12.19.2024 MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY MEMORIES!!!
MONSTER PARTY PRESENTS A TANNENBAUM TIME MACHINE!
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD summon the ghosts of Christmas past, to relive seasonal stories that will enlarge the Grinchiest of hearts. It's an audio trip down the chimney that we're aptly calling... MONSTER PARTY HOLIDAY MEMORIES!!!
This season MONSTER PARTY gives you the gift of our mixed bag of holiday recollections. Gather 'round the "ghoul log," as we reminisce about some of our best and worst presents, waiting to open said presents, surviving family gatherings, traditional stranger danger (yeah, we're talkin' about you shopping mall Santa), cherished ornaments, dangerous decorations, and so much more!
So move aside past beloved Christmas presents like STAR WARS toys, G.I. JOE, BIG JIM, and the S.S.P. SMASH UP DERBY. This year all you need under the tree is... MONSTER PARTY!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR FANS AND FRIENDS! YOU ARE OUR CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!
Key Topics Discussed
The hosts gather to share personal holiday stories, focusing on Christmas memories from their childhoods.
Larry begins the discussion by detailing a long-standing holiday grievance he held against one of his older brothers, which involved a defaced issue of Famous Monsters magazine from 1977.
The group reminisces about highly anticipated childhood toys, covering both major disappointments (like the "Spin Welder" kit ) and treasured favorites, including Aurora monster models, G.I. Joe Adventure Team figures , and Mego toys.
The hosts share the specific and varied stories of how they each discovered the truth about Santa Claus, ranging from finding hidden presents in the attic to having a parent bluntly tell them.
The episode also explores various family traditions, such as dealing with pets and Christmas trees , favorite ornaments , and concludes with listener shout-outs and a touching tribute from James to his late father.
Timestamps
00:01:41: The hosts introduce the special episode's topic: "Monster Party Holiday Memories".
00:04:14: Larry begins his first major story about a long-held holiday grievance involving a defaced Famous Monsters magazine.
00:14:15: Matt transitions the conversation to the topic of "presents".
00:16:51: Matt tells his story about a disappointing toy he wanted from the Sears catalog: the Spin Welder.
00:22:10: Shawn shares his memories of building Aurora Monster model kits and getting gifted complicated car models he didn't want.
00:27:11: James recalls Christmas 1973, when he received three Aurora monster model kits at once: the Mummy, King Kong, and Godzilla.
00:36:04: Shawn tells the story of getting the Talking G.I. Joe Adventure Team Commander and his parents being woken up by its recorded commands.
00:39:32: Larry contrasts his childhood with Shawn's, explaining that his parents locked the five boys in their room on Christmas Eve.
00:41:11: Larry shares his "Let's Make a Deal" story about trading his younger brother for the large-scale Chewbacca figure in 1979.
00:45:09: Matt introduces the next major topic: the moment each host realized the truth about Santa Claus.
00:45:38: Matt shares his "Santa" story, which involved getting a toy airplane cockpit and later finding the original box in a closet.
00:48:19: Larry details how he found out about Santa at age six after his father left the attic ladder out, allowing him to climb up and see all the hidden presents.
00:50:24: Shawn explains that his mom sat him (age 7) and his sister (age 5) down and told them the truth about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and where babies come from all at once.
00:59:24: Larry tells the story of trying to find the rare 1991 Hallmark Star Trek Enterprise ornament, and his brother-in-law surprising him with three of them.
01:14:08: James introduces the topic of memories associated with movies that came out during Christmastime, such as Superman (1978).
01:15:15: Shawn brings up memories related to Christmas trees, specifically cats eating tinsel and climbing the tree.
01:22:10: Larry shares his love for the 1997 Christopher Radko blown glass Universal Monster ornaments and how his mom bought him the complete set.
01:25:50: Larry discusses the Playing Mantis Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer figures and his family tradition of having his daughter set them up.
01:31:37: The "Holiday Shout-Out" segment begins.
01:33:49: James gives a touching tribute to his father who had recently passed away, sharing stories of his life as a professional bouzouki musician.
Resources/Links Mentioned
Films
Flashdance: Matt says he hates Flashdance because the welding scenes remind him of his childhood disappointment with the "Spin Welder" toy.
Jaws: Larry mentions that his brother drew a beautiful shark picture back in 1973 or 1974, around the time Jaws came out and "everyone was drawing sharks".
Superman (1978): James recalls Superman (1978) as a movie that strongly corresponds with his Christmas memories , noting its wintery connection via the Fortress of Solitude.
Popeye (Robert Altman's): James mentions this as another film he saw at Christmastime, which he "gave a pass" to simply because it was the holidays and he was cozy in the theater.
Nosferatu (2024): The hosts mention the upcoming Nosferatu release as a movie they can look forward to for the current Christmas season.
A Christmas Story: Larry references the movie when describing the chaotic scene of his large family opening presents, with wrapping paper "scattered all over the place" just "like in a Christmas story".
Never on Sunday: James mentions this film as one of the movies in the 1960s that helped make Greek nightclubs popular, which was relevant to his father's career.
Zorba the Greek: James mentions this movie along with Never on Sunday for the same reason. His father later toured with Anthony Quinn in the Zorba musical revival.
On the Waterfront: James mentions this Elia Kazan film while telling a story about his father performing at the Kennedy Center Honors, which was honoring the director.
A Streetcar Named Desire: James mentions this as another Elia Kazan film in the same context.
Silent Movie: James recalls being into soundtracks as a kid and specifically wanting the Mel Brooks Silent Movie soundtrack for Christmas.
Car Wash: James's dad's girlfriend at the time heard he liked soundtracks and bought him the Car Wash soundtrack, which he wasn't interested in.
Forever Young, Forever Free: The same girlfriend also bought him the soundtrack to this movie, which he was also unfamiliar with.
The Human Centipede: Matt mentions a "human centipede marathon" as part of a joke describing a "holiday staycation" he would plan.
Television
The $6 Million Man: James mentions that the Steve Austin $6 Million Man action figure was the "must-have" Christmas toy in 1975, which he received.
Rankin/Bass Specials: Matt references the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, joking that after finding a toy box, he realized Santa's skillset in those specials seemed limited to making "a fucking wooden rocking horse".
The Ed Sullivan Show: James recalls his old plastic Woolworth's ornaments, noting he still has one of Topo Gigio from The Ed Sullivan Show.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: Larry discusses collecting the Playing Mantis action figures based on the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special and how it became a family tradition for his daughter to set them up.
The Year Without a Santa Claus: Shawn mentions that he has the figures from this Christmas special set up on his mantel.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town: Shawn also notes that he has figures from this special on his mantel, alongside the Rudolph and Year Without a Santa Claus figures.
Honey West: Larry mentions having a crush on actress Anne Francis and that a doll was released for her character from the show Honey West.
Doctor Who: Matt brings up Doctor Who as an example of a toy line where the box art looked great, but the actual figure's head sculpt was a disappointment.
Books, Comics, etc.
Famous Monsters magazine: This magazine is central to Larry's main story. His older brother defaced his copy of Issue #139 (which featured Darth Vader and C-3PO on the cover) back in 1977. After years of reminding him, his brother finally gifted him a replacement, along with Issue #137 by mistake.
Sears catalog: This is mentioned as the primary source for childhood Christmas lists. Matt recalls seeing the disappointing "Spin Welder" toy in the catalog and asking for it. It's later referenced again as the place where you'd "circle the page" to show your parents the exact toy you wanted.
"Little Red Shoes" (Song): James shares that this Christmas song by soul singer Jerry Butler, which is about a father and his son, is one he can no longer listen to as it "will devastate" him after his father's recent passing.
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