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| {{Infobox |
{{Infobox television episode | ||
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| series = ] | ||
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| image = | ||
| ⚫ | | caption = | ||
| | Image = <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: ] --> | |||
| ⚫ | | season = 6 | ||
| | Caption = George Lucas holds <i>Raiders of the Lost Ark</i> from the boys. | |||
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| episode = 9 | ||
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| airdate = {{Start date|2002|07|10}} | ||
| | production = 609 | |||
| | Airdate = ], ] | |||
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| writer = ] | ||
| | director = Toni Nugnes | |||
| | Writer = ]<br>] | |||
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| guests = | ||
| | season_article = South Park season 6 | |||
| ⚫ | | |
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| episode_list = List of South Park episodes | ||
| | prev = ] | |||
| | Season list = {{Infobox South Park season 6 episode list}} | |||
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| next = ] | ||
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| }} | }} | ||
| '''"Free Hat"''' is episode 609 of '']''. It originally aired on ], ]. | |||
| "'''Free Hat'''" is the ninth episode of the ] of the American ] '']''. The 88th overall episode of the series, it first aired on ] in the United States on July 10, 2002. The episode was written by series co-creator ], and was originally rated ] in the United States; it was re-rated ] in 2020. | |||
| ⚫ | == Plot |
||
| In the episode, the boys are angered at alterations made to films prior to their re-release, which they perceive as resultantly inferior. In response, they resolve to prevent any further changes to the films by apprehending their directors, while also catering to a group demanding the release of a convicted child murderer after they misconstrue a notice written on their club's sign. | |||
| The main four (with ] rather than ]), go to see a "re-re-re-release" of '']''. Before the ], a trailer of the (real) re-release of '']'' is shown, which points out the various edits made to the movie (e.g. the guns that the special secret agents point at the children have been changed to walkie talkies, and the word "]" has been changed to "]" - see ] for more information). | |||
| Much of the plot of "Free Hat" parodies ''].'' The episode satirizes digital alterations made to films such as the original ] and '']'', the latter of which was reissued four months prior to the episode's airdate. | |||
| A trailer of the (fictional) "re-re-release" of '']'' is then shown where similar edits have been made; the soldiers' guns have been digitally changed to walkie talkies, and the word "]" has been changed to "persons with political differences" (It should be noted that the word "Nazi" is never spoken in the real film). The four complain about how directors edit their movies to make them more ] or ]. Finally, the movie they came to see appears, but not before a banner is displayed on the screen (and also read by an announcer) to note the word "]" (]) has been changed to "hair challenged animal" and that the entire cast has been digitally replaced by ]s. | |||
| ⚫ | == Plot == | ||
| They leave the theater and decide to form an organization to campaign against changes to classic movies. ] then writes "Free Hat" on the advertising poster to persuade more people to come. Tweek is charged with the task of making fifty paper hats, but he only manages to make fifteen (although he stayed up all night, only slept for one hour, and dreamed about making hats). Many more people than were expected show up, not for a free hat, but for the boy's cause, which they think is to organize a movement to free Hat McCullough from prison. When the boys state their real cause, the group are a little enthusiastic with this cause as well and suggest they work on both causes: Stopping Film-makers from editing their movies and freeing ] and the group run outside, chanting "Free Hat! Free Hat!" | |||
| At a movie theater, ], ], ] and ] express contempt at ] and ] altering their films prior to their ] to "make them more ]". They decide to form an organization to promote their cause. As an incentive, Cartman decides they should give out free hats to get people to come to the meeting and assigns Tweek to fold paper napkins into hats, but Cartman writes the letters on the sign too large and is forced to leave off the "S", so that it reads "FREE HAT". Tweek is unable to make enough hats and the boys are surprised by the large turnout at the organization's first meeting. However, the attendees misconstrue the incentive and believe that the club supports the release of Hat McCullough, who was convicted of murdering twenty-three infants. | |||
| The crowd focuses on persuading the governor to release McCullough, while the boys appear on '']'' to explain their motives. Spielberg and Lucas are also guests on the show, and when the boys mention altering '']'', the two directors are convinced to do exactly that. Determined to stop them, the boys sneak into Lucas' house and steal the original negative for the film, but Lucas catches them. Lucas calls the police, and the boys attempt to convince him to defy Spielberg. As their attempts begin to sway him, Spielberg arrives, accompanied by guards, and Lucas reluctantly gives Spielberg the film. Stan, Kyle and Cartman are taken prisoner to be guests at the film's premiere, but Tweek escapes. At this point, a fictional trailer is shown for a remastered version of "]", the first episode of ''South Park''. | |||
| Later, the boys are invited onto '']'' with ] to talk about their cause. Koppel reveals that Hat McCullough is a convicted ] of ] and Tweek has to defend their supposed support of toddler murder. When asked what he finds positive about toddler murder, Tweek eventually answers "It's easy?". Koppel agrees with the statement. While there, the boys meet ] and ]. Spielberg justifies his changing of the movies as "improving history." The boys then argue that changing ''E.T.'' is like changing '']'', but this only inspires the filmmakers to do just that. The boys return to their club to tell their members about saving the film. They plan to infiltrate Lucas's home, ], and steal the original negatives of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' to prevent it from being remade. Despite the option to stay and help the boys, all of the members go out to talk to the ] about freeing Hat (as they say he killed the babies in self defense, which would technically classify Hat as a ] rather than a serial killer). Tweek at first refuses to join the boys with getting the film, but relents when his friendship is threatened. | |||
| At the club, Tweek alerts everybody else to the situation at hand, but the crowd remains focused on McCullough. Meanwhile, Spielberg and Lucas, now joined by ], travel to the premiere in a convoy with the film's print enclosed in an ark being carried. Tweek ambushes the convoy wielding a ] and threatens to launch it unless they release the other boys. The negotiation ends when Spielberg convinces Tweek that his life has been in pursuit of seeing a great film, and due to the additional effects, he wants to see it screened just as much as Spielberg does. Tweek hesitates to use the bazooka and is subsequently captured. At the premiere, Spielberg reveals his plan to destroy the original film as the premiere begins. Knowing the quality of the final result, the boys turn away while the audience reacts hostilely to the film. In a parody of ''Raiders''{{'}} climax, the altered film kills Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, and the assembled audience before sealing itself inside the ark. The boys open their eyes to find their bondages removed and Cartman remarks that the film "must've sucked balls." | |||
| Tweek, Cartman, ], and ] later break into Lucas's house. They look through his vault, skimming past titles such as "First Day of School, Digitally Enhanced", "Wedding Video, Digitally Enhanced", and "Kids First Swimming Lesson w/ Digitally Enhanced Weather" until they find the negatives. Just as they try to collect the negatives, Lucas confronts them. After pleading with him, the boys try playing a "cool island song" to try to "melt his icy heart," but they end up arguing about what kind of heart he has and what type of island song they should be playing. The next day, Lucas calls the police, and the boys attempt to convince him to turn away from his evil master (Spielberg). Just as he was about to give them the reel, Spielberg arrives, flanked by guards brandishing walkie-talkies ala ''E.T.'' Torn between the boys and Spielberg, Lucas relents and gives the reel to Spielberg. Spielberg then takes the boys prisoners to make them guests of honor at the premiere of the remake of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', but Tweek escapes. | |||
| Back in South Park, the boys believe that they are going to be congratulated for defeating Spielberg and Lucas. Instead, they are congratulated for McCullough's successful release from prison. Despite his derangement, McCullough is given a standing ovation and is presented with an infant who is implied to have been immediately killed. The boys realize that what they have done might not matter now, but may matter later. Tweek wonders if someone else will attempt to alter the film; Stan answers that it is "somewhere safe, somewhere where nobody will ever find it." Elsewhere, the original prints of the film are crated up and stored within a warehouse labeled "]." | |||
| Later, back at the club, Tweek alerts everybody else to the situation at hand, but they were all upset that the governor wouldn't listen to them about pardoning Hat. Tweek then explains what he and his friends had to go through in their attempt to get the film, but the other members decide to adapt the island song strategy for their own cause, planning to use a "fresh island song" to "cool the governor's hot temper". | |||
| ==Production== | |||
| Meanwhile, Spielberg and Lucas (now joined by ]) and their entourage (including the three prisoner kids) start making their way to the premiere. Like in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', their way means walking across a desert while carrying the new print inside an ark. Thus, with the film situation left only to Tweek, he ambushes the convoy from an upper desert hill wielding a ] which he points to the ark. He threatens to blow it up unless his prisoner friends are released (except for Cartman, who they can keep). The negotiation ends when Spielberg (who's amazed by Tweek's persistence) steals a walkie-talkie from one of his men and forces the others to step away from the ark. He then invites Tweek to "blow it back to God", but reminds him all his life has been in pursuit of seeing a great film, and thanks to the new "effects beyond your wildest dreams" he wants to see it screened just as much as Spielberg does. Tweek pauses and is captured as he hesitates. | |||
| In the DVD commentary, the creators say that they think of classic films as art, and that art should not be changed to be politically correct. Stone comes out as "officially over '']''." Steven Spielberg wrote to Parker and Stone, saying he felt like he had "finally arrived now that he's one of the villains of ''South Park''." Parker said that if he had anything to do with Spielberg not editing ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', he was "just as proud of that as wearing a dress to the ]."<ref>{{Cite video | people=]|date = November 2005|title=South Park: The Complete Sixth Season: "Free Hat" ''(Audio commentary)'' |medium= DVD|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ==Home media== | |||
| Later at the premiere, as the movie begins, Stan tells his friends (all of whom are tied to poles) to look away from the screen, warning them that the film will be terrible. They do, while the rest of the audience continues watching the film. At first, they're awed by the film, but upon seeing the Native Americans who chase Indiana Jones were digitally changed to ]s, they react negatively. They then realise the new version is awful. Spielberg, Lucas, and Coppola become frightened. Suddenly, parodying the climax of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', the film shoots rays at the audience and kills them all. Lucas and Coppola have their faces melt, and Spielberg's explodes. When there's finally silence, the kids find themselves untied and open their eyes. Upon seeing bodies everywhere Cartman comments, "Man, that new version must have sucked balls." | |||
| "Free Hat," along with the sixteen other episodes from ''South Park''<nowiki/>'s sixth season, were released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on October 11, 2005. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode. IGN gave the season a rating of 9/10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Park: The Complete Sixth Season DVD Review |publisher=] |date=February 26, 2009 |last=Schorn |first=Peter |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2005/10/14/south-park-the-complete-sixth-season |accessdate=January 25, 2017}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| Back in South Park, the boys think that they are going to be congratulated for stopping Spielberg and Lucas. However, the boys (in particular Tweek) are congratulated for getting Hat released from prison. Despite the fact that Hat is crazy and asks for a baby, the crowd cheers for him and presents him with one. The boys say that what they did might not matter now, but will matter later. | |||
| * ] | |||
| ** ] | |||
| * "]", which has similar themes to "Free Hat" | |||
| ⚫ | ==References== | ||
| When Tweek asks what if someone else tries to change the movie, Stan answers that it's "somewhere safe. Somewhere where...nobody will ever find it." The episode ends as we see an old man placing the original prints inside a box, which he then places inside a warehouse named "Red Cross 9/11 Relief Funds" -- a nod to the close of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', which in itself is a nod to ]. | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ⚫ | ==References |
||
| * Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola parody the three main villains in ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'' in their manner of deaths. Coppola’s head shrivels up like ]’s, Lucas’ head melts down to a bloody skull like Agent ]’s, and Spielberg’s head explodes like ]’s. | |||
| * Most of the last six or so minutes of the episode parodies '']'', with many lines being taken almost directly from the movie (a few choice words are replaced). | |||
| * When George Lucas refuses to give the boys the negative, he says “It is too late for me.” This is a parody of ]’s words to Luke in '']''. | |||
| * The show takes a self-referential stab at itself by having a mock advertisement for a remastered version of the pilot episode of South Park, "]". | |||
| * The boys compare movies being changed with the ] being remodeled and ] changing their '']'' every year. | |||
| * Throughout the episode, the bad guys keep holding ]s like ]s (e. g. when George calls in the guards to get rid of the boys, the guards are holding walkie-talkies). This serves as a constant reference to the changes Steven Spielberg did in '']'', where the guns, which the special secret agents hold against the children, were replaced in that scene with walkie-talkies to make the film more family-friendly. | |||
| * The outfits worn by the boys seem similar to the tropical outfits worn by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in '']''. | |||
| * During the screening, Steven Spielberg says "It's beautiful", a sound clip that would later be used by Stan's father when he first enters the Wall-Mart in "]". | |||
| *A show airs called ''"Excess Hollywood"'', a direct parody of ] with a look-alike of then co-host ]. | |||
| *In the scene when the boys break into George Lucas's house to steal the original print of ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', many props from Lucas's past films can be seen in the room where the print is found. These range from a model of ], and many helmets belonging to ]. | |||
| *On the Cinema screen, where it says the word ']' has been changed to "hair challenged animal", the word ] is spelt wrong. | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| * Full episode at South Park Studios | |||
| {{Episode navigation|parent=]|prev=]|next=] }} | |||
| * {{IMDb episode|0766081|Free Hat}} | |||
| {{South Park episodes|6}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 17:45, 9 July 2024
9th episode of the 6th season of South Park| "Free Hat" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| South Park episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 6 Episode 9 | ||
| Directed by | Toni Nugnes | ||
| Written by | Trey Parker | ||
| Production code | 609 | ||
| Original air date | July 10, 2002 (2002-07-10) | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| South Park season 6 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Free Hat" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series South Park. The 88th overall episode of the series, it first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 10, 2002. The episode was written by series co-creator Trey Parker, and was originally rated TV-MA in the United States; it was re-rated TV-14 in 2020.
In the episode, the boys are angered at alterations made to films prior to their re-release, which they perceive as resultantly inferior. In response, they resolve to prevent any further changes to the films by apprehending their directors, while also catering to a group demanding the release of a convicted child murderer after they misconstrue a notice written on their club's sign.
Much of the plot of "Free Hat" parodies Raiders of the Lost Ark. The episode satirizes digital alterations made to films such as the original Star Wars trilogy and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the latter of which was reissued four months prior to the episode's airdate.
Plot
At a movie theater, Kyle, Stan, Cartman and Tweek express contempt at Steven Spielberg and George Lucas altering their films prior to their reissue to "make them more PC". They decide to form an organization to promote their cause. As an incentive, Cartman decides they should give out free hats to get people to come to the meeting and assigns Tweek to fold paper napkins into hats, but Cartman writes the letters on the sign too large and is forced to leave off the "S", so that it reads "FREE HAT". Tweek is unable to make enough hats and the boys are surprised by the large turnout at the organization's first meeting. However, the attendees misconstrue the incentive and believe that the club supports the release of Hat McCullough, who was convicted of murdering twenty-three infants.
The crowd focuses on persuading the governor to release McCullough, while the boys appear on Nightline to explain their motives. Spielberg and Lucas are also guests on the show, and when the boys mention altering Raiders of the Lost Ark, the two directors are convinced to do exactly that. Determined to stop them, the boys sneak into Lucas' house and steal the original negative for the film, but Lucas catches them. Lucas calls the police, and the boys attempt to convince him to defy Spielberg. As their attempts begin to sway him, Spielberg arrives, accompanied by guards, and Lucas reluctantly gives Spielberg the film. Stan, Kyle and Cartman are taken prisoner to be guests at the film's premiere, but Tweek escapes. At this point, a fictional trailer is shown for a remastered version of "Cartman Gets an Anal Probe", the first episode of South Park.
At the club, Tweek alerts everybody else to the situation at hand, but the crowd remains focused on McCullough. Meanwhile, Spielberg and Lucas, now joined by Francis Ford Coppola, travel to the premiere in a convoy with the film's print enclosed in an ark being carried. Tweek ambushes the convoy wielding a bazooka and threatens to launch it unless they release the other boys. The negotiation ends when Spielberg convinces Tweek that his life has been in pursuit of seeing a great film, and due to the additional effects, he wants to see it screened just as much as Spielberg does. Tweek hesitates to use the bazooka and is subsequently captured. At the premiere, Spielberg reveals his plan to destroy the original film as the premiere begins. Knowing the quality of the final result, the boys turn away while the audience reacts hostilely to the film. In a parody of Raiders' climax, the altered film kills Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, and the assembled audience before sealing itself inside the ark. The boys open their eyes to find their bondages removed and Cartman remarks that the film "must've sucked balls."
Back in South Park, the boys believe that they are going to be congratulated for defeating Spielberg and Lucas. Instead, they are congratulated for McCullough's successful release from prison. Despite his derangement, McCullough is given a standing ovation and is presented with an infant who is implied to have been immediately killed. The boys realize that what they have done might not matter now, but may matter later. Tweek wonders if someone else will attempt to alter the film; Stan answers that it is "somewhere safe, somewhere where nobody will ever find it." Elsewhere, the original prints of the film are crated up and stored within a warehouse labeled "Red Cross 9/11 Relief Funds."
Production
In the DVD commentary, the creators say that they think of classic films as art, and that art should not be changed to be politically correct. Stone comes out as "officially over Star Wars." Steven Spielberg wrote to Parker and Stone, saying he felt like he had "finally arrived now that he's one of the villains of South Park." Parker said that if he had anything to do with Spielberg not editing Raiders of the Lost Ark, he was "just as proud of that as wearing a dress to the Academy Awards."
Home media
"Free Hat," along with the sixteen other episodes from South Park's sixth season, were released on a three-disc DVD set in the United States on October 11, 2005. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Parker and Stone for each episode. IGN gave the season a rating of 9/10.
See also
- Changes in Star Wars re-releases
- "The China Probrem", which has similar themes to "Free Hat"
References
- Parker, Trey (November 2005). South Park: The Complete Sixth Season: "Free Hat" (Audio commentary) (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment.
- Schorn, Peter (February 26, 2009). "South Park: The Complete Sixth Season DVD Review". IGN. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
External links
- "Free Hat" Full episode at South Park Studios
- "Free Hat" at IMDb