06.22.2025 MONSTERPALOOZA 2025: PART 2!!!
PASADENA WAS SO PETRIFYING... WE CAME BACK FOR MORE!!!
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, present more frightful fun from the Pasadena Convention Center! Don't look behind you because you may discover you are being stalked by... MONSTERPALOOZA 2025: PART 2!!!
As our most beloved convention comes to a close, MONSTER PARTY is there to guide you through all the "slay-by-slay" action! Sample another steaming cauldron of fans/friends, horror aficionados, cosplayers, artists, and drop-in celebrity industry professionals like JOE COLWELL (CARNOSAUR, THE SHINING, THE FIRST OMEN), MARK McCRACKEN (PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS, THE OUTER LIMITS, MATINEE), PAUL SCARLATA (KING OF THE HILL, FAMILY GUY, REGULAR SHOW), TOM & MIRANDA FRANCK (JUMBO TITAN X AND THE GREAT ROBOT ARMS RACE!, A DINOSAUR CHRISTMAS, GARADA K7 OWNER), and ALLEN ALVARADO (FLIGHT 29 DOWN, COLD CASE, BLAST FROM THE PAST: THE STORE)! And LOTS more!
We also include such MONSTERPALOOZA staples as infuriating movie reviews/attacks, off-topic food banter, heated toy collecting debates, badly acted "surprise" guest intros, premature interview windups, and other delightful nonsense you've come to expect from MONSTER PARTY!
Let us remind you that MONSTERPALOOZA is not just a MONSTER PARTY audio event. You really need to be there! So make plans now to attend MONSTERPALOOZA 2026, and come by our booth. We promise you the thrill of your life! That is, if you happen to have a relatively thrill-less life!
About Monsterpalooza! The Los Angeles Horror Convention that celebrates the Art of Monsters & Movie Magic! Featuring Over 400 Exhibitors, Monster Museum, Makeup Demos, Celebrity Guests, Panels and much more! Held at the Pasadena Convention Center.
KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED:
Creature Actor Mark McCracken's Behind-the-Scenes Stories: Mark McCracken, the actor inside the suit for Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings, shared several entertaining anecdotes from his career. He recalled the challenge of acting on stilts and how a promotional photo for the movie accidentally revealed him wearing tennis shoes. He also recounted mishaps from other roles, such as needing a hole cut in his polar bear costume on the set of Wild America and repeatedly walking into a wall while playing a blind alien jailer for The Outer Limits.
The Annual Collecting Debate with Tom and Miranda Frank: The hosts engaged in their yearly debate on collecting philosophy with father-daughter duo Tom and Miranda Frank. The discussion centered on "boots on the ground" hunting versus online purchasing and how the internet has changed the hobby. They also detailed their recent trip to Japan, where they visited Godzilla filming locations and met with legendary toy scholars, offering a glimpse into the high-stakes world of vintage Japanese toy collecting.
Makeup Effects Artist Joe Colwell on Low-Budget Filmmaking: Long-time fan and makeup effects artist Joe Colwell stopped by to discuss his career, including his work on the 1993 film Carnosaur. He described the film as the "punk Jurassic Park," detailing how the effects team used simple materials like foam sheets and hot glue to create the dinosaurs while the much larger Jurassic Park was being made across town. He championed the film's "nasty, hardcore, gory" approach as a rebellion against polished, mainstream entertainment.
The Relaunch of Anchor Bay Entertainment: A representative named Josh announced the return of the beloved home video label, Anchor Bay Entertainment. He explained that after Lionsgate acquired the brand and let the trademark lapse, his friend purchased the name to relaunch it with a focus on genre films and physical media. Upcoming releases include the Gunnar Hansen documentary Dinner with Leatherface and a puppet horror film titled Abruptio.
Animator Paul Scarlata's Indie Horror Project: Paul Scarlata, a veteran animation director with credits on shows like King of the Hill and Family Guy, discussed his new independent project, The Van Helsing Society. After studios passed on his original idea, he decided to launch a Kickstarter to fund the animated young adult horror film. The story follows a group of kids who are immune to the hypnosis of vampires that have secretly taken over their town.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
0:7:41 - Joe Colwell Interview: Effects artist Joe Colwell discusses his career and his work on the low-budget film Carnosaur.
0:21:37 - Mark McCracken Interview: Creature actor Mark McCracken shares behind-the-scenes stories from playing the monster in Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings.
0:34:41 - Sahel Parsa Interview: Young author Sahel Parsa reads her dark poetry and discusses her love of the gothic horror genre.
0:37:40 - Tom & Miranda Frank Interview: The hosts have their annual debate on collecting with Tom and Miranda Frank, who also detail a recent toy-hunting trip to Japan.
1:13:08 - Paul Scarlata Interview: Animation director Paul Scarlata discusses his Kickstarter campaign for his independent animated horror film, The Van Helsing Society.
1:19:09 - Alan Alvarado Interview: Alan Alvarado from the collectible store Blast from the Past talks about the shop and its events, like a monthly horror trivia night.
1:35:54 - Anchor Bay Entertainment Interview: A representative announces the return of the home video label Anchor Bay Entertainment, which will focus on physical media for genre films.
1:41:08 - Final Thoughts & The Descent Debate: The hosts wrap up the show, share their final thoughts, and revisit their recurring argument about the horror film The Descent.
RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED:
Film/TV/Podcasts:
Carnosaur: An episode subject that guest Joe Caldwell worked on. He described it as a low-budget, "punk Jurassic Park" with a "nasty, hardcore, gory, R-rated approach".
Jurassic Park: Mentioned as the big-budget film being made at the same time as Carnosaur.
The Shining (1997 Miniseries): Joe Caldwell recalled working on the miniseries, sharing a van with Richard Christian Matheson and looking for ghosts at the Stanley Hotel.
Matinee: Creature actor Mark McCracken's first job in Los Angeles.
Pumpkinhead 2: Blood Wings: Mark McCracken starred as the creature.
Wild America: Mark McCracken played a polar bear in the film.
Where the Wild Things Are: Mark McCracken played the bull character, "Danny".
The Lost Boys: An early influence on author Sahel Parsa.
Terrifier: A modern horror film Sahel Parsa sometimes watches.
Lisa Frankenstein: Mentioned by Sahel Parsa as her current favorite movie.
Godzilla vs. Megalon: Collectors Tom and Miranda Frank visited the "blue box house" filming location from the movie during their trip to Japan.
Halloween: The filming location house was mentioned as an example of a tourist-heavy spot.
Mothra: Miranda Frank wore a Mothra-themed jacket to Tokyo Tower.
Reptilicus: The movie was referenced in response to a picture of a gecko Miranda found in Japan.
Godzilla (2014): Mentioned by Miranda Frank as the only version of the character that some younger fans know.
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster: It was noted that a new book has been published about this film.
Invasion of Astro-Monster: A favorite film of the hosts. A new Japanese book with unseen photos from the production is being released.
Phantom of the Paradise: Miranda Frank mentioned recognizing a quote from the film during the show's movie quote game episode.
Pan's Labyrinth: Miranda showed a graphite pencil drawing she did of the Faun, the Pale Man (referred to as "fish man"), and the Angel of Death from the film.
The Shining (1980): Paul Scarlata mentioned watching it when he was eight years old. A vendor at the convention was selling a teddy bear based on the man in the bear costume from the film.
The Exorcist: Paul Scarlata watched this film shortly after seeing The Shining as a child.
Stand By Me: Used by Paul Scarlata as a comparison for the tone of his project, which features young protagonists but deals with adult themes.
On the Line: One of Alan Alvarado's first acting roles.
Aliens: One of the hosts mentioned that Blast from the Past helped him find a Hicks figure to complete his collection.
Dune (1984): The rare sandworm toy from this film was the subject of a failed trade attempt by one of the hosts on the show Collector's Call.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah: A "glitter Godzilla" figure from this movie was successfully traded on Collector's Call.
The Descent: Discussed as a favorite horror film by Alan Alvarado. This sparked a debate, as host James Gonas strongly dislikes the movie, arguing the characters were "idiots for going down there".
Watchmen: Host Larry Stroth mentioned he had a brief photo opportunity with actresses Malin Akerman and Carla Gugino from the film.
The Alligator People & The Vengeance of She: Mentioned as two of the classic films for which the Monster Party hosts have recorded Blu-ray commentary tracks.
Nosferatu (2024): Praised by one of the hosts, leading to another debate.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It: A host jokingly claimed Leslie Nielsen's performance in this film was scarier than the new Nosferatu
Conan: The hosts mentioned a previous episode where guest Bob Gurr discussed rigging a giant tube for a segment on the show.
Cabinet of Curiosities: Referenced for its episode set in a storage facility.
Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies: Mark McCracken compared his on-screen appearance in tennis shoes as Pumpkinhead to the cartoon monster Gossamer.
The Outer Limits: Mark McCracken recalled playing a blind alien on the show and accidentally walking into a wall during a take.
Collector's Call: Several hosts mentioned having appeared on the show. An extended story was told about a failed trade for a Dune sandworm toy on the show.
King of the Hill, Family Guy, American Dad, and Regular Show: Animation director Paul Scarlata listed these as some of his professional credits.
Flight 29 Down: A TV show Alan Alvarado acted in.
Space Academy: Figures from this 1970s show were part of a successful trade on Collector's Call.
The Young Ones: Host Matt Weinhold bought a T-shirt for the show , and the hosts discussed its Halloween episode featuring the band The Damned.
Famous Monsters of Filmland: The magazine that featured the Basil Gogos Frankenstein art on Joe Caldwell's shirt.
Dark Stories and Poems of Sahel Parsa: The title of author Sahel Parsa's debut book.
Mad Magazine (Archive) | Mad Magazine (Current): Mentioned as a shared interest among the hosts and guest Mark Tavares.
Action Comics #1: Used as an example of a priceless collectible that is no longer found by chance at a yard sale.
Pure Invention: A book about Japanese pop culture written by translator and historian Matt Alt.
Pure Tokyo Scout Podcast: A podcast hosted by Matt Alt.
The Plank: The new official podcast from the revived Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The Collectibles (Jacket, Creature Gun, Candles and T-shirt notwithstanding):
Collapsible Puppets: These were discussed as an example of simple, clever toy design, using a spring and string under tension to function.
Tin Toy Robots: Mentioned as vintage, mass-manufactured toys that were designed to be played with, unlike many modern collectibles.
Jet Jaguar Action Figure: Tom and Miranda Frank bought one to take a picture with at the "blue box house" filming location from Godzilla vs. Megalon.
Mothra Satin Jacket: Miranda Frank wore this jacket for a photo at Tokyo Tower.
Tin Toys (General): Tom Frank described tin toys as being from the "highest pedigree of collecting". He noted that many are owned by aging collectors and will soon change hands, and that forgeries are a problem in the market.
Johnny West Figures: This line of Western-themed collectibles was cited as an example of a collecting trend that is no longer popular.
Faux Vintage Vinyl Toys: Described as new toys made in the style of vintage Bullmark figures, with Medicom being a prominent manufacturer.
Jumbo-Sized Gigan Figure: Tom Frank mentioned buying a nine-inch-tall, scaled-up version of the Bullmark die-cast Gigan, made by Medicom.
Garada K7: A very rare Jumbo Machinder toy. Its provenance was discussed, including one that sold at auction for around $220,000 and another previously unknown specimen that was recently discovered in a private Japanese collection.
Jumbo Machinder Prototypes: Tom Frank explained that the original prototypes for the toy line stood 100 centimeters tall but were deemed too large and were repurposed as store displays for Mazinger Z and Kamen Rider V3.
MechaGodzilla on a Tricycle: A small toy one of the hosts purchased at the convention.
The Food Silliness:
Chocolate: A host offers a chocolate to guest Mark McCracken as a reward for sharing his stories.
Sushi: Miranda Frank said she was most excited about the food on her trip to Japan, especially the sushi from the Tsukiji Fish Market. She praised the quality, noting that the warm rice makes the fish feel "like butter".
Japanese 7-Eleven Egg Sandwiches: Before visiting a Godzilla filming location, Miranda Frank and her father went to a 7-Eleven and got "amazing egg sandwiches".
Salmon Sashimi and Pork: When asked what they ate during a dinner with Japanese toy expert Koji Igarashi, Miranda recalled having salmon sashimi and pork.
Horror-Themed Coffee: One of the hosts mentioned buying "Witch's Blood Red Velvet Cake Flavored Coffee" at the convention.
Snack Bar: One of the hosts noted that while he was in line at the snack bar, he saw many people picking up the podcast's promotional flyers from a nearby table.
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