Certified Forgotten
Certified Forgotten is a weekly podcast with a focus on underseen horror films. Hosts Matthew Monagle (@mattmonagle) and Matt Donato (@DoNatoBomb) speak with creators, filmmakers, and critics about their lifelong relationships to the horror genre. Each episode also highlights another unique genre title with ten or fewer reviews on the aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Previous guests include April Wolfe (screenwriter, Black Christmas); Tyler MacIntyre (writer-director, Tragedy Girls); Brad Henderson (Acquisitions, Vinegar Syndrome); and David Dastmalchian (actor-creator). Special episodes of Certified Forgotten have been included as part of the programming of the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, 2021 Reel Love Film Festival and the 2021 North Bend Film Festival.
Episodes
Don't worry, we're still the podcast about horror movies with 10-or-less critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. That said, your Matts have had a helluva summer so far, and have needed these Uncertified episodes to regroup. Plus, why not get an early review of Weapons out there? Our own Matt Donato has seen the film, and he's joined by yet another very special guest: Collider's Perri Nemiroff! Listen in to hear about Zach Cregger's hotl...
After several weeks of moving hell, Matthew Monagle is back on the podcast! In this bite-sized episode of Certified Forgotten, Monagle and Matt Donato catch up quickly on a month's worth of horror, including the highs (and mostly lows) of public domain slashers and the soon-to-be horror blockbuster that is Zach Cregger's Weapons. Special thank you to B.J. Colangelo and Meagan Navarro, who pinch-hit in the last two episodes of the s...
In this week's episode, we're headed back to Southport for a discussion about the new I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025). Certified Forgotten's Matt Donato is joined by another guest host, the perfect person to chat about sharp hooks and silly slasher vibes. B.J. Colangelo (This Ends At Prom) brings her love of I Know What You Did Last Summer to the table, counterbalancing Donato's less enthusiastic reaction. How does the legac...
It's that time of year again! We've hit the mid-year point, and everyone wants to know what the best horror movies of the year are so far. Certified Forgotten's Matt Donato is in charge of this special episode, and has enlisted the help of Bloody Digsuting's Meagan Navarro because, when you can, why not bring in the best? Listen in to their 30-minute discussion, and maybe you'll leave with a few titles to put on your radar.
In the words of, I unno, the youths? Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, and the 28 [Insert Unit Of Time Measurement] franchise are so back. 28 Years Later marks the return of multiple 28 Days Later talents behind the camera, as Boyle embraces risks like there's no tomorrow. The Matts have a lot to talk about, from infecteds hanging dong and tracksuit mafias; 28 Years Later feels like multiple movies crammed into one. Is that a good thing, ...
Was it Billy Joel who once said that working too hard could give you a shark attack-ack-ack-ack-ack? Probably not! But in this episode of Certified Forgotten, you will hear Matt Monagle and Matt Donato wax poetic about their love of Sean Byrne's new film, Dangerous Animals. Byrne, the director of modern classics The Loved One and The Devil's Candy, directs Nick Lepard's shark-slash-serial killer movie, and both genres are rarely th...
When your first feature is a J-horror-inspired found footage film, audiences might expect a movie like Noroi: The Curse to be a prime influence. But here's the fun truth: one-half of our guests had not even seen Koji Shiraishi's horror masterpiece until a day before this podcast recording. In this episode, writer-director duo Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall join Certified Forgotten to discuss Noroi: The Curse and Man Finds Tape, the...
Before 2023's masterfully wicked When Evil Lurks, Argentine filmmaker Demián Rugna terrified horror audiences with ... well, Terrified. We're joined on the podcast by composer, DJ, and longtime horror advocate Dorina — known to her followers as "DJ Bruja" — to discuss the film that came before Rugna's When Evil Lurks. Dorina channels her Mexican roots to talk about American horror versus Spanish-language horror, with a magnifying g...
You couldn't find two different breeds of horror fans than Certified Forgotten hosts Matt Donato and Matt Monagle. So, how did they end up giving Final Destination Bloodlines the same score? In this week's Uncertified episode, the Matts talk about their vastly different experiences with the Final Destination franchise and how that informed their Bloodlines reactions. People are saying it's one of the best in the franchise ... [whis...
Welcome to the 3-timers club, B.J. Colangelo! The intrepid co-host of This Ends At Prom and /Film staple returns with a 2000s horror comedy that is, for better and worse, a cultural time capsule: Monster Man. Misogyny runs rampant in this wannabe direct-to-video American Pie sequel, but to a comically exaggerated degree that shines a light on social norms of the period. Then the Joy Ride and Texas Chain Saw vibes take over, with ey...
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 Stepsister is a surprisingly gentle take o...
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? That, and so much more, is the focu...
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 the Matts give their flowers to Sinne...
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 budget, big idea" thriller starring...
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 working today. Listen in to hear about...
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 picks don't suffer that same fate.
Popular Podcasts
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.