Certified Forgotten

No, not THAT Scary Movie. This week's guest episode covers 1991's Scary Movie starring John Hawkes. Yes, THAT John Hawkes. The Matts bring in horror journalist and podcaster Rocco T. Thompson to discuss an underseen entry into the haunted attraction horror film canon. Plus, Rocco and Monagle address Scary Movie as a celebrated indie product of Austin's horror scene. Nothin' better than cozy region...

In this week's bite-sized podcast episode, Matt Donato and Matt Monagle discuss J.T. Mollner's Strange Darling. Is it a brilliant deconstruction of tired slasher tropes? Or a pretentious mashup of screenwriting tricks? The answer to both is a resounding yes, and, at the risk of spoiling the episode, it's exactly that ambition and playfulness that makes Strange Darling one of the best horror films...

What better way to celebrate Matt Monagle and Matt Donato's return from Fantastic Fest than with a Fantastic Fest release? In this episode of our Uncertified series, Monagle and Donato discuss V/H/S/Beyond, the latest (and potentially greatest) entry in the V/H/S series that features new films from filmmakers Justin Long, Kate Siegel, and Jordan Downey.

In this week's short-and-sweet podcast episode, The Matts discuss Adam MacDonald's Out Come The Wolves. It's a bit like Backcountry 2.0, except instead of a bear, it's a pack of hungry wolves. MacDonald's making a name as a wilderness horror director, which neither Certified Forgotten host sees as an issue. What do we think will be MacDonald's next animal of choice? Surely he'll at least complete...

Here at Certified Forgotten, we're sometimes surprised to find specific movies qualify for our "10-or-less reviews on Rotten Tomatoes" rule — 555 is not one of those titles. Joining us this week is Sean Abley (co-creator of Queer Horror: A Film Guide), who brings with him a piece of shot-on-video Chicago horror history. Wally Koz's microbudget procedural features a murderous necrophile, infamous e...

In this week's mini-episode of Matt on Matt podcasting action, your Certified Forgotten co-hosts share their thoughts on Zoë Kravitz's rageful debut, Blink Twice. How did she sneak a rape-revenge movie into theaters with mainstream appeal? By wrapping it in a Glass Onion meets Get Out meets The Hunt vision — and casting Channing Tatum helps. But this isn't a movie about him. Blink Twice is an indi...

Want a killer workout? Then come on down to Michael Fischa's Death Spa, where the equipment is automated and only a handful of people (just a handful!) are killed by the ghost in the machine. Heather O. Petrocelli, author of Queer for Fear: Horror Film and the Queer Spectator, joins Certified Forgotten to talk about '80s horror, queer film audiences, and the fading art of the movie theater experie...

Matthew Monagle loves the Alien franchise. Matt Donato loves Fede Álvarez. But did either of them love Alien: Romulus? Listen and find out! In this week's episode of Uncertified, Matthew and Matt tackle the new Alien prequel from Álvarez, which is gorgeous, bloody, and full of creative decisions that, ah, might've looked better on paper.

Can you believe a George A. Romero title fits our "10 critic reviews or less" criteria for Certified Forgotten coverage? Neither can we! But here we are. Beloved horror author Adam Cesare of Clown in a Cornfield fame brings us another 2000s curiosity, this one by the master of zombie cinema himself, Bruiser. We'll talk about when movies felt like movies, why Jason Flemyng deserves more leading rol...

This week's Uncertified episode is a house divided. Join the Matts as they try to stave off madness when discussing Tilman Singer's Cuckoo. Neon hopes to continue their hot streak of horror releases with an out-there Alpine tale that announces Singer in a big way. Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens star in this kooky creature feature shrouded in mountainside mystery from a surrealist filmmaker who pla...

It's one killer elevator, Michael, how much could it cost? In this week's episode of Certified Forgotten, we're joined by horror critic and cosplayer Jessica Scott (Fangoria, Inverse) to talk about Dick Maas's Down (aka The Shaft), a wild mashup of '80s scripts and '90s excess -- and, given its scheduled 2001 premiere date, perhaps the worst-timed movie in the history of Hollywood.

When Matt Donato wrote his midyear article about the best horror of 2024, the one title that caught everyone by surprise was John Rosman's New Life. But you should know better than to doubt the Donato. In this week's episode of Uncertified, we break down why New Life offers a compelling mix of big ideas in a small box, and how it underscores the very important difference between trauma and grief o...

Matt Monagle's favorite horror movie is The Blackcoat's Daughter, and he's been a defender of Oz Perkins since the filmmaker's beginnings. Matt Donato has not liked any of Oz Perkins' first three movies to varying degrees. Finally, at long last, the Matts talk about The Great Perkins Divide and, more importantly, their thoughts on Longlegs. Will there finally be peace amongst podcast cohosts? Can...

Spiders. It had to be goddamn spiders. Big ol' spiders, and lots of 'em, are the subject of this week's Uncertified conversation. Listen to the Matts as they address their differing opinions on Sébastien Vanicek's full-throttle arachnid nightmare Infested, available now on Shudder. Some call it the best spider-focused horror movie since Arachnophobia (that's Matt D.). Do you agree?

This week's main episode traps the Matts and returning gust Richard Whittaker in a home video purgatory. Paul Owens' Landlocked repurposes the filmmaker's home movies to examine grief, liminal spaces, and being stuck in the past. It's an interesting slow burn that never lets us know what plane of existence the film chooses, becoming an endearing guessing game. Owens' family affair makes the most o...

In this week's minisode, The Matts chat about what they agree is one of the year's best horror films (so far). Jang Jae-hyun's Exhuma is available now on Shudder, climbing to the top of the streamer's 2024 catalog despite including bangers like Stopmotion and Infested. South Korea flexes its horror muscles yet again in a culturally rich story that Matt Donato wrote: "bobs and weaves in ways Americ...

How many genres is too many genres? For Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, the sky itself is the limit. Writer-director Jenn Wexler (The Ranger, The Sacrifice Game) joins Certified Forgotten to discuss her path through the film industry and Maury and Bustillo's Livid, a vampire/fantasy/steampunk/slasher/something that left an indelible mark.

Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa is without a doubt one of the most talented horror filmmakers of the 21st century. But would you sign up for a new NFT service just to watch his latest 45-minute movie? Matt Donato and Matt Monagle did, and they're here to tell you that Chime is, shockingly, very worth the effort.

In this latest episode of the podcast, the Matts look into an existential void to celebrate Matt Monagle's birthday! No, seriously. Mr. Monagle has chosen this episode's title flick, and it couldn't be more of a "Monagle Movie" (broody period vibes, religious overtones, Silent Hill parallels, slow-burn devastation). There will be horror genre talk in the back half like always, but to start, both M...

If you've seen one slasher, have you really seen them all? Chris Nash's In A Violent Nature begs to differ, which is the topic of our latest Uncertified conversation. Imagine Friday the 13th shot exclusively over Jason's shoulder. It's an experimental take on undead killers stalking victims through the wilderness, sure to divide audiences with its abstract horror approach. Let's discuss!

What does it mean to be the best movie in the Wrong Turn franchise? In our latest podcast episode, The Matts are joined by horror journalist and author Ariel Powers-Schaub, whose upcoming book (Millennial Nasties: Analyzing a Decade of Brutal Horror Film Violence) examines the many films in the torture porn movement -- including Joe Lynch's cult classic Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.

In the first episode of Uncertified, Certified Forgotten's new series of 30-minute movie discussions, Matt Monagle and Matt Donato take on Radio Silence's Abigail. Does it get the balance between horror and comedy just right? Or does it stumble in its goal of being the best horror-comedy about ballerina vampires since, well, ever?

In horror's illustrious history of films built around unwanted phone calls, When A Stranger Calls Back might be the oddest. This week's episode is about stalkers, sequels, final girls, and ... ventriloquism? We welcome horror journalist Gem Seddon (Vulture, Fangoria) onto the show for a discussion about a franchise continuation that is most unexpected. Our latest episode was destined to happen eve...

What's that, no guest? It's the dawn of a new era at Certified Forgotten, and Matt Donato and Matt Monagle are here to explain their vision for new episodes of the show. But new ideas doesn't mean saying goodbye to old favorites, which is why we've also got a full-sized conversation about Steven C. Miller's Under the Bed. Did Monagle like this old-school Donato favorite? Listen for yourself to fin...

Are you a fan of Adrian Garcia Bogliano's Cold Sweat? Late Phases aka Night of the Wolf? Here Comes the Devil? Maybe even Scherzo Diabolico? Well, then you should heed The Sacrifice Game co-writer Sean Redlitz's recommendation and watch 2018's Black Circle, a more underseen Bogliano winner. Sean brings the Matts a low-budget, high-concept thriller about vinyl records, hypnosis, and doppelgängers t...