings sink through the floorboards as Gabbo leaps to unprecedented success. Krusty's show is dropped from the schedule, and after his career as a professional gambler hits the skids, Krusty is left with nowhere to go. Eager to help their fallen hero, Bart and Lisa suggest that Krusty stage a comeback special, featuring some of the big-name stars he's become friendly with during his years in show business. Krusty hands his address book to Bart and Lisa and asks them to get to work rounding up talent, while he attempts to lose the weight he put on with a steady diet of milkshakes. Appearing on Krusty's TV special are Bette Midler, Johnny Carson, Hugh Hefner, Luke Perry, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of whom perform their own voices; Barry White and Elizabeth Taylor also provide voice cameos for the episode. "Krusty Gets Kancelled" first aired on May 13, 1993. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

After their TV goes on the blink, the Simpson family is faced with the grim prospect of having to actually talk to each other, and Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) decides to make the best of it by telling Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) and Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright) the story of how she and Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) fell in love. It's 1974, and Homer Simpson is a skinny guy with a full head of hair who has no idea of what he wants to do with his future. Marge Bouvier has ended up in detention for the first time after burning a bra on school property in the midst of a brief infatuation with the women's movement. There she meets Homer, who has been kept after school yet again for smoking on school grounds. For Homer, it's love at first sight, and he's determined to find some way to get Marge's attention; pretending to be studying French, Homer gets Marge to tutor him, then asks her to the big dance. Marge says yes, but she's furious when she learns Homer isn't really taking French and that he kept her up late the night before a major forensics tournament. Marge decides instead to accept an invitation from debate club president Arnie Ziff (voice of Jon Lovitz) to go to the prom. Homer, however, never hears about this, figuring that if she never formally broke off their date, she'll still go with him, no matter how angry she is, and he finds himself going to the prom stag and watching Marge enjoy her big night with Artie. The Way We Was first aired on January 31, 1991.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A puppet cast discovers and enacts the traditions of the holidays in Passover at Bubbe's. This uplifting family film, originally released in 1990, was the winner of a Kids First! Award. It features colorful Muppet-like characters involved in Passover preparations. The holiday story touches the heart of young and old alike with its account of the warm relationship between grandmother Bubbe and her granddaughter. The film contains original music and historically accurate information. Passover at Bubbe's is one of a series of home videos featuring the Bubbe puppet family. ~ Sally Barber, Rovi

It's Halloween in Springfield, and Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) and his sister Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) are swapping scary stories in their backyard treehouse. In Bad Dream House, the Simpsons move into a big old house, but soon learn why the place was a bargain -- it's haunted. Before long the entire family is chasing each other with sharp objects. Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) tries as usual to be the voice of reason with the spirits, who quickly give up rather than co-exist with Springfield's most dysfunctional family. Hungry Are the Damned finds the Simpsons kidnapped en masse by a trio of one-eyed, tentacled space aliens -- Kang (voice of Harry Shearer), Kodos (voice of Dan Castellaneta), and Serak (voice of James Earl Jones). Eager-eater Homer (voice of Castellaneta) is pleased when the aliens provide a groaning dinner table for their earthling captives, but Lisa is shocked when she discovers a cookbook on board entitled How to Cook Humans. Finally, Lisa turns to Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem The Raven, with James Earl Jones reading the eerie verse, and the menacing bird bearing a strange resemblance to Bart. Treehouse of Horror, the first of a series of annual Halloween episodes on The Simpsons, first aired on October 24, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

While Bart Simpson (voice of Nancy Cartwright) has never been a star student, his grades have been slipping even further than usual, and his teacher Mrs. Krabappel (voice of Marcia Wallace) warns him that if his marks don't improve, he might fail history and be left back rather than graduate to the fifth grade. Bart intends to study before his big test, but Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) persuades him to watch some television with him first; by the time Bart finally cracks his books, he's nearly fallen asleep. The next morning, Bart is convinced he can't pass and fakes being sick; Bart gets answers for the test from Milhouse (voice of Cartwright), but Milhouse turns out to be a bad choice, and Bart gets an F. Desperate to pass his class, Bart makes a deal with class brain Martin (voice of Russi Taylor) -- if Martin shows Bart how to be smart, Bart will show Martin how to be cool. Martin, however, turns into a party animal and fails to live up to his end of the bargain, and Bart prays to God for a reprieve on his test. To Bart's astonishment, a freak snowstorm causes school to be cancelled the next day, and while all his friends are out having fun, Bart studies like he's never studied before in a last-ditch attempt to pass the fourth grade. "Bart Gets an F" was first aired on October 11, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

As the Simpsons and their extended family prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving around the dinner table, Lisa (voice of Yeardley Smith) shows off the centerpiece she's constructed, which celebrates the efforts of women who helped settle America. Bart (voice of Nancy Cartwright), however, is in a typically mischievous mood, and while tussling with Lisa over where the centerpiece should go, he accidentally destroys it. Bart doesn't want to apologize to Lisa, so Homer (voice of Dan Castellaneta) and Marge (voice of Julie Kavner) send him to his room without supper. Feeling unappreciated, Bart sneaks out his window and ends up on Springfield's Skid Row, where he sells a pint of his blood for $12 at a plasma center and gets a free meal at the homeless shelter. A news crew is doing a human interest story about the shelter, and Bart ends up on television; when Homer and Marge realize their son has run away, they head out to find him. Meanwhile, Bart is cold and lonely and wants to come home, but he knows that he now has to work up the courage to apologize to his sister. "Bart Vs. Thanksgiving" first aired on November 22, 1990. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

ALF begins its fourth and final season with a major addition to the cast--or more precisely, two major additions. Infant twins Charles Nickerson and J.R. Nickerson share the role of baby Eric, newest member of the Tanner family. In his efforts to adjust to this new "life-form", the Tanners' resident space alien ALF begs for the opportunity to serve as babysitter while the family is out. Dutifully, ALF changes diapers and burps the kid--and inevitably, he misplaces little Eric! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, Kip Niven returns to the series, but not in his familiar role as Vera's duplicitous ex-fiance Steve Marsh. Instead, he shows up as Steve's cousin Travis Marsh, a heavily bewhiskered country-western singer. After hearing Alice (Linda Lavin) warble a tune, Travis invites her to join his travelling band--but his interest in Alice is a bit more than professional! Linda Lavin and Kip Niven sing "Higher and Higher". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi