Unwatchables with Marc & Seth

This week’s Unwatchables tackles our most difficult subject matter yet. The Birth of a Nation is the most vilely racist “great film” ever to reinvent the medium, and its shadow looms large over American history. We did extensive research for this deep dive into the historical context, including the film’s hideous ideology, its unprecedented success and stunning technical innovations, and how figur...

We're joined by special guest Amy Hensarling as we dive into two films by arthouse directors dipping their toes into horror for the first, and probably last time: Andrzej Żuławski's bugshit 1981 gorefest Possession and Claire Denis' 2001 cannibal sex thriller Trouble Every Day . In the war between artful pretentiousness and stomach-churning carnage, which one wins? Or do we all lose? Unwatchables...

In the wake of comments he made on last week's episode, Marc received a number of credible threats on his life from pro- Clifford extremists. Out of an abundance of caution, he called in from a payphone in an undisclosed location this week to discuss two films by the renowned but controversial filmmaker Michael Haneke, a specialist in the Unwatchable. Those films are 1997's home invasion thriller...

Hey, it's episode 7 - you deserve a break! These movies may be guilty of crimes against cinema, but there's no torture or depravity in this episode (unless you count Martin Short's psychological torture of Charles Grodin). Our friend Boaz joined us to talk about two films from 1994 - Rob Reiner's Elijah Wood-starring career-killer North and the bizarre, darkly funny Martin Short vehicle Clifford -...

It's the Unwatchables Easter special and another doubleheader! Marc and Seth don their altar robes and rosary beads for William Friedkin's 1973 horror blockbuster The Exorcist and Mel Gibson's 2004 New Testament drama/snuff film The Passion of the Christ. If you're looking for salvation, you've come to the wrong place. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarp...

For our fifth episode, we sat down with our good friend and fellow Unwatcher Chris Mosby to discuss Stanley Kubrick's cult-classic dystopian psycho-drama A Clockwork Orange and the Anthony Burgess novel from which it was adapted. We talk through the experience of revisiting this landmark film from our young adulthoods with the weary eyes of regular adulthood. Does Kubrick hold onto his knack for r...

Marc and Seth sit through two films by photographer, filmmaker, and provocateur Larry Clark - 1995's Kids and 2002's Ken Park. Are Clark's films unflinching documents of youthful hedonism or sensationalist scaremongering? And how does the weird old pervert behind the camera affect how we feel about it all? Listen to find out. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, is produced by...

Get out your forks and bibs folks, we're talkin' Salò! Friend of the show Govnaim joins us as we dig into Pasolini's infamous foray into the upper echelons of the Unwatchables cannon. Bon appétit! Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus. You can support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables to get access...

Marc and Seth reflect on the finer points of Tom Green's 2001 gross-out comedy Freddy Got Fingered, such as its fascination with horse anatomy, its appreciation for the elephant reproductive system, and its abiding respect for the miracle of childbirth (Also, is it actually an avant-garde masterpiece?). Due to unforeseen circumstances, Seth had to record this episode from the bottom of a well. Ple...

In our debut episode, we tackle Lars Von Trier's notorious 2009 psychological horror film Antichrist starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg. With its over-the-top art film flourishes, rotting anthropomorphic woodland critters, and graphic depictions of genital mutilation, Antichrist offers plenty of extreme content to watch or unwatch. Tune in to find out what we think.  Unwatchables...