Certified Forgotten

Think you've seen every possible version of the Cinderella story? Think again. In this episode of the Uncertified podcast series, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle discuss Emilie Blichfeldt's The Ugly Stepsister, a mashup of regency tropes and body horror that has earned comparisons to The Substance. But whereas Coralie Fargeat's film leans into the grotesque, you may just find that The Ugly Stepsis...

Direct-to-video. Erotic thriller. Nineties vampires. Wings Hauser. These are just a few phrases we could use to describe Pale Blood, V. V. Dachin Hsu and Michael W. Leighton's underground vampire movie. Some of these descriptions — or maybe even all of them — would be enough to get the average horror fan to add Pale Blood to their watchlist. But is there more to the movie than nineties nostalgia?...

It's Sinners time, baby. Ryan Coogler's 1930s vampire flick is one of the year's buzziest horror movies for a reason, but does it live up to the hype? The answer is yes, to varying degrees. Monagle loves it. Donato likes it. This episode discusses what the film does so tremendously right (musical themes) and where it might drag for some (Donato has pacing issues). Listen to this episode to hear th...

Is there anything more tantalizing than time loop horror? In this episode of Certified Forgotten, our hosts are joined by Megan Norman, Events Coordinator and host with Crypticon Seattle, to discuss the fun of being a later-in-life horror fan, the importance of regional conventions, and the heady horror-comedy of Madellaine Paxson's Blood Punch. 

This week's Uncertified episode tackles Flying Lotus' new sci-fi horror freakout, Ash. In theaters now, and coming to Shudder soon enough, the multi-hyphenate creator tells a cosmic horror tale heavily influenced by genre video games. Donato's a harder sell on space-set scariness, while Monagle couldn't be more of an Alien slash Event Horizon fanboy. Where will they land on Flying Lotus' "smaller...

You may think you've seen every flavor of zombie movie, but you'd be wrong. Aimee Kuge joins Certified Forgotten to talk about the flesh-eating fun of her new film, Cannibal Mukbang, and the bleak undead nightmare that is Scooter McCrae's Shatter Dead.

Who rules? James Ashcroft's The Rule of Jenny Pen rules. In this episode of our Uncertified podcast series, Matt Monagle and Matt Donato discuss Shudder's latest release, where pits Geoffrey Rush against John Lithgow for retirement home supremacy. At times uncomfortable, at times unforgettable, The Rule of Jenny Pen is a fascinating mash-up of elder horror themes and concepts.

When you're an independent film made for less than $10,000, it doesn't matter if horror fans consider you one of the great zombie movies of the 21st Century: you're still well below the radar of the average moviegoer. In this episode of Certified Forgotten, journalist Michelle Swope discusses her lifelong love of horror and her particular appreciation for Jeremy Gardner's The Battery.

In this week's episode, we're swapping an "M" for an "M" to keep the formula correct. Certified Forgotten's Matt Donato covered South by Southwest 2025 from start to finish, but Matthew Monagle did not. So, Donato called in backup to help with an entire episode dedicated to the horror films of SXSW. Please welcome back Bloody Disgusting's Meagan Navarro, one of the tippy-top horror journalists wor...

We're doing something a little different this week for Certified Forgotten! It's South by Southwest time for the Matts, as they check out the slate of cinematic offerings at Austin's biggest film festival. In honor of SXSW, Donato and Monagle have picked some of their favorite festival titles, old and upcoming. It's easy for festival films to fall through the distribution cracks—hopefully our pick...

If you're a longtime Certified Forgotten listener, you know how co-hosts Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle feel about Oz Perkins. They've debated The Blackcoat's Daughter, reviewed Longlegs, and have made their stances known. So where does The Monkey fit into their discussion? It's the least "Oz Perkins" of any Oz Perkins movie, much to Donato's pleasure. The question is, will this ultra-gory, weird...

It's a privilege and a shame that we can cover a Kiyoshi Kurosawa title on the podcast. How is Lionsgate burying a Kurosawa movie that gets 0 Rotten Tomatoes reviews upon release and only 2 more over the last decade and a half? That's the conversation O.G. horror podcaster and filmmaker Elric Kane starts on this week's podcast. We talk about Kane's new haunting release The Dead Thing (now on Shudd...

No, we're not talking about Mary Poppins. This week's episode highlights an underseen Shudder original that delves into the surreal, sinister, and psychosexual. Mercedes Bryce Morgan's Spoonful of Sugar is a fairy tale that gets nasty in multiple ways, about a babysitter and family who are never what they seem. We welcome horror journalist Vannah Taylor (Fangoria, Moviejawn) as our esteemed guest,...

In this very special episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast, Matt Monagle and Matt Donato are joined by actor and filmmaker Kate Siegel (Midnight Mass, Hush) who goes behind-the-scenes on the making of her V/H/S/Beyond segment "Stowaway" and then kicks off a fun discussion about Lesley Manning's Ghostwatch. What starts with references to The Human Centipede ends with a call to get active in yo...

When is a spoiler not a spoiler? In Drew Hancock's Companion, one of the most important parts of the story is introduced in most of the marketing material, which begs the question as to whether you can talk about the movie without talking about... well, you know. In this episode of Certified Forgotten's Uncertified series, Matt Monagle and Matt Donato tackle this and other pressing questions tied...

Who's ready to talk about a movie about body horror and beauty that made headlines this week? No, the other one! In this episode of the Uncertified podcast series, Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato talk about Sasha Rainbow's Grafted, a New Zealand horror film that, like many upcoming body horror releases, will get comparisons to The Substance but actually deserves them, too.

Who better to discuss a film like Rawhead Rex than the current king of low-budget horror? In this episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast, we're joined by Jordan Downey - co-writer and director of The Head Hunter, ThanksKilling, and the opening segment in the Critics' Choice Awards-nominated V/H/S/Beyond - to talk about his favorite Clive Barker adaptation - or at least, his favorite Clive Bark...

A slow-burn period piece with atonal music and undertones of guilt? You heard right, it's time for the first Monagle Movie of 2025! In this episode of Uncertified, Matts Donato and Monagle discuss Thordur Palsson's The Damned, a horror film set in the Arctic circle in the 1800s. Listen now to learn why it's a perfect companion piece for films like The Wind or AMC's The Terror.

New year, new ambitions, same Certified Forgotten. We're ringing in 2025 with an absolute dream of a guest: David Dastmalchian. We're double-dipping on this episode because podcast fans would be correct to remember we covered 2012's Entrance with Jackson Stewart. We don't see that as an issue — it's pretty rad that multiple guests would want to champion such a "small" film. Plus, we have plenty to...

It was only a matter of time before Tammy and the T-Rex found its way onto Certified Forgotten. Part romantic comedy, part mad scientist experiment, part gory survival-horror flick? Paul Walker's brain ends up inside a gigantic dinosaur prop that lusts after Denise Richards? Longtime entertainment journalist Eric Goldman brings us back to the 90s with this absurd blast from the past, emphasizing t...

We're turning back the clock on Christmas Horror and chatting about Jennifer Wexler's The Sacrifice Game. Why, you ask? With these Uncertified episodes, we're giving "recent" a longer leash when we say we'll highlight recent releases. The Sacrifice Game happens to be one of Donato's favorite Christmas Horror titles released in the last few years, and 'tis the season, so why not? Killers, demons, a...

Are you craving a greasy, sloppy bite of fast-food horror sleaze? This week's episode travels back to the bygone era of 2007, which feels like an alternate universe of nu-metal and poor behaviors. Horror journalist Julieann Stipidis brings The Matts what she describes as one of her "Holy Trinity of Bad Aughts Movies," ready to champion Horny the Clown. Kitchen deaths, demonic mascots, and inapprop...

This week's episode is a bit of holiday fun — a chance to get to know your Matts a tad better. There's no single movie focus, no prime directive. We're just chatting about things we're thankful for this year as horror fans. It's an episode of shared reflection, highlighting what's excited us most in 2024. Listen along as you lay on your couch in a food coma, stuffed like yesterday's turkey.

Sure, monsters and demons are terrifying, but is there anything quite as scary in 2024 as a conversation about religion? In this episode of Uncertified, Matt Monagle and Matt Donato discuss Scott Beck and Bryan Woods's Heretic, a parlor horror film with a great central performance by Hugh Grant. Come for the religious scares, stay for the crisis of faith. 

Skye Riley embarks on a comeback tour for the ages — but is it worth the price of admission? Co-hosts Matt Monagle and Matt Donato are covering Parker Finn's sequel Smile 2 in this week's bite-sized Uncertified episode. Is it one of the best horror movies of 2024? Does Naomi Scott give a powerhouse performance as a possessed pop star? You're damn right. The Matts share an olive branch of agreement...