Advertise on podcast: Unwatchables with Marc & Seth

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 farce out of both sides of the abortion debate. Then it's on to the enlightened era of 2008, where Ben Stiller's TROPIC THUNDER earned an Oscar nomination for a performance in black face—does it still get away with it, and is that even the most offensive part? Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod Website: https://www.unwatchablespod.com  Email: [email protected]

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 [email protected]. We're on Instagram and Twitter under @unwatchablespod.

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’s Bee Gees-starring musical SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND; Julie Taymor's 2007 box office bomb ACROSS THE UNIVERSE; and Danny Boyle’s 2019 fantasy romance YESTERDAY. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 an Old Testament-style God: Michael Tolkin's daring 1991 drama THE RAPTURE, and Lars Von Trier's punishing 1996 melodrama BREAKING THE WAVES.  You can find more from Jonathan at https://jonathanmartinwords.com Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 thriller RED ROOMS may be from opposite ends of the internet era, but both are tapped into the urges that keep their deeply troubled protagonists online... even if we aren't so sure what those are.You can find more from Devan at https://letterboxd.com/cvance1/ Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 three sequels are... not. We take a look at what happened after Spielberg left: 1978's retread JAWS 2, 1983's Sea World-set JAWS 3-D, and 1987's bizarrely supernatural JAWS: THE REVENGE.You can find more from Richard at https://www.premiereparty.com Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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-commercial horror film ever to get a wide theatrical release. And not far behind it is Chris Nash's 2024 slasher IN A VIOLENT NATURE, a slow cinema splatter flick that asks: "What if FRIDAY THE 13TH was directed by Béla Tarr?" You can find more from Chris at https://www.slashfilm.com Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 small cast brutally fighting their way out of an isolated setting over one long night. That also describes Jeremy Saulnier's gruesome 2015 thriller GREEN ROOM, except in that case, the captives are a punk band and the bad guys a group of neo-Nazis lead by... Patrick Stewart? You can find more from Ryan at https://linktr.ee/discconnected Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 following. We hear from some vocal defenders as we discuss what went wrong (or right?), why Cleveland looks so much like San Francisco, and what that duck nudity did to a generation of impressionable young brains. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 it stacks up against other biopics, what its success tells us about our culture, and of course how it handles—or doesn’t handle—that other thing. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 released two years apart in the 90’s: 1992’s black comedy mockumentary MAN BITES DOG, and Oliver Stone’s hyper-stylized 1994 crime film NATURAL BORN KILLERS. You can find more from Jesse at https://letterboxd.com/rockmarooned/ Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 OF SOLITUDE minutes before hitting record; we discuss the nature of first impressions, how much artistic merit can be found in two hours of animal torture, and why critics celebrated Serra’s stubbornly observational approach to the bloodshed. You can hear more from Roman on Cinema Strolls with Angel Radev and Noura Al Kadri here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qMnZCAWiJl21BVZQXekmf And you can check out his short film here: https://youtu.be/pmOiWENP0EQ?is=ocktF3XB4s-Zfawd Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 between Nicole Kidman and the ten-year-old boy claiming to be her character’s dead husband reincarnated. But that’s nothing compared to our other film, which was pulled from the Melbourne Film Festival over its story of a child android being abused by its owner: Sandra Wollner’s little-seen 2020 sci-fi provocation THE TROUBLE WITH BEING BORN. You can find more from Guy at https://variety.com/author/guy-lodge/ Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 burning question, “what if Chevy Chase starred in THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE?” It may not have been a question audiences were interested in, but it resulted in something so strange and off-putting that some consider it a cult classic: 1991’s NOTHING BUT TROUBLE.Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]

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 white liberal filmmakers’ attempts at healing racism in America. What could go wrong? We’ll discuss the Oscars in general, why these films won, and if either of them is actually the most embarrassing movie ever celebrated by the Academy. The nominees are: Paul Haggis’ 2004 ensemble drama CRASH, and Peter Farrelly’s 2018 buddy road movie GREEN BOOK. Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.  Unwatchables Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/unwatchables⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Discord: https://discord.gg/grrgTjspZ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Email: [email protected]