- alle zwei WochenErscheinungsrhythmus
- 1 h 38typische Länge
- vor 6 Tagenletzte Folge
On Unwatchables, we dive deep into the most controversial, disturbing, or just misunderstood films. From punishing art films to extreme horror to bizarre curiosities, Marc and Seth test their limits and try to pin down what separates the art from the trolling. At the end of each episode, we answer the same question: If you could, would you Unwatch this?
Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus. Find us at unwatchablespod.com.
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Ep. 119 - Fear of Clowns (He Who Gets Slapped / Clownhouse)
FEVER CLOWNS author Caleb Bethea returns for two films where clowns are the *least* of our worries. We begin in the silent era with Victor Sjöström's 1924 psychological thriller HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, starring Lon Chaney as the most masochist
Ep. 118 - Batman Forever / Batman & Robin
Holy shitty movies, Batman! Unwatchables' 3-part series concludes with two of Marc's childhood favorites, films that almost killed not just Batman but superhero films in general. Joel Schumacher's gaudy, "toyetic" takes on the Dark Knight a
Ep. 117 - Could These Get Made Today? (Citizen Ruth / Tropic Thunder)
For Part 2 of our 3-part series, our producer Tony picks two movies that have us wondering: could these get made today? First we shine the harsh light of 2026 on Alexander Payne's 1996 satire CITIZEN RUTH, a comedy that dares to make a farc
SPECIAL RE-RELEASE: United 93 / 9/11
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
Ep. 116 - Without The Beatles (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Across The Universe / Yesterday)
Today we're kicking off a three-part series where Seth, Marc, and our producer Tony each take turns curating an episode. First up are Seth’s picks, three ill-fated attempts to make feature-length films out of the songs of the Beatles: 1978’
Ep. 115 - The Rapture / Breaking the Waves feat. Jonathan Martin
Today UNWATCHABLES takes on the dark side of faith, and who better to help us than pastor and author Jonathan Martin? These films are highly unconventional but intensely emotional explorations of characters grappling with their devotion to
Ep. 114 - Afterschool / Red Rooms feat. Devan Suber
Film writer Devan Suber joins us for two oblique character studies about internet-warped minds and the technology they—we?—use to mediate reality. Antonio Campos' 2008 experimental drama AFTERSCHOOL and Pascal Plante's 2023 psychological th
Ep. 113 - The Jaws Sequels feat. Richard Lawson
Today film critic Richard Lawson helps us take on the unwatchable franchise that followed from one of our most watchable classics. Steven Spielberg's JAWS is one of the most influential and enduring Hollywood blockbusters ever made, and its
Ep. 112 - Skinamarink / In a Violent Nature feat. Chris Evangelista
Today we welcome Chris Evangelista of SlashFilm.com for two recent experimental horror films that challenge our ideas of what a horror film even is. First up is Kyle Edward Ball's 2022 avant-garde creepfest SKINAMARINK, possibly the most un
Ep. 111 - Wolf Creek / Green Room feat. Ryan Verrill
Today we're joined by Ryan Verrill of Disc Connected Media to look back at two modern survival horror classics. Greg McLean's 2005 Australian horror film WOLF CREEK is one of the most notorious of the 2000's torture porn boom, featuring a s
Ep. 110 - Howard The Duck (Live at Nightlight Cinema)
Big thanks to Akron's Nightlight Cinema for hosting the second live Unwatchables recording! We had a lively back-and-forth with the audience of a sold-out screening of HOWARD THE DUCK, the notorious 1986 flop that's since gained a cult foll
Ep. 109 - Michael
Today Unwatchables tackles the most controversial hit of the year, a film about the one celebrity we can all agree on with nothing complicated whatsoever. We discuss our experience seeing Antoine Fuqua’s MICHAEL with a sold-out crowd, how i
Ep. 108 - Man Bites Dog / Natural Born Killers feat. Jesse Hassenger
Film critic Jesse Hassenger stops by UNWATCHABLES for two movies about serial killers and the media that loves them. These blood-soaked satires stirred up controversy for their graphic violence and dark senses of humor when they were releas
Ep. 107 - Afternoons of Solitude feat. Roman Pessarov
In an UNWATCHABLES first, today’s episode captures our real-time reactions to 2025’s most gruesome documentary. In honor of our guest Roman Pessarov’s podcast CINEMA STROLLS, we finished watching Albert Serra’s bull-fighting doc AFTERNOONS
Ep. 106 - Birth / The Trouble With Being Born feat. Guy Lodge
Variety’s Guy Lodge returns to UNWATCHABLES for two films that faced similar controversies over their supposedly "irresponsible" use of child actors. Jonathan Glazer’s 2004 drama BIRTH made some viewers uncomfortable with certain scenes bet
Ep. 105 - Nothing But Trouble feat. Nathan Rabin
UNWATCHABLES welcomes back film critic and author Nathan Rabin to discuss one of the most bizarre and reviled so-called comedies of the 90’s. Dan Akroyd’s first and to date only directorial effort was a big-budget bomb that asked the burnin
Ep. 104 - Worst Best Picture (Crash / Green Book)
UNWATCHABLES kicks off Season 5 with our pre-Oscars special, where we ask the question: are these the worst Best Picture winners? Both of these films caused controversy when they unexpectedly took home the statue, and both happen to be whit
Ep. 103 - Cannibal Holocaust / The Green Inferno
For today’s season finale, we're joined by author Caleb Bethea for possibly our longest-awaited episode. Ruggero Deodato's 1980 video nasty CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is on the shortlist for the most controversial films ever made, from its onscreen
Ep. 102 - Private Parts / Ringmaster feat. Anthony Crislip
Today we're joined by Anthony Crislip of Akron, Ohio's THE NIGHTLIGHT cinema for the vanity projects of the two most controversial broadcasters of the 90's. Both Howard Stern and Jerry Springer helped reinvent their respective mediums, whet
Ep. 101 - Two by Godard feat. Nathan Gelgud (La Chinoise / British Sounds)
Today we're joined by cartoonist Nathan Gelgud to tackle the most polarizing and some might say Unwatchable period of a legendary filmmaker's career. Jean-Luc Godard was one of the leading figures of the French New Wave, at least until he a
Ep. 100 - Sick / In My Skin feat. Mike D'Angelo
UNWATCHABLES celebrates its 100th episode with film critic Mike D'Angelo, who joins us for two films about the ecstasy of agony. These movies are all about pain of the self-inflicted kind, one fiction and one non-fiction look at the line be
Ep. 99 - Halloween Special feat. Christopher Norris (Exorcist II: The Heretic / Beyond the Door)
On today’s Halloween special, we’re joined by author and visual artist Christopher Norris for two films that are decidedly NOT The Exorcist. William Friedkin's 1973 phenomenon inspired plenty of imitators, but few rode its coattails as clos
Ep. 98 - Unwatchables Down Under feat. Laura Venning (Wake in Fright / The Nightingale)
Today UNWATCHABLES goes Down Under for two grim Australian thrillers with the help of film critic Laura Venning. These films faced controversy for their upsetting depictions of brutal violence—in one case, the unsimulated kind—but that's no
Ep. 97 - Last Tango in Paris / Blue Is the Warmest Color feat. Steven Bernstein
Today we're joined by filmmaker/author Steven Bernstein for our tribute to intimacy coordinators, none of whom were present for these films. These painfully raw relationship dramas courted controversy not just for their explicit sex scenes,
Ep. 96 - Two by Doris Wishman (Bad Girls Go to Hell / Double Agent 73)
Doris Wishman has been called the Queen of Sexploitation, and the most prolific female filmmaker of the 1960’s and 70’s. But did she ever learn how to make a movie? Today we’re joined by Jetta Weinstein, aka theironcupcake, to discuss two p
Ep. 95 - The Idiots / Tiptoes feat. Dr. Ethan Lyon
Hollywood has come a long way in depicting individuals with disabilities with candor and respect… these are not those films. Dr. Ethan Lyon joins us for two movies it’s hard to imagine getting made today, though they say a lot about changin
Ep. 94 - Kissed / Amer feat. Frank Ritz
Today we’re joined by filmmaker Frank Ritz for what Freud would call our “Eros and Thanatos” episode. These two films blur the line between sex and death, including the rare look at necrophilia that’s… actually kind of sweet? The films are:
Ep. 93 - Showgirls feat. Grace Winburne
Today we’re joined by Cinematary's Grace Winburne to help us chart one film’s course from THE defining flop of the 90’s to midnight cult classic to the unlikely subject of critical reappraisal. But one question remains: does SHOWGIRLS actua
Ep. 92 - Two by John Boorman (Deliverance / Zardoz)
Today we're joined by Cinematary's Zach Dennis for the wild, weird, and (in one case) horrific films of director John Boorman. We take a look at his harrowing Hollywood breakthrough, 1972's disturbing survival thriller DELIVERANCE, and then
Ep. 91 - Family Annihilators feat. Elena Lazic (Natural Enemies / The Stepfather)
Film critic Elena Lazic joins us for two films about “family annihilators,” the real-life phenomenon of husbands and fathers who kill their entire families. We discuss a long-unavailable 70’s downer, as well as it’s darkly comic slasher-fil
