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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...