Certified Forgotten

You've seen Ghost Ship, but how bout Death Ship? Or maybe you've seen Death Ship, and not Ghost Ship. EITHER WAY, we've got another banger of a guest episode, with our newly crowned queen of repeat guests, one half of the This Ends At Prom podcast—and B-movie aficionado—Harmony Colangelo. Join us for a conversation that starts with a spirited chat about bartenders and drink orders, then dives head...

While the Sundance Film Festival is often synonymous with prestigious releases, it's always been a breeding ground for great horror filmmakers, too. So with Matt Donato wrapping his attendance at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, we sat down to discuss his favorites from this year's horror lineup. From Leviticus to Saccharine, this was a particularly strong year for Sundance's Midnight lineup, and...

It might be underwhelming at the box office, but it's overwhelmed our hearts! That's right, this week on the podcast, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle discuss Nia DaCosta's 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, a chamber piece set in the 28 Days Later universe. Learn why both Matts believe DaCosta's feature to be the polar opposite of Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later - and why those changes are the right st...

You know what's worse than vampires? Racist cop vampires. That's the basis of Ryan Prows' new release, Night Patrol. The filmmaker joins us to discuss his first theatrical release and champions a nasty little film that fits with his career's thematic DNA thus far: Los Bastardos (2008). Join us for another guest episode of Certified Forgotten that gets deep into a creator's mind, and brings to ligh...

Johannes Roberts' Primate answers a very important question: "What if Halloween, but instead of Michael Myers, it was a killer chimp?" It's C-oo-oo-ahh-ahh-jo, 100%. All creature, all feature. Suffice it to say, Roberts' relentlessly gory animal-attack flick sounds more like a "Donato Movie," and yet, Certified Forgotten's keeping the new year in agreeable spirits. Tune in to hear Donato and co-ho...

Alex Ullom’s feature debut, It Ends, wants to be a "hangout" horror movie. Certified Forgotten's Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle put that descriptor to the test, hanging out and chatting about Ullom's existential road trip. Like The Battery or Dead End, It Ends relies on conversational, generational horrors that unfold on an empty stretch of road. It's a representation of life, death, and everythi...

Somehow, against all odds, we've made it through 2025. Maybe not unscathed, but we did it. With that in mind, it's time for Certified Forgotten to highlight some of the year's best horror films. Here to help is friend of the show and frequent guest co-host, Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro. With no Matthew Monagle this week, it's up to Meagan and CF's Matt Donato to throw as many worthwhile titl...

'Twas the (almost) fortnight before Christmas at Certified Forgotten, and the boys had a chat to see if the Silent Night, Deadly Night remake is rotten. [Poor attempt at poetic rhythm ends.] Mike P. Nelson's new take on a Christmas horror classic gives Billy Chapman a new purpose, and with it, a fresh take that brings both romanticism and exploitation vibes. Co-hosts Matthew Monagle and Matt Donat...

Hold off on the pizza party, kiddos. Freddy Fazbear might be returning to the big screen, but it's not a cause for celebration. In this Uncertified episode, Certified Forgotten co-host Matt Donato has invited back friend of the show BJ Colangelo to talk about the unfortunate state of Five Nights at Freddy's 2. The first was critically savaged, but not by Donato and Colangelo. The same cannot be sa...

This (day after) Thanksgiving, we're thankful for a returning guest who is the best of all of us. Fangoria's Senior Editor Meredith Borders notches her second guest spot on Certified Forgotten to chat about an oddball Canadian gateway horror film. The Peanut Butter Solution has become a cult favorite, but only in smaller circles. Meredith joins the Matts to chat about Fangoria's upcoming initiativ...

Welcome to another episode of "The Great Oz Perkins Debate" here on Certified Forgotten. Your hosts, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle, couldn't agree on Perkins' catalog until Longlegs, and then again with The Monkey. It looked like there might finally be peace between the Matts, but then Perkins went back to "basics" for his latest film, Keeper. Once again, your Matts are at odds over a new Perkin...

Do you like your cosmic horror with a dash of folklore? Or perhaps you prefer your folk horror with a dollop of the cosmic? Either way, you're the right audience for Nick Szostakiwskyj's Black Mountain Side, a wintry horror film that is one part aliens and one part elder gods. On this week's episode of Certified Forgotten, we're joined by tabletop designer Colin Le Sueur to talk about his Canadian...

To quote Donato's Predator: Badlands review: "It's official: Dan Trachtenberg is the Yautja whisperer." Between Monagle's love of the Alien universe and Donato's incessant quoting of Predator, the Matts dedicated this week's Uncertified episode to gushing about Trachtenberg's latest Yautja adventure. Does the heavy use of digital animation hold up? Can the inclusion of Weyland-Yutani stay in the b...

What happens when two podcasts that prioritize underseen horror movies collide? You get a crossover episode dedicated to Michael Schroeder's "frighteningly erotic thriller" Out of the Dark (1988). Certified Forgotten welcomes Puppet Masters/Castle Freaks co-host Jarrod Hornbeck, who brought his love for an underseen '80s slasher in full force. We'll talk about sleazy exploitation, killer clowns, a...

Hot on the heels of their conversation with writer-director Tina Romero at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle are jumping into their own conversation about Queens of the Dead. Romero's debut feature might borrow heavily from the zombie tropes created by her father, George A. Romero, but the queer horror-comedy that the younger Romero has crafted is a story all her o...

Is The Pit (1981) one of the crazier films we've covered on the podcast to date? Absolutely. You can thank filmmakers Micheline Pitt-Norman & R.H. Norman, the duo behind the runaway favorite V/H/S/Halloween segment, "Home Haunt." Micheline and R.H. graciously shed light on what it took to create their endlessly entertaining anthology segment, then dive into all the silly and perverted weirdnes...

It isn't often that a guest brings us a no-doubt future classic, but that's certainly the case on this episode of Certified Forgotten. This week, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle are joined by author Jonathan Janz (Veil, The End of the World as We Know It) to talk about Erik Kristopher Myers's Butterfly Kisses. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about writing, letting monsters be monsters, and...

When the first reviews for HIM were posted, Certified Forgotten's Matt Donato found himself on an island. He loved the film, but an overwhelming majority of critics took an opposing stance. Surprisingly, co-host Matthew Monagle is not one of those negative reviewers. In fact, HIM is a rare instance where both Matts can agree. Frankly, this is probably the only podcast episode about HIM where it's...

Somehow, by the might of too many individuals, another Fantastic Fest is in the books. This year marks the festival's 20th anniversary, which both Matts were able to cover. Donato was in Austin, soaking in all the cinematic goodness, while Monagle watched screeners from afar. In this episode, the Matts run down their favorite movies from Fantastic Fest, while also touching on as many other highlig...

After a short stint without a standard episode, Certified Forgotten is back for the full hour-long treatment. Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato are joined by Kate Sánchez, the editor-in-chief of pop culture site But Why Tho? , to talk about all things horror. In this episode, Kate reflects on how closely horror is tied to her heritage, and shares her appreciation for Metamorphosis, the 2019 South Ko...

It's finally the season for scare actors, haunted houses, and Halloween-themed adventures! Certified Forgotten's resident Los Angeleno, Matt Donato, attended the opening event of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, along with countless other West Coast horror journalists. Since Matt Monagle did not, past guest Dorina "DJ Bruja" stepped in to run a full recap of the mayhem that went down. From Ter...

Fantastic Fest celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with no signs of slowing down. In this 30-minute episode, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle break down the dos and don'ts of Fantastic Fest for both movie lovers and press. We also sneak a peek at the lineup and share a few titles we're most excited to see in 2025.

As a regular listener of Certified Forgotten, you know we always want to focus on the underseen stuff. But when life gives you a brand new Alien series from showrunner Noah Hawley? Well, you talk about that, too. In this Uncertified episode of the podcast, Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato sit down to discuss Alien: Earth: its place within the Alien universe, its commitment to standalone storytellin...

Did you know that Han from the Fast & Furious movies directed a cutesy indie horror comedy? Believe it! Sung Kang's Shaky Shivers is a sugary-sweet, hokey-as-all-heck gateway horror comedy about zombies, werewolves, cults, cryptids, ice cream, and friendship. Here to defend its honor to the Matts is three-time returning guest Amelia Emberwing, who's been high on the film since the Overlook Fil...

Don't worry, we're still the podcast about horror movies with 10-or-less critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, your Matts have had a helluva summer so far, and have needed these Uncertified episodes to regroup. Plus, why not get an early review of Weapons out there? Our own Matt Donato has seen the film, and he's joined by yet another very special guest: Collider's Perri Nemiroff! Listen i...