Monster Party

MONSTER PARTY HAS A CULT FOLLOWING! AND WE CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO CATCH US! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, take another in-depth look at the films that fly below the mainstream, yet have managed to gain a loving and loyal audience. Can your viewing queue handle the stress as... THE KILLER CULT FILMS STRIKE BACK! Like in our previous cult film episodes, we present a more than ample helping of mind-blowing, genre-bending cinema, gauranteed to spice up any midnight movie night. We've got imaginative foreign films, unhinged horror gems, sci-fi curios, outrageous comedies, rock-n' roll fantasies, cult film classics, fun failures, and more! So much more, we'll have to do another episode! Joining us once again for this orgy of oddities, is our go-to guide to the off-beat. He's a celebrated film historian, author, journalist, reviewer, and host of the eternally-running cable TV show, MEDIA FUNHOUSE! Please welcome back, our MONSTER PARTY cult film curator... ED GRANT! (THE MOTION PICTURE

MONSTER PARTY BRINGS YOU A PETRIFYING PROGRAM OF PECULIAR PAIRINGS!  JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, delve the depths of their film knowledge, to create the ultimate in imaginary movie mashups. Get your hot-oiled popcorn ready for... THE MONSTER PARTY MOVIE MARQUEE!!! In a game that we're fairly confident you've all played, we come up with our own dream billings of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. We're talkin' double features, triple features, and even "Go Ape" style movie marathons. We've linked the films by theme, but also by title, with the later primarily for comedic effect. Because we love comedic effects! But only if they're practical. Joining us for all this marquee-noclastic merriment , is a film connoisseur, a valued friend, and a return guest! He's not only a renowned actor, TV host, filmmaker, and comedian (from The Tonight Show!!!), but a long time MONSTER PARTY supporter and fan! Please welcome back, the eternally entertaining... MARK PITTA! (THE TONIGHT

MONSTER PARTY GOES TO WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE FACE! SHAWN SHERIDAN, JAMES GONIS, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, genuflect at the feet of the artform that has shaped them! Raises your glasses and man your bladder pumps, as MONSTER PARTY salutes... THE ART OF PRACTICAL EFFECTS!!! MONSTER PARTY loves practical effects! Sure, CGI is now all the rage, but nothing puts a spring in our step like seeing an actor bring life to a foam rubber makeup appliance! Or an animatronic alien wreaking havoc!! Or latex skin bubbling! Or stop motion dinosaurs! Or live action dinosaurs! Or... Sorry.  Sometimes we get a bit carried away. In this episode, we champion the genius of classic makeup legends like Lon Chaney, Jack Pierce, John Chambers, William Tuttle, and the Westmore family, as well as the groundbreaking work of trailblazers like Dick Smith, Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, and Stan Winston. And in the SFX category, we've always got some love for greats like Willis O' Brien, Ray Harryhausen, and Eiji Tsuburaya!  Joining us

MONSTER PARTY WANTS TO BE YOUR VALENTINE! BUT... IT PROBABLY WON'T WORK OUT. JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, fully embrace the true VALENTINE'S DAY spirit, with an episode that explores the genre pitfalls of love. Get ready for Cupid's arrow to tear your heart out and show it to you, as MONSTER PARTY presents... DOOMED ROMANCES!!! Let's face it, when it comes to maintaining a healthy relationship in horror, sci-fi, or fantasy films, the track record isn't good. Sure, at the end of some films, it my seem like the happy couples go off to live happily ever after... but what about after that? And what if you're in love with a monster? Or an alien? Or a murderer? Or all three at once? And don't get us started about dudes who don't tell you about their army of rats! To help us understand the complexities of all these dubious hookups, we enlisted the best romance expert we could find, with the least amount of effort. She's an Emmy Award winning comedian, actor, writer, director, produc

LOOK! UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD! IT'S A PLANE! IT'S... WE HAVE NO IDEA! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, unearth some of the strange, stupid, or forgotten superheroes of yesteryear. Get ready for a heapin' helping of hazy heroics, as MONSTER PARTY presents... SUPERHERO OBSCURA!!! In this current golden age of superhero films, TV shows, video games, and of course, comic books, there has been no shortage of A-list meta-human material. And during this time, a few lesser known characters like The Guardians of the Galaxy have blasted their way to being household names. Does this mean that some other forgotten heroes may have a chance to re-surface and make it to the big time? In this podcast, we hope to make that happen! We've got obscure superheroes from golden age funnybooks, defunct publishers, little known satirical sendups, short-lived cartoons, failed TV pilots, and more! Joining us in "The Fortress of Monster-tude," is a long-time friend and supporter of our show. He's an accl

ONCE AGAIN, MONSTER PARTY IS READY FOR A ROOM RUMBLE! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, return to the hypothertical "room" where your favorite genre characters get up in each other's grill. Get ready for another round of ferocious face offs, as we bring you... WHO WOULD WIN? VOL. 7: CARNAGEPALOOZA!!! Long time listeners know how these episodes work, but for those of you just tuning in, here's the deal. It's just like the classic schoolyard game where you choose fictional characters from sci-fi, horror, and fantasy, put them in a room, and force them to do battle. Why? Because you can! Joining us for this pugnacious podcast is a long-time friend of the show, who always knows a good fight when he sees one one. He's not only a successful actor, director, producer, and voice artist, but also the founder of the enormously popular, BIF! BANG POW! TOYS. And if that were not enough to make you swoon, he's currently the host of the YouTube sensation, PLASTIC SOUL: THE POP CULTURE SHOW BY E

THE TOPIC FREE-FOR-ALL IS BACK, BUT A CERTAIN PROP HAD OTHER PLANS! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, return to the topic that is all topics! But due to a slight hiccup, we don't have our beloved plastic skull full of exciting, and sometimes moldy talking points. Thus, we present... TOPIC FREE-FOR-ALL: OUT OF OUR SKULL EDITION!!! In past "TOPIC FREE-ALL" episodes, we'd usually pull strips of paper with random topics out a plastic skull, and discuss whatever was written on them. But at the last minute, we discovered the skull was inaccessible. Not giving in to defeat, we quickly retooled our topic choosing process, and the show was saved! But we're not going to lie... the skull was missed. One thing that did go very right was our choice of a guest! He's an acclaimed comedian, writer, cartoonist, friend of the show, and no stranger to TOPIC FREE-FOR-ALL! MONSTER PARTY is pleased to start the new year with the lovely and talented... JOHN MATTA! (MATTA NAPKIN, BEWARE THE BATMAN, THE E

IT'S MONSTER PARTY'S END OF THE YEAR OFFICE PARTY, AND WE'VE SPIKED THE PUNCH WITH... PIZAZZ! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, celebrate this magical season with an event of modestly epic proportions. To make things extra exclusive, we winnowed the "A-List" down to the four of us, and... YOU! We invite you to  attend... THE MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY BASH 2022!!! Get your party groove on with a rambling, off the cuff, anything goes, conga line of nerd talk, aided by a hellish helping of demon booze! And hey, it's a party! You might get lucky! Speaking of nerd talk, this raucous round robin includes delighful debates over Soylent Green, Andor, Avatar, Star Trek 5, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Christmas movies, genre documentaries, Pluto TV, and soooo much more! HAPPY HOLIDAYS & HAPPY NEW YEAR MONSTER PARTIERS! NOW IF YOU'LL EXCUSE US, ASS CHEEKS DON'T PHOTOCOPY THEMSELVES!

IT'S TIME FOR MONSTER PARTY TO TELL YOU WHAT IT WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, once again share their ultimate wishlists for the gift-giving  season! Prepare to max out your credit cards and drain your bank accounts, as we present... THE MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2022!!! Like many years past, the MONSTER PARTY gang helps you with that sometimes tricky task of finding the perfect present for that persnickety monster kid. It's the least we could do to stop you from ruining Christmas. As this holiday tradition goes, we are yet again joined by a friend of the show, a past smooth young intern, and monster toy maker extraordinaire! We love him but we hate him because he always tells us about too many cool things. Please welcome back... KEVIN SMITH! (SEA DEMON VINYL, H.O.P. TOYS, SPIRAL TOY, OTAKUMERICA) NOW GET SHOPPING PEOPLE!!!

MONSTER PARTY PRESENTS A DINNER WITH FIENDS! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, give thanks for all those genre characters with extremely questionable table manners. We hope you have the appetite for… DIABOLICAL DINNERS! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, many of you might be  dreading that family dinner with your unpleasant relatives. But if you thought your uncle was crazy, listening to this episode should put things into perspective. We’ve got a venomous variety of aliens, oddballs, zombies, murderers, animated a-holes, a whole lotta cannibals, and more! And by more, we mean more cannibals. Helping us set the table for this gathering of ghastly gourmets, is a dear friend of the show, not to mention all of us. No stranger to good food, as a young TV pitchman, he introduced the world to McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets, and the Shamrock Shake. He’s a mega-talented writer, actor, podcaster, and fellow monster kid, who is like a member of the MONSTER PARTY family. We are as pleas

MONSTER PARTY SUCCUMBS TO BATMANIA! AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET WELL! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, emerge from their own private BATCAVES, to present a one-stop history of everyone's favorite DARK KNIGHT. So slide into your preferably nipple-less crime fighting costume, and curl up next to the internet, for a cowl-eye view of... THE BATMAN LEGACY!!! When people think of BATMAN, their minds usually go to the campy 60's TV show, or the grim cinematic depictions of today. But if that's all you think there is to Gotham City's own millionaire vigilantee, you must be as crazy as THE JOKER! Batman has a colorful backstory that continues to shape his legacy for each new generation of fans. And much like an English muffin, it's in the nooks and crannies where you'll often find the most satisfaction. Joining us for this ultility belt of information is our own caped curator of all things BATMAN. Not only is he a past guest and friend of the show, but also an insanely talented author, artis

THIS HALLOWEEN, MONSTER PARTY IS PLAYING PUMPKINHEAD GAMES! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, celebrate their favorite holiday with a ghastly gala of gruesome glee! It's an earful of elated eeriness entitled... HALLOWEEN HULLABALOO!!! The Halloween season is a magical time for MONSTER PARTY. It's when we adorn our homes is spooky decorations, dress up in costumes, watch our favorite horror films, and party like the monsters we are.  So basically, it's like every other part of the year, but with rest of the world joining us.  For this Halloween, we've got a special guest who brings his own special spice to the holiday. Pumpkin spice, that is! He's an acclaimed writer, filmmaker, film historian, and trading card guru, who is making his debut on MONSTER PARTY! He co-wrote the screenplay for the ultimate Halloween film, PUMPKINHEAD, as well as the cult horror/superhero classic... VAMPIRELLA! And if that we're not enough, he basically worked on every genre trading card that ever gave y

MONSTER PARTY IS WATCHING! DO YOU DARE WATCH BACK?! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, pull themselves away from their baccanale of binge-watching, to bring you another blast of audio-visual audaciousness! So get ready, get set, go download... WHAT WE'RE WATCHING VOL. 3!!! With the seemingly endless procession of genre product coming out of our various screens, there's more for monster kids to watch than ever. But whether it's TV shows, independant films, or big ticket blockbuster releases, separating the good, the bad, and the god awful, can be quite the challenge. What the hell, we're gonna do our best! Joining us for our most recent round of cinematic samplings is an award-winning journalist, producer, editor, sound designer, and film critic. She covers arts and culture around San Diego for KPBS News, and has gained an honored seat at the MONSTER PARTY table by editing "THE ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES" sequels. Please welcome our new monster kid friend... BETH ACCOMANDO! SO WH

MONSTER PARTY GETS BARBARIC! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, take a fresh claw swipe at a topic we did several years ago. But this time, we've got some new blood! If you want to know what goes into trodding the boards of a horror movie set, have a listen to this sinister seminar of sound we call... MONSTER ACTING VOL. 2!!! In MONSTER ACTING VOL. 1, we got a look from inside the creature suit with monster acting (and every other kind of acting) legend... DOUG JONES. This time, we've booked a shining new talent who is the star of the smash hit horror film, BARBARIAN... MATTHEW PATRICK DAVIS!!! Alhough BARBARIAN is Matthew's breakout film, he's no novice at monster acting, playing a hilarious zombie in a SPRINT commercial, James Corden's new Alien Xenomorph girlfriend on THE LATE LATE SHOW, and the "Geek" in the Broadway production of SIDE SHOW! But Davis is more than just an amazing actor! He's an accomplished musician and composer who has written music for the DISNEY JR. shows, T

THE SMACKDOWN HAS RETURNED, AND APPARENTLY, IT'S NOT WEARING A LEASH! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, return once again to a MONSTER PARTY fan-favorite topic that is not only informative, but occasionally combative. Prepare to push your fragile psyche to the limit, as we present... THE MAD MOVIE SMACKDOWN UNLEASHED!!! As you may already be aware, the rules are simple. We all take turns thumbing through our beloved collection of genre reference books (remember books?), randomly stopping on a page, and blindly pointing to a film entry. After that, we partake in a lively discussion about the movie, with a bit of character assassination sprinkled in. Joining us for this reference book romp, is someone new to "The Smackdown," but a longtime MONSTER PARTY favorite. He's a multiple RONDO AWARD winning filmmaker, and Blu-ray audio commentary staple. Please welcome back... CONSTANTINE NASR! (A GOOD GAME: KARLOFF & LUGOSI AT UNIVERSAL, THE ANIMAGIC WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS, WHEN DARKNESS

MONSTER PARTY SETS THE TABLE FOR THE WORLD'S SCARIEST POTLUCK! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, just recently unearthed a very special episode that we honestly thought might be lost forever. It's a multi-course menu of monstrous meats that should appeal to the putrid palates of the most ghoulish gourmets. Sink your fangs into this newly found delicacy that we've titled... MONSTERS WITH GOOD TASTE!!! We all love the various monsters and creatures from our favorite sci-fi and horror films. But have you ever wondered how delicious these beasts would taste if prepared properly? No? Well then we'll take it from here! In this episode, MONSTER PARTY writes the cookbook for easy to cook meals featuring supernatural starters, terrifying tapas, galactic gastronomy, kaiju cuisine, Krofft comfort food, spook smores, deadly desserts, and so much more! We know this offering is a bit shorter than what you usually expect of MONSTER PARTY, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in succulent

MONSTER PARTY GIVES YOU ANOTHER BLAST OF THE "MONSTER" OF ALL CONVENTIONS!  JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, return to the halls of the SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER, for another spandex-friendly super-celebration of pop-culture, comic books, cosplay, collectibles, and MORE! MONSTER PARTY presents a multiverse bending episode that we could only call... COMIC CON 2022 PART 2!!! Just like in COMIC CON 2022 PART 1, once the on-site convention merriment dies down, THE MONSTER PARTY 4 race to their temporary "Fortress of Sound-itude," for cocktails, surprise guest interviews, and general nerd ranting. It's a boisterous gathering that actually incurred the gentle wrath of hotel security. We're so rock n' roll! But if that wasn't enough to flutter your cape, we've also provided a post show wrap-up where we share many of our favorite COMIC CON 2022 moments. And there were many! COMIC CON IS BACK, AND SO IS MONSTER PARTY! WE'RE THE ONE-TWO-PUNCH OF PERSONAL SPACE INVASION! 

MONSTER PARTY WELCOMES THE OFFICIAL RETURN OF THE KING OF ALL NERDFESTS! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, once again prowl the halls of the SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER, indulging in an unbridled celebration of comic books, popculture, genre merchandise, questionable pizza, and MORE! MONSTER PARTY is ecstatic to present... COMIC CON 2022 PART 1!!! Now, as exciting and fun as the official "Con" can be, you listeners know that the real action starts back at the hotel room. And we're certainly not going to enlist The Hulk to smash your expectations. This year, were back to our much loved format of welcoming surprise guests who just happen to randomly knock on our door. Just like they've been instructed to. Although we said our guests would be a surprise, we can't help letting a couple cool cats out of the bag. MONSTER PARTY is beyond proud to welcome to our mics, an actor who has starred in such genre classics as STARSHIP TROOPERS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, and new Popcornflix/Crackle TV sci-fi

MONSTER PARTY TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF YOUR FILM! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, take part in another round of one of their favorite movie nerd games. Can you guess who said what to whom in what film, in this especially vocal episode called… HORROR & SCI-FI MOVIE QUOTES!!! Because our HORROR MOVIE QUOTES and SCI-FI MOVIE QUOTES episodes were such smash hits, we decided to team these two genres up for a MONSTER PARTY mash-up of quotable proportions! But just to make things magical, we’ve thrown in some fantasy quotes as well! But don't expect any of that "my precious" malarky.  The rules are the same as usual: Each of us recite a quote (or quotes) from a film, and the rest of the gang try to figure out which film it's from. It’s just that insanely simple! The tricky part is performing the quote, while attempting not to sound like James Mason. Joining us for this quotation vacation is a return guest, a great friend, and a long time MONSTER PARTY fan. He’s an extremely tale

MONSTER PARTY TOONS OUT! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, ani-make-some-trouble with this in depth look at the dark side of a usually lighthearted subject. It’s an episode we indecently titled… CONTROVERSIAL CARTOONS!!! Everyone loves a good cartoon, but since the birth of cel animation, this artform has occasionally been hit with the anvil of controversy. Many a cartoon has been labeled violent, obscene, sexist, pornographic, inappropriate, counterculture, anti-establishment, and of course, racist. In this podcast, MONSTER PARTY examines these troublesome toons, in an attempt to objectively assess their pejorative labels. Do they deserve their negative publicity? Were they simply a product of their times? And in an age of canceling, is there a place for provocative animation? Joining us for this merrie melody of mayhem, is an Emmy Award-winning writer/director/producer, actor, and quite the kick-ass stand up bass player! During the 90’s, he was the VP of Animation at MTV, and br