Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
MONSTER GETS OFF TO A “ROCKY” START!
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD put out the welcome mat for our potential friends and enemies from amongst the stars. Join us for a cinematic close encounter of the audio kind as we celebrate… FIRST CONTACTS!!!
With the box office success of PROJECT HAIL MARY, the world has once again embraced the feel-good concept of first contact with a benevolent alien race. But have these initial interactions with extraterrestrials always been as satisfying for movie and TV viewing audiences?
In this episode, we’ll examine the near-universal love of PROJECT HAIL MARY and provide a counterview from some of MONSTER PARTY’s best-loved curmudgeons. We’ll also examine other first contacts portrayed in films and TV shows, and see how their effectiveness holds up under scrutiny. We’ll look at film classics like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY; the quite unpleasant first contacts that occur in movies like ALIEN, THE THING, and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS; modern first contact films like THE ARRIVAL, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU, and ANNIHILATION; and soooo much more!
Leading us as Earth’s ambassador for this epic event is a longtime friend of MONSTER PARTY who always has a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. She’s an immensely talented comedian, actor, producer, and director who has worked on such iconic programs as THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, CHELSEA LATELY, and WANDA AT LARGE. Please welcome back the always outstanding… SUE MURPHY!
WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS NUMEROUS SPOILERS! LISTEN AT YOUR OWN SENSE OF WONDER PERIL!
MONSTER GETS OFF TO A “ROCKY” START!
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD put out the welcome mat for our potential friends and enemies from amongst the stars. Join us for a cinematic close encounter of the audio kind as we celebrate… FIRST CONTACTS!!!
With the box office success of PROJECT HAIL MARY, the world has once again embraced the feel-good concept of first contact with a benevolent alien race. But have these initial interactions with extraterrestrials always been as satisfying for movie and TV viewing audiences?
In this episode, we’ll examine the near-universal love of PROJECT HAIL MARY and provide a counterview from some of MONSTER PARTY’s best-loved curmudgeons. We’ll also examine other first contacts portrayed in films and TV shows, and see how their effectiveness holds up under scrutiny. We’ll look at film classics like THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY; the quite unpleasant first contacts that occur in movies like ALIEN, THE THING, and INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS; modern first contact films like THE ARRIVAL, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU, and ANNIHILATION; and soooo much more!
Leading us as Earth’s ambassador for this epic event is a longtime friend of MONSTER PARTY who always has a refreshing take on the sci-fi genre. She’s an immensely talented comedian, actor, producer, and director who has worked on such iconic programs as THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, CHELSEA LATELY, and WANDA AT LARGE. Please welcome back the always outstanding… SUE MURPHY!
WARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS NUMEROUS SPOILERS! LISTEN AT YOUR OWN SENSE OF WONDER PERIL!
