04.22.2026 FIRST CONTACTS!!! With SUE MURPHY!
MONSTER PARTY 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!
Guest(s)
Sue Murphy:
Follow Sue: Sue Murphy Photos | Sue Murphy IMDB | Sue Murphy
Key Topics Discussed:
Critique of Project Hail Mary (2026): Monster Party and Sue Murphy engage in a lengthy debate about the film's reliance on familiar sci-fi tropes , the "cutesy" nature of its alien character , and whether the story prioritizes feel-good sentiment over an actual story.
The Evolution of "First Contact" Cinema: The group examines how alien encounters have been portrayed throughout film history, covering everything from the nice aliens in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. to the more terrifying entities in The Thing and War of the Worlds.
The Prime Directive and Alien Interference: A significant portion of the conversation focuses on the implications of the "Prime Directive" from Star Trek. They discuss whether advanced alien civilizations would intentionally avoid Earth due to humanity’s perceived violence and lack of readiness for contact.
Humanity's Preparation for Extraterrestrial Life: Using films like Contact and Arrival as benchmarks , the group discusses chaos that might ensue if first contact were actually established, noting that humans might be fundamentally unprepared for such an event.
Music and Soundtracks in Sci-Fi: A large amount of discussion is devoted to the role of soundtracks in these movies. A spirited amount of debate about how a soundtrack can be both excellent as a stand-alone piece while being terrible in the film when used to telegraph every emotional beat.
Timestamps:
00:00:59 – Guest Introduction: Sue Murphy The hosts welcome comedian and writer Sue Murphy. They discuss her history with the show’s hosts and her sci-fi credentials, including her past projects with Matt.
00:05:24 – The Deep Dive: Project Hail Mary (2026) The group begins an extensive discussion on the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary. They have opinions.
00:13:41 – The "Rocky" Controversy: Aliens or Exchange Students? A specific critique of the alien character "Rocky" from Project Hail Mary.
00:26:10 – Intermission: Is James Gonis Okay? James is asked if he actually likes movies anymore...
00:46:15 – Cinema History: The First Contact Archetypes The conversation shifts to broader film history. The group categorizes "First Contact" movies into two distinct buckets: the "Wonder" films (Spielberg) and the "Terror" films (Carpenter/Scott).
01:08:30 – The Prime Directive & The Fermi Paradox The hosts get philosophical, discussing why we haven't heard from aliens yet. They explore the idea that humanity is being intentionally ignored by advanced civilizations who are following a non-interference policy.
01:21:14 – Deep Cuts: Contact, Arrival, and The Day the Earth Stood Still A look at the more intellectual side of First Contact. The group analyzes how films depict the breakdown of world governments and the rise of religious fervor when a signal is finally received.
01:42:35 – The Horror of the Unknown: The Thing and Alien A transition into the darker side of the genre, focusing on how physical biological threats changed the way audiences viewed the stars in the late 70s and early 80s.
01:54:10 – Wrapping Up & Final Recommendations The group gives their final thoughts on the "First Contact" subgenre and Sue Murphy shares her latest eugenia project, if you’re into that kind of thing.
Resources/Links Mentioned:
Films
Project Hail Mary: The central topic of discussion, specifically focusing on the film adaptation of Andy Weir’s book and the first contact between humans and the alien "Rocky".
The V-Files: Mentioned as a "classic industrial film" that guest Sue Murphy and host Matt Weinhold worked on early in their careers, which was a parody of The X-Files.
The Martian: Mentioned during a comparison to Project Hail Mary as another Andy Weir book adapted into a film (starring Matt Damon) that dealt more heavily with science.
Lord of the Rings: Briefly mentioned in joking that James would probably claim it was "too long".
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Discussed multiple times as a groundbreaking example of "benign" first contact, though James argues it is overrated despite its iconic score.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture: Mentioned in the context of long, indulgent scenes showing off a spaceship design.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Cited as the ultimate "Spielberg-ian" feel-good alien movie, which James argues Project Hail Mary follows too closely.
Phantom of the Paradise: Mentioned this as a film James has watched so many times he needs to branch out.
Spaceman: Sean compares Project Hail Mary to this Adam Sandler film about a cosmonaut who befriends a giant telepathic spider in space.
Turner and Hooch: Used as a comparison for the "buddy movie" dynamic between Ryan Gosling and the alien in Project Hail Mary.
Galaxy Quest: Briefly mentioned regarding the design of the "rock" alien.
Interstellar: Mentioned by James as one of many recent science fiction films he has seen and would have walked out of if he had not been with someone.
Superman (James Gunn): James admits he actually liked this recent film, proving he doesn't hate everything.
Disclosure Day: A trailer for a new Spielberg sci-fi film that the hosts saw before Project Hail Mary.
He-Man Masters of the Universe: Mentioned as a "generic" trailer seen by the hosts that appeared to be "written by AI".
Jurassic Park: Mentioned as a successful film written by David Koepp.
Cold Storage: A film directed by David Koepp that James actively avoided seeing.
The Dark Half: A Stephen King adaptation mentioned by during a joke about James's "dark half".
Planet of the Apes: Mentioned in a joke about the aliens bringing a woman to the protagonist, similar to the plot of this film.
Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall: Mentioned as other films starring actress Sandra Hüller, who appears in Project Hail Mary.
Destination Moon (1950): Ryan Gosling's reluctant astronaut character is compared to the "guy from Brooklyn" in this classic sci-fi film.
Arrival: Praised by the hosts (except James) for its highly intelligent and "truly alien" portrayal of first contact through linguistics and time perception.
Annihilation: Discussed as an example of "cosmic horror" first contact where the alien presence mutates everything it touches.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers: Cited as a first contact film where humans don't realize they've been contacted until it's too late.
Contact: Larry expresses disappointment in this film’s ending, while Sue defends its focus on how human society and religion would react to a signal.
2010: The Year We Make Contact: A mention of being disappointed by the "digital image" of the aliens in this sequel.
2001: A Space Odyssey: Discussed for its beautiful "Dawn of Man" scene involving the monolith and for having non-corporeal aliens.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) and It Came from Outer Space: Both cited as examples from 1953 where humans "fucked up" a peaceful first contact.
War of the Worlds (1953): Contrasted as a film from the same era where the aliens were "nasty" and only wanted to destroy humanity.
Escape from the Planet of the Apes: Mentioned as a film showing the chaos that ensues when society is unprepared for "aliens" (even if they aren't technically aliens).
District 9: Discussed for its metaphors regarding how humans would ill-treat a "shrimp-like" alien species on Earth.
The Man Who Fell to Earth: Mentioned for its portrayal of an alien (David Bowie) who succumbs to human vices.
Quatermass and the Pit: This film shared the same concept as 2001 regarding aliens manipulating human evolution.
Sleeper: Larry identifies this Woody Allen film as James's favorite sci-fi movie.
The Thing (1982): Discussed as the "worst first contact ever" and a film that initially bombed because it was the "polar opposite" of E.T.
Alien: Mentioned alongside The Thing as another example of a "worst contact" scenario.
Television
The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Mentioned as one of the programs that guest Sue Murphy has worked on during her career.
Chelsea Lately: Mentioned as a show guest Sue Murphy has worked on.
Wanda at Large: Mentioned as a show guest Sue Murphy has worked on.
The X-Files: Referenced as the inspiration for the industrial film parody The V-Files, which Sue Murphy and Matt Weinhold starred in.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Referenced multiple times as a source of "First Contact" stories, specifically the episodes "Darmok" and "First Contact".
Too Close for Comfort: A joking suggestion is made that James should watch this show instead of Arrival.
The Outer Limits: Discussed for the episode "The Zanti Misfits," which explores a cynical view of humanity's reaction to aliens.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Mentioned for the episode "Little Green Men," where the Ferengi characters become the aliens at the Roswell incident.
Pluribus: Recommended as a show with a unique, modern take on the Invasion of the Body Snatchers concept.
Books & Comic Books
Books
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir: This is the primary book discussed . The guest and hosts compare the 2026 film adaptation to the original novel, specifically debating the level of scientific detail and the portrayal of the alien character Rocky .
The Martian by Andy Weir: Mentioned as Andy Weir's previous book that was also adapted into a successful film.
Contact by Carl Sagan: Mentioned in relation to the 1997 film . The hosts discuss how Sagan’s background influenced the book’s themes of science versus religion .
Albums / Soundtracks
Project Hail Mary Score by Daniel Pemberton: James Gonis specifically name-drops the composer and mentions that while he would enjoy the music as a standalone album, he found it annoying and manipulative within the context of the film .
Close Encounters of the Third Kind Soundtrack by John Williams: Discussed several times by James, who states that while he finds the movie overrated, he "loves the music".
Phantom of the Paradise Soundtrack: Referenced by James when he admits to being in a loop of watching that film and listening to its music too many times .
