On Unwatchables, two movie enthusiasts tackle the films that have been deemed “difficult” or, for one reason or another, just plain Unwatchable. From extreme horror to punishing art films to notorious box office flops, they’ll test their limits and try to
Today we're joined by film critic Vikram Murthi for two very different films inspired by the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting. First up is 1968's Boris Karloff-starring TARGETS, the directorial debut of Peter Bogdanovich that featured a fictionalized version of the shooter just two years after the tragedy; and then 2016's TOWER, an animated hybrid documentary told entirely from the ground view of the victims and those who acted to save them.You can find more from Vikram at https://x.com/fauxbeatpoetYou can support us on Patreon at patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we go down the rabbit hole of the Czechoslovak New Wave with two dark, grimy, surreal versions of beloved fairy tales. First up is the 1978 horror fantasy BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (or literally, THE MONSTER AND THE VIRGIN), from THE CREMATOR's Juraj Herz; then Jan Švankmajer's demented stop-motion take on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, 1988's ALICE.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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Writer and podcaster Will Sloan of THE IMPORTANT CINEMA CLUB joins us today as our guide through the early underground films of Andy Warhol. We'll be covering some of the legendary pop artist's most radical and (for at least one of us) punishing cinematic experiments: 30 minutes of couples sucking face in 1964's KISS; 27 minutes of, well, something else, in BLOW JOB; and 1965's VINYL, an early adaptation of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE that makes Kubrick's version look like Marvel movie.You can find more from will at:https://letterboxd.com/will_sloan/https://x.com/WillSloanEsqUnwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.You can support us on Patreon at patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today author and ScreenCrush editor Matt Singer returns to discuss one of the oddest detours in a legendary Hollywood career. When THE CABLE GUY came out in 1996, Jim Carrey was on one of the hottest streaks in cinema history; fans just didn't know what to do with a dark comedy/thriller that made him into a full-blown creep. We talk about why it was considered a flop, where it falls in the careers of both Carrey and director Ben Stiller, and if it really IS that weird.You can find more from Matt at https://screencrush.com/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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we welcome Bryan Loomis, host of the film podcast WHAT A PICTURE, to discuss the work of polarizing surrealist filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky. Jodorowsky made some of the most bizarre and controversial cult films of the 1970's, and we'll be discussing perhaps his two most notorious: 1970's phantasmogoric acid western EL TOPO and 1973's psychedelic odyssey THE HOLY MOUNTAIN.You can find more from Bryan at https://www.whatapicturepod.com/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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we're joined by SPLIT YOUR HEAD's Bob McCully to discuss a cinematic movement entirely new to our hosts. The Japanese “pink films” of the 60s, 70s, and 80s were part lurid exploitation flicks and part transgressive art films, like arthouse video nasties. We tackle two of its most provocative touchstones: Koji Wakamatsu's true-crime inspired VIOLATED ANGELS and Hisayasu Sato's gay sadomasochistic love story MUSCLE.You can hear more from Bob athttps://open.spotify.com/show/13zXnW9HONPA7hf5U03F8iUnwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.You can support us on Patreon at patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next.Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
The late David Lynch explored the line between the watchable and the unwatchable as distinctively and mysteriously as any filmmaker ever has. UNWATCHABLES kicks off Season 4 by tackling his first and (sadly) last films, his two most alienating avant-garde works separated by almost exactly 30 years: 1977's hugely influential surrealist classic ERASERHEAD, and 2006's polarizing 3-hour digital camcorder experiment INLAND EMPIRE. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Film critic Keith Phipps returns for his second UNWATCHABLES season finale, and how better to close out the year than with a harrowing arthouse classic and its unlikely grindhouse remake? Ingmar Bergman's THE VIRGIN SPRING is a stark, unsettling adaptation of a 13th century folk ballad; 12 years later, it served as the inspiration for the grisly debut of horror director Wes Craven, 1972's THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. We discuss how Bergman's religious fable morphed into the template for the modern rape-revenge film, and what was lost—or gained—in translation. Don't forget to join us at http://Patreon.com/Unwatchables for an exclusive Q&A with Keith, plus all our weekly bonus content! 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we welcome author, filmmaker, and (retired) performer Christopher Zeischegg for two films by notorious transgressive author Dennis Cooper. Cooper's queer, graphic, sex- and death-obsessed fiction is disturbing enough on its own. Now he's ventured twice into filmmaking: first with 2015's LIKE CATTLE TOWARDS GLOW, a collection of shorts concerned with many of the same violent themes as his written work. Then he switched gears with 2018's sweeter PERMANENT GREEN LIGHT, about a teenager compelled to literally blow himself up—with a little help from his friends. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we're joined by critic Steve Erickson for two films that dared to dramatize the 1999 Columbine massacre—both in 2003, barely four years after the tragedy. Ben Coccio's ZERO DAY and Gus Van Sant's ELEPHANT each encountered controversy, though only one would win the Palme D'Or while the other is now mainly available on YouTube. We'll talk about the films' very different approaches to one of the 20th century's defining tragedies, and where (or if) we draw the line between insight and exploitation. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
It's the UNWATCHABLES Halloween special, and we're dissecting two films that helped pave the way for last year's subject, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER. With help from return guest Zach Butcher, we consider how two earlier, less “respectable” horror movies deglamorized serial killers by putting us in their shoes: 1980's grimy New York slasher MANIAC and 1983's Austrian cult shocker ANGST. This is also a great time to check out our new and improved Patreon page! This week's exclusive bonus content is a full conversation with Zach about our *extremely* combative rankings of the HALLOWEEN film series. For bonus episodes PLUS Marc and Seth's reviews, special lists, and looks back at the UNWATCHABLES canon, join us at http://patreon.com/unwatchables! Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.
Today we're kicking off Horror-tober with two classics from the undisputed master of body horror, David Cronenberg. And who better to help us than filmmaker and novelist Bobby Miller, the director of horror films like CRITTERS ATTACK! and 2016's THE CLEANSE starring Johnny Galecki and Angelica Huston. We'll be discussing two films that blend horror, sci-fi, and grand tragedy in ways that churn your emotions as much as your stomach: 1986's existential monster movie THE FLY, and 1988's twisted psychological thriller DEAD RINGERS. Also be sure to pre-order Bobby Miller's new book SITUATION NOWHERE at http://SituationNowhere.com, and get an autographed copy with exclusive art! 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
For the very first Unwatchables live event hosted by Akron's Nightlight theatre, Seth and Marc introduce a special screening of THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T, the only film ever written by Dr. Seuss— one deemed too dark and strange for family audiences when it flopped in 1953, but now rightfully beloved for its surreal production design and infectiously absurd musical numbers. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we welcome Letterboxd's own Swartacus for the 2nd edition of our CANNES-TASTROPHES series. The Cannes film festival is the most prestigious of its kind in the world, and these films had premieres so disastrous that hundreds booed and even fled the theater. First up is Vincent Gallo's scandalous 2003 art film THE BROWN BUNNY, which Roger Ebert famously declared the worst film in Cannes' history (sparking a legendary feud with the director). Then we see whether that label REALLY applies to our second candidate, Gus Van Sant's universally panned, Matthew McConaughey-starring mush THE SEA OF TREES. You can find more from Swartacus at https://letterboxd.com/swartacus/ 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today's UNWATCHABLES looks back on two very different films about the September 11th terrorist attacks. Paul Greengrass' UNITED 93 came out less than 5 years after the tragedy and was the first Hollywood film to dramatize the day that many people weren't sure needed dramatized. We'll discuss what recreating the attacks means today as well as back in 2006, and then consider the other end of the spectrum: 2017's simply titled 9/11, a chamber drama starring a post-TWO AND A HALF MEN Charlie Sheen trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center. And if that sounds ill-advised… you have no idea. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we're joined by author Derek Fisher for two eerily similar, and similarly miserable, family portraits. Both are the directorial debuts of renowned British actors who would never direct again; both follow dysfunctional working class families; and both star Ray Winstone as *the* worst dad of all time. Only one, however, was too much for one of our hosts to finish. Is it Gary Oldman's 1997 slice-of-misery NIL BY MOUTH, or Tim Roth's harrowing 1999 incest drama THE WAR ZONE? You can find more from Derek at https://derekafisher.com/ 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
On the conclusion of our two-part episode on the STAR WARS prequels, we somehow find both more AND less middle ground. ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH are generally considered the worst and best of the prequels, respectively—so naturally, we can't even agree on that. Topics include whether lightsaber Yoda is a high- or lowlight, how you whiff the casting of Anakin two times over, and the future of both George Lucas and a Lucas-free STAR WARS. 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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
On a special two-part UNWATCHABLES, our hosts opinions are galaxies far, far apart. George Lucas' STAR WARS prequels were greeted with mixed to hostile reactions over 20 years ago, but these days some fans—even one on this podcast!—will argue that they're worth defending. With help from our producer Tony, we're tackling all three films in the most divisive STAR WARS trilogy of them all… but can a divided UNWATCHABLES stand?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 patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we're joined by Zack Bornstein, the Emmy-nominated, WGA and Peabody Award-winning writer from shows like SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SHRINKING, to answer the question: what if the Care Bears were in ANTICHRIST? The animated films of Alberto Vázquez are full of cuddly talking animals, but also graphic gore, human-looking genitalia, and possibly clinical depression. We'll be discussing his two unrelentingly bleak features: 2015's coming-of-age horror drama BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN, and 2022's epic splatter film UNICORN WARS. You can find more from Zack at https://www.zackbornstein.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Unwatchables welcomes back Cinematary's Michael O'Malley for two unhinged California cult curiosities that land somewhere between ROCKY HORROR and THE ROOM. Are they crazily inspired, or just crazy? They are: Timothy Carey's 1962 Frank Zappa-scored satire THE WORLD'S GREATEST SINNER, and Richard Elfman's 1980 absurdist musical fantasy FORBIDDEN ZONE. You can find more from Michael at https://www.cinematary.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.
Today we welcome podcaster and musician Bob Ethington to discuss two ambitious, high-profile flops from two of the 1970's most ambitious, high-profile auteurs. Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola were following up some of the most beloved American films ever made when they sunk huge budgets into experiments that blew up in their faces— and that might even share some blame for the end of the New Hollowood era. They are Spielberg's 1979 epic historical farce 1941, and Coppola's 1981 lavish musical romance ONE FROM THE HEART. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus. You can hear more of Paul on Cinematic Underdogs at https://open.spotify.com/show/7B13xjGbXCV4Sebw1CfQoX You can support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we welcome back Paul Keelan of CINEMATIC UNDERDOGS to discuss the abrasive, deliberately alienating character studies of Rick Alverson. Alverson works with alt-comedy icons like Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, but his films are anything but normal comedies— whatever you call them, they're dark, uncomfortable, and follow people you probably don't want to spend much time with. We're discussing two of his best-known provocations (don't let the titles fool you): 2012's Tim Heidecker-starring THE COMEDY, and 2015's Neil Hamburger vehicle ENTERTAINMENT. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus. You can hear more of Paul on Cinematic Underdogs at https://open.spotify.com/show/7B13xjGbXCV4Sebw1CfQoX You can support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables to get access to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
We're thrilled to welcome Hit Factory hosts Aaron & Carlee to discuss the films of French provocateur Catherine Breillat. Breillat never met a male/female relationship she couldn't dissect in harrowing fashion, often with explicit or downright shocking content. We tackle two of her hardest to stomach films: 2001's pitch-black coming of age tale FAT GIRL, and 2004's graphic arthouse provocation ANATOMY OF HELL. You can find more from Aaron and Carlee at https://open.spotify.com/show/2bwSvn4H3airk00IYCwaoa 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
In honor of Mother's Day, we're joined by horror author Emma E. Murray to take a look at the Unwatchable side of motherhood. Today's films aren't afraid to put both small children and pregnant women in peril; they include possibly the single bloodiest film of the New French Extremity horror wave, as well as a truly demented (and underseen) Hitchcock riff. They are the 2007 French slasher film INSIDE, and Zack Parker's shocking 2013 psychodrama PROXY. You can find all of Emma's books at https://emmaemurray.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we're going back to 1928 for what might be the most harrowing film of the silent era. Carl Theodor Dreyer's intense, claustrophobic THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC was like nothing at the time and arguably still isn't; we'll talk about the film's controversial history, what makes it so radical, and whether it might be too much for some viewers. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables welcomes Erik Davis, managing editor of Fandango.com, to discuss possibly the most heart-wrenching film we've yet covered. Erik wrote the first review of 2008's true crime doc DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER after its Slamdance premiere, and anyone who's seen it knows it's not the kind of movie you ever forget. We discuss what makes it so uniquely devastating, how it holds up after all these years, and whether the way it handles its big “secret” is shamelessly exploitative. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we welcome back Jetta Weinstein, aka Letterboxd's theironcupcake, to discuss the film that scarred a generation of HOME ALONE fans. Macaulay Culkin was at the height of his child stardom when his father/manager signed him on for HOME ALONE 2 under one condition… that his next role be the murderous child sociopath in 1993's R-rated thriller THE GOOD SON. We'll talk about who this movie was possibly made for, whether it was actually responsible for the end of Culkin's career, and if it has THE most insane ending we've ever seen. You can find more from Jetta at https://letterboxd.com/theironcupcake/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's film is so controversial it's never actually been released. In 2017, comedian Louis CK wrote, directed, and starred in I LOVE YOU, DADDY, which was pulled just a week before release after a New York Times article detailed his sexual misconduct; as if that timing wasn't bad enough, the film itself concerns a director known for his sexual indiscretions with minors. We talk about how it fits into the #MeToo movement, whether CK had a future as a director, and if the movie really is as cursed as it sounds. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables is thrilled to welcome back Amy Hensarling of Watch This List for our special pre-Oscars episode! Jonathan Glazer's harrowing Holocaust drama THE ZONE OF INTEREST may be the most unconventional Best Picture nominee in years, if not ever; we discuss Glazer's entire career, his uniquely unsettling approach to a familiar unsettling subject, and whether in this case he went far enough. You can find more from Amy at https://letterboxd.com/amyhensarling/ and you can check out her podcast, Watch This List, at https://t.co/UWxbDl7Rnj 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's Unwatchables looks back at a stretch of the 2000's when seemingly every grimy horror classic was getting a slick, ultra-gory remake. Author and podcaster Mallory Smart joins us to discuss contemporary updates of two of the most iconic and disturbing guerilla horror films of the 70's, and whether they might actually be *more* sadistic than the originals. They are Marcus Nispel's glossy 2003 THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, and Alejandre Aja's brutal 2006 THE HILLS HAVE EYES. You can find more from Mallory at https://mallorysmart.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's Unwatchables is all about the loquacious, shockingly brutal modern exploitation films of S. Craig Zahler. Special guest Matt Belenky helps us discuss Zahler's artful approach to extreme violence, the controversy around his perceived politics, and whether his films are actually as regressive as their inspirations. On deck are 2015's grisly horror Western BONE TOMAHAWK, and 2017's face-smashing prison flick BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99. You can find more from Matt at https://letterboxd.com/saveferris71/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables kicks off Season 3 with one of the most notorious outsider cult films of the 2000's. With help from video essayist Jacob Sleezer, we dissect the surreal provocations of filmmaker Damon Packard, starting with his epic, vomit-drenched, copyright-infringing magnum opus, 2002's REFLECTIONS OF EVIL. Topics include Packard blowing his inheritance, whether he might actually be unwell, and his years-in-the-making sci-fi whatsit FOXFUR. You can find Jacob on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/wormwould/ and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh-IwbDtNPL6T6zrngXpOCw 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
For the Unwatchables Season 2 finale, we're tackling the highest-grossing— and we do mean gross— documentary series of all time. In this special “Producer's Pick” episode, our producer Tony Scarpitti helps us discuss the JACKASS phenomenon, how the films evolved over the years, and which parts we found too painful to endure. In the end, we rank all four theatrically-released films… a stunt that should not be performed at home. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Film critic Mike D'Angelo returns to Unwatchables with our most unexpected guest pick yet: Bobcat Goldthwait's 2006 dark comedy SLEEPING DOGS LIE. We discuss what makes it so queasy yet unexpectedly moving, how Mike's opinion has shifted over the years, and whether this is the first rom-com to pivot on an act of bestiality. ALSO: Stay tuned after the discussion for our first Unwatchables guest questionnaire, including Mike's most unpopular opinion and most Unwatchable film. You can find more from Mike at https://www.patreon.com/gemko 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's guest is Robert Daniels, associate editor of http://RogerEbert.com, to help us discuss a controversial fugitive drama that takes a provocative look at police violence against Black Americans. 2019's QUEEN & SLIM is the feature debut of Melina Matsoukas— director of the iconic music video for Beyonce's “Formation”— and stars Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya. So why has it become potentially overlooked? We discuss how it holds up today, Snoop Dog's hostile reaction at the screening Robert attended, and the online discourse over its ending. You can find more from Robert at https://www.rogerebert.com/contributors/robert-daniels 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Who better to join our Halloween special than film critic Katie Rife, aficionado of all things horror? She proves her strong stomach by exposing us to two of the most harrowing serial killer films ever made, starting with 1986's hugely influential HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER. We discuss its revolutionary approach to depicting violence, how it comments on the true crime genre, and one of its most repulsive descendants: Fatih Akin's 2019 stomach-churner THE GOLDEN GLOVE. You can find more from Katie at https://x.com/RifewithKatie 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
We've already tackled two films from KIDS' Larry Clark on our previous “Kids Aren't All Right” episode— who'd have thought he had more unwatchable in him? Today we're joined by B.R. Yeager, author of the acclaimed horror novel NEGATIVE SPACE, for further evidence that the kids still aren't, in fact, all right. Both of these films show the dark side of coming of age in all its potential trauma and violence, though only one offers any glimmer of hope: Clark's 2001 true crime story BULLY, and Gregg Araki's 2004 sex abuse drama MYSTERIOUS SKIN. You can find more from B.R. Yeager at https://www.bryeager.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's films take us deep into the subjective sensory experience of extreme mental illness, including at least one character with paranoid schizophrenia. Chicago film critic Isaac Feldberg (of http://RogerEbert.com, Paste Magazine, and more) joins us to discuss the very different— but equally harrowing— approaches of two superficially similar films, both by writer/director Lodge Kerrigan: his auspicious, disturbing 1993 debut CLEAN, SHAVEN, and its 2004 spiritual remake KEANE. You can find more from Isaac at https://linktr.ee/isaacfeldberg 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we're joined by Bob McCully from the film podcast Split Your Head to discuss two of the first films to violently tear up the notion that puppets are just for kids. Back when puppetry was mostly the domain of children's entertainment, these movies brought enough graphic sex, drugs, and violence to traumatize any child unlucky enough to stumble upon them: Peter Jackson's 1989 ultra-dark comedy MEET THE FEEBLES, and Gerard Damiano's 1976 pornographic musical LET MY PUPPETS COME. You can follow Bob on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bobmccully/ and check out his podcast, Split Your Head, at https://www.youtube.com/@splityourheadpodcast 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we're tackling two controversial landmarks in gay cinema with help from Guy Lodge, film columnist for The Observer and chief UK film critic for Variety. Both films were scandalous for the early 1980's, pushing boundaries with their unflinching depictions of the lives of gay men just before the AIDS crisis. First up is 1982's QUERELLE, the final and most provocative film from legendary German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder; followed by 1980's even more daring (and graphic) cult classic TAXI ZUM KLO (aka TAXI TO THE TOILET). You can find more from Guy at https://www.filmoftheweek.co.uk/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
This week's Unwatchables is a double feature of “NYC cop movie sleazecore”— a term coined by guest Jason Bailey, film critic, author, and host of the popular film podcast A Very Good Year. Both of these films were mired in controversy for their explicit content; both are by directed by legendary, and legendarily cranky, auteurs; and both star iconic New York actors navigating the city's seedy underbelly. The films are William Friedkin's (R.I.P) 1980 undercover crime thriller CRUISING, and Abel Ferrara's 1992 morality play BAD LIEUTENANT. You can hear more from Jason at tinyurl.com/avgy-pod and find his latest book at amazon.com/Jason-Bailey/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today we're joined by Bilge Ebiri, one of the country's leading film critics for Vulture and New York Magazine, to tackle Peter Greenaway's most disturbing film. The British director may be best known for his 1989 arthouse classic THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER, but he made several other singular, controversial, and often shocking films in the 80's and 90's. Perhaps the most shocking of all is 1993's THE BABY OF MÂCON, which distributors found so disturbing that it wasn't seen for years in the U.S. and has still never had an official North American release. Now that it can finally be streamed, we see what all the fuss is about and if there's any saving this baby from the bathwater. You can find more from Bilge at https://www.vulture.com/author/bilge-ebiri/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's guest is Christopher Norris aka Steak Mtn, the visual artist behind album art for bands like Against Me!, the frontman of Combatwoundedveteran, and now the author of the new book THE HOLY DAY. He's here to help us figure out what happened to Lindsay Lohan, former teen idol from films like FREAKY FRIDAY and MEAN GIRLS, who seemed on her way to working with legendary directors like Robert Altman. Instead her career took some strange turns before fizzling out, and we're talking two of the most Unwatchable examples: 2007's horror fiasco I KNOW WHO KILLED ME, and Paul Schrader's 2013 “erotic thriller” THE CANYONS. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables welcomes author and film/TV critic Charles Bramesco to discuss one of the most intimidating of all cinematic rites of passage. Bela Tarr's SATANTANGO is 7 hours and 20 minutes long, and at least one of our hosts endured the entire film in one butt-numbing sitting. And lest you think that 7+ hours flies by, it's also a quintessential example of slow cinema at its bleakest and most punishing. We discuss the nature of “endurance cinema,” how best to endure this particular example, and the scene that Marc found to be the hardest to watch in all of Unwatchables history. You can find Charles' book, COLORS OF FILM, at https://www.quarto.com/books/9780711279384/Colors-of-Film 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's Unwatchables features Aisha Harris, cohost of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour and author of the new book Wannabe: Reckonings With the Pop Culture That Shapes Me. On our “Stranger Than Fiction” episode, we discuss two bizarre true crime stories dramatized in unflinching detail: Craig Zobel's shocking drama COMPLIANCE, and Stuart Gordon's darkly comic thriller STUCK. We talk about what these incidents say about human nature, and how these disturbing films' very different approaches illuminate how ordinary people can do the unthinkable. You can find more from Aisha at https://linktr.ee/aishaharris 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables welcomes Scout Tafoya— critic, video essayist, and author of But God Made Him a Poet: Watching John Ford in the 21st Century— to discuss the film branded for decades as the quintessential big-budget disaster. Michael Cimino's HEAVEN'S GATE gets blamed for a lot of things: for bankrupting its studio, for animal cruelty, and for singlehandedly ending the auteur-driver New Hollywood era. Scout helps us separate the myths from the facts, and figure out whether the film is in fact four hours of bloated self-indulgence or a neglected masterpiece. You can find Scout's latest book on John Ford, But God Made Him a Poet: Watching John Ford in the 21st Century, at https://www.withanxbooks.com/store/p/but-god-made-him-a-poet-watching-john-ford-in-the-21st-century. You can follow Scout on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/honorszombie. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
On today's Unwatchables, we ask the question: how do you follow up one of the most popular sci-fi trilogies ever made? If you're the Wachowskis, it's with three straight flops, each one stranger, more expensive, and more widely derided than the last. We're joined by Brad Efford of the internet zine Wig Wag to survey the sisters' entire post-Matrix career, and figure out if anything deserves cult status— or if it's all just Unwatchable. They are 2008's live-action cartoon SPEED RACER, 2012's literary adaptation CLOUD ATLAS, and 2015's space opera JUPITER ASCENDING. You can find more from Brad at https://www.wigwagmag.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
(Content Warning: The second half of this episode contains discussions of suicide) It's time for Unwatchables to dive into some REALLY nasty stuff with an assist from Tom Davies, writer and podcaster for http://AVForums.com. Jörg Buttgereit's infamously gross cult horror film Nekromantik defied state censors with its gruesome yet empathetic look at necrophiliacs (and the women who love them!), while his follow-up The Death King is an experimental anthology film about murder, suicide, and castrating Nazis (and not so much the women who love them). Are they merely gut-churning provocations, or is there more than meets the severed eye? You can find more from Tom at http://AVForums.com. 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Today's Unwatchables takes our first dive into non-fiction with help from Jon Nix, documentary filmmaker and director of the new film Don't Fall in Love with Yourself. Joshua Oppenheimer's documentaries about the 1960's Indonesian mass killings are a singularly bizarre and uncomfortable spectacle: The Act of Killing allows the killers themselves to gleefully re-enact their atrocities, while The Look of Silence sets up direct confrontations between the perpetrators and a victim's brother. We discuss the ethical considerations of such a project, which film better illuminates its harrowing subject, and why genocidal killers are so into gaudy musical numbers. You can find more from Jon at https://www.jonnixfilm.com/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
Unwatchables is joined by film critic Carlos Aguilar, writer for http://RogerEbert.com, Variety, the New York Times, and many more, to dive into one of the most original and provocative auteurs of the last 15 years. Yorgos Lanthimos has been compared to the likes of Michael Haneke and Luis Bunuel, and we're talking perhaps his two most disturbing films: the 2009 twisted family portrait Dogtooth, and 2017's surreal thriller The Killing of a Sacred Deer. We discuss Lanthimos' taste for the darkly absurd, Colin Farrell's career revival, and where the director's path may lead following an Oscar-winning costume drama. You can find more from Carlos at https://twitter.com/Carlos_Film 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
The Wrap's film editor Kristen Lopez joins us this week to discuss one of the earliest entries in the Unwatchables canon. Tod Browning's Freaks is one the most controversial films of the 1930's, a one-of-a-kind exercise in empathy and (arguably) horror that essentially ended the career of the Dracula director. Topics include the film's journey to becoming a cult classic, Browning's unique and ill-fated career, and how one of the first complex depictions of disabled characters plays over 90 years later. You can find more from Kristen at https://www.thewrap.com/author/kristen-lopez/ 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 to exclusive bonus content and weigh in on what we watch next. Find us online at www.unwatchablespod.com or shoot us an email at unwatchablespodcast@gmail.com. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/unwatchablespod/message
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