MONSTER PARTY GETS JACKED!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD bring you a high-spirited Halloween special that is bound to "pump" you up! So, grab your sharpest vegetable knife and be ready to carve out some time for an episode completely dedicated to… PUMPKINS!!!

For monster kids of all ages, the orange winter squash known as the pumpkin has been a popular symbol of Halloween. But the connection doesn't end there. Pumpkins and pumpkin-related characters have found their way into movies, TV shows, nursery rhymes, folklore, and more. And various versions of the "Sleepy Hollow" story have helped cement the image of the jack-o'-lantern in the minds of squash-curious people everywhere.

Join the MONSTER PARTY gang for a "hosts only" discussion of various aspects of pumpkins in genre pop culture. Is pumpkin carving actually "fun"? Why do the duties of a Pumpkin King require so much singing? Should PETA have gone after Silver Shamrock Masks? Is IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN folk horror? What did Peter Peter's wife do to deserve such treatment? And does pumpkin spice really make things taste better?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, MONSTER PARTIERS! AND IF THE GREAT PUMPKIN EVER MANAGES TO SHOW UP… RUN!

MONSTER PARTY GIVES YOU ANOTHER TALKING TO!!!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD channel some of their favorite genre stars in this eloquently edifying earful of an episode. It's a word salad with multiple dressings that we're calling… QUOTE QUAGMIRE 2026!!!

For the uninitiated, these quote episodes follow a simple format: one of us reads out a quote (or quotes) from a genre film, and the rest of us have to guess which film the quote was plucked from. And luckily for all of you, this game always provides numerous opportunities for dramatic performances, celebrity impersonations, and an ample amount of head-scratching.

Joining us for this diabolical dialogue jam is a very longtime friend of the show and a movie fan with a passion that covers a variety of genres. He's an amazing comedian, actor, TV host, and filmmaker whose credits include, THE COMEDY CLUB, DRY BAR COMEDY, DR. KATZ, PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST, MAD ABOUT YOU, 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN, MORNINGS ON 2, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JOHNNY CARSON, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO, and a multitude more Please welcome back, the man with the best hair in the business… MARK PITTA!

IT'S A QUOTE QUAGMIRE! NOW, GO GET STUCK!

GO APE AN APE!

JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD go bananas over those simian slip-ons that have transformed actors into the precocious primates we've always loved. MONSTER PARTY is giving up "furries" for "hairies" as we salute… GORILLA SUITS!!!

Most monster kids of a certain age have an indelible memory of seeing an actor in a gorilla suit featured in a ton of classic horror and comedy films. In fact, many of you may have been surprised when you saw your first real-life gorilla and thought, "That's not what chased The Three Stooges!" But despite the fact that gorilla costumes didn't always achieve 100% realism, there was always a certain charm attached to seeing these awesome animal impersonators.

In this episode, we dig deep into the multitude of films and TV shows featuring gorilla suits and the talented performers who brought them to life. Actors like Charles Gemora, who created gorilla costumes and appeared in such classic films as Island of Lost Souls and Murders in the Rue Morgue; George Barrows, who played Ro-man in Robot Monster, as well as gorillas in TV shows and films like The Addams Family, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Gorilla at Large; and Ray "Crash" Corrigan in The Ape Man, Captive Wild Woman, and the Three Stooges short Three Missing Links. And the list of gorilla-suit actors doesn't stop there.

We couldn't do a gorilla-suit episode justice without singling out the gorilla-suit actor, movie and TV prop collector, and genre film historian BOB BURNS. Bob, who left us in 2025, was the picture of affability and courteousness, and often invited select monster kids to view his astounding museum of horror and sci-fi collectibles. And Bob would even allow you to touch the 1932 King Kong armature, operate the Alien Queen prop, and sit in the original 1961 Time Machine! In addition to the many personal appearances Bob Burns made as Kogar the Gorilla, he also played the role of Tracy the Gorilla in the 1973 Filmation TV show The Ghost Busters.

Which leads us to our guest!

For this episode, we have a supremely accomplished actor, voice performer, and artist whose work can be enjoyed in the video game Resident Evil Village, HBO Max's Primal, Cartoon Network's Samurai Jack, and the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse prequel Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham. And if that doesn't make Aaron cool enough for you, he also became a friend and regular visitor of Bob Burns during the last couple of years of his life. Making his MONSTER PARTY debut, please welcome… AARON LAPLANTE!

GORILLA SUITS YOU! ANY "FAST SHOW" FANS OUT THERE?