Certified Forgotten
@certifiedforgotten.com
Certified Forgotten is a writer-owned horror publication focused on the little movies that leave a big impression. We publish essays on the underseen and underappreciated horror films of the 21st Century. www.certifiedforgotten.com/newsletter
In our most recent podcast episode, The Matts discuss why THE END OF OAK STREET is such an earnest exercise in divorce and dinosaurs.
Podcast: 'The End of Oak Street' Gets Uncertified
'It Follows' director David Robert Mitchell returns to horror with 'The End of Oak Street,' a spirited throwback to '90s blockbusters.
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I just watched it last night and I thought it was great. Very '90s thriller. I even found her motivation--the onslaught of conflicting female roles and archetypes depicted in media--to be very throwbacky. Good stuff 👍
Certified Forgotten@certifiedforgotten.com · last wk."Accept the pre-release narrative that SOULM8TE is a mess – a would-be spinoff of the M3GAN franchise that tries to blend campy horror with science fiction – and odds are you’ll find what you’re looking for." Good movie is good, don't know what to tell you.
"Accept the pre-release narrative that SOULM8TE is a mess – a would-be spinoff of the M3GAN franchise that tries to blend campy horror with science fiction – and odds are you’ll find what you’re looking for." Good movie is good, don't know what to tell you.
'Soulm8te' Review: '90s Smut Gets a High-Tech Reboot
Despite its rocky road to distribution, Kate Dolan's 'Soulm8te' is a fascinating mashup of the high-brow and the low-brow.
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ICYMI: In this week's episode of the podcast, we're joined by podcaster and physical media expert Noel Bartocci to discuss DEAD HEAT and the glorious cheese that is zombie cops.
Podcast: Noel Bartocci on 'Dead Heat'
Podcaster and physical media expert Noel Bartocci joins the podcast to discuss 'Dead Heat,' Mark Goldblatt's goofy cult classic.
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"With any single-location horror film, there’s also the thrill of watching the filmmakers get away with it." Brock Bodell's HELLCAT hits Shudder this week, which means you can finally catch up with this film festival standout.
Fantasia Review: 'Hellcat' Sends All the Right Signals
Brock Bodell's 'Hellcat' is a winning exercise in deception, making it an early standout at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival.
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"While the fridge does its best to keep Steve at work, it does everything it can to keep Eileen at home." Like all horror worth celebrating, Nicholas Jacobs's THE REFRIGERATOR is a sly mixture of camp and satire.
'The Refrigerator' Is a Standout Piece of Cult Horror
Nicholas Jacobs's 'The Refrigerator' is a surprisingly smart blend of camp horror and subversive domestic drama.
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"NAMASLAY has every intention in the world of blending SUSPIRA with South Asian folklore onscreen, but what works as a dark comedy never makes the leap to action-horror." NAMASLAY has a fun name and some great ideas, but falls just short of making it work.
'Namaslay' Review: Yoga Spin on 'Suspiria' Falls Just Short
Rish and Kanish's 'Namaslay' promises kitchen sink filmmaking, but struggles to deliver on its biggest ideas.
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We're doing something different with this week's episode: we recorded the podcast in two chunks, so you can hear our thoughts both before and after watching SOULM8TE.
Podcast: 'Soulm8te' Gets Uncertified
In this special episode of Certified Forgotten, Matt Donato and Matthew Monagle record before and after seeing Kate Dolan's 'Soulm8te.'
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Bear with us: we're tinkering with a new (old) format for the podcast this weekend.
The Rewind
We're mixing things up a little (A LITTLE) with the Certified Forgotten podcast.
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"Emily St. John Mandel had it right: to the monsters, we’re the monsters." Before STRANGER THINGS, the Duffer Brothers showed off their sci-fi bonafides in HIDDEN, their debut feature.
'Hidden' Shows the Power of a Good Twist Ending
Before 'Stranger Things,' the Duffer Brothers reminded us of the power of a good twist ending in 'Hidden,' their debut feature.
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"The animated young ladies who attended Miss Grimwood’s Finishing School for Girls in 1988’s SCOOBY-DOO AND THE GHOUL SCHOOL hold the honor of introducing the most iconic monsters in horror to a generation of adolescent girls."
‘Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School’ Was Universal Monsters 101 | Certified Forgotten
Hanna-Barbera introduced the Universal Monsters to a new generation of female horror fans with 1988's 'Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School.'
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This week on Certified Forgotten: @louispeitzman.bsky.social joins The Matts to discuss PHANTOM OF THE MALL, colon, ERIC'S REVENGE.
Podcast: Louis Peitzman on 'Phantom of the Mall'
Freelance writer and podcast host Louis Peitzman joins Certified Forgotten to discuss Richard Friedman's 'Phantom of the Mall.'
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This week, you could go see THE ODYSSEY on the big screen again. OR you could check out DEMONICUS, "one of the most metal movies of all time." Your choice.
'Demonicus' Is Z-Grade Heavy Metal Horror | Certified Forgotten
What Jay Woelfel's 'Demonicus' lacks in budget or narrative it more than makes up for in heavy metal audacity.
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"So present are these portraits of Jesus and crucifixes, that they speak to a cynical sentiment reminiscent of THE EXORCIST: God will not save these people." On the iconography of KISAPMATA, Mike De Leon's groundbreaking piece of Filipino cinema.
‘Kisapmata’ Is Unapologetically Filipino and Unmistakably Gothic
Vivi Estaris examines the national trauma behind 'Kisapmata,' Mike De Leon's groundbreaking work of Filipino horror.
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Eu acho muito boa a ideia de podcast do @certifiedforgotten.com: falar de filmes de terror com menos de 10 críticas no Rotten Tomatoes Foi assim que Noroi tem 3 Sim, 03 críticos do Rotten escreveram sobre esse ESPETÁCULO de filme
Podcast: Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall on 'Noroi: The Curse'
Paul Gandersman and Peter Hall, the duo behind 'Man Finds Tape,' discuss their debut feature and Kōji Shiraishi's 'Noroi: The Curse.'
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You’ve got a 50/50 shot at guessing and I bet you’re wrong (or maybe that’s what I want you think). Talkin’ EVIL DEAD BURN with my guy @monagle.bsky.social.
Certified Forgotten@certifiedforgotten.com · last mo.Who put EVIL DEAD BURN higher in their franchise rankings, @donatobomb.bsky.social or @monagle.bsky.social? Listen to the latest episode of the podcast and find out for yourself!
How did horror become the movie story of summer 2026? @dailydead.bsky.social & @certifiedforgotten.com's @donatobomb.bsky.social talks with us about how next-gen filmmakers like Curry Barker, Kane Parsons & Sébastien Vaniček are changing the game. Listen🎧: www.thecinematropolis.com/evil-dead-bu...
'Evil Dead Burn' Joins Triumphantly Traumatizing 2026 Summer Horror Lineup – The Cinematropolis
The Cinematropolis reviews the biggest 2026 summer horror movies, including Obsession, Backrooms, Leviticus, and Evil Dead Burn.
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Who put EVIL DEAD BURN higher in their franchise rankings, @donatobomb.bsky.social or @monagle.bsky.social? Listen to the latest episode of the podcast and find out for yourself!
Podcast: 'Evil Dead Burn' Gets Uncertified
On this episode of the podcast, Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato sit down to discuss Sebastien Vanicek's 'Evil Dead Burn.'
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Is EVIL DEAD BURN a mean movie or a cruel movie? And does the difference matter? We discuss in this week's Certified Forgotten newsletter.
The Rewind
In this week's edition of the Certified Forgotten newsletter, we talk about the difference between mean and cruel horror.
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Here are the five movies we're most excited about at this year's Fantasia International Film Festival.
Our Five Most Anticipated Fantasia Features - Certified Forgotten
Matthew Monagle lists his five most anticipated features at the 2026 Fantasia International Film Festival.
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"The true connective tissue between the films of Vaniček and Cronin is their overt enthusiasm for what they’re allowed to get away with onscreen." ICYMI: Here's our kinda glowing review of EVIL DEAD BURN.
'Evil Dead Burn' Review: A Masterclass in Kinetic Horror
With 'Evil Dead Burn,' filmmaker Sebastien Vanicek proves that the winning formula of 'Evil Dead Rise' was no fluke.
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Package just arrived, forgot I ordered this (along with a T-shirt)! Thanks Matts, happy to rep the brand! @certifiedforgotten.com @monagle.bsky.social @donatobomb.bsky.social
In the most recent episode of the podcast, writer-director Mike Mendez (SATANIC HISPANICS) shares his love for Damon Packard's unhinged (and possibly brilliant) cult classic REFLECTIONS OF EVIL.
Podcast: Mike Mendez on 'Reflections of Evil' - Certified Forgotten
Filmmaker Mike Mendez ('Satanic Hispanics') joins Certified Forgotten to discuss Damon Packard's cult classic 'Reflections of Evil.'
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New guest episode of the podcast went up this weekend for you enjoyment!
Matt Donato@donatobomb.bsky.social · last mo.It's been a while since we recorded a proper guest episode of @certifiedforgotten.com, but @madmanmendez.bsky.social got us back on track. He champions REFLECTIONS OF EVIL (2002), a movie I feel psychotic for appreciating. Great chat about Damon Packard's LA-set mental breakdown put to screen!
"Vaniček’s movie is not a horror-comedy, but it still finds some undeniable humor in watching the worst family ever become possessed." We caught up with EVIL DEAD BURN over the weekend and only had nice things to say.
'Evil Dead Burn' Review: A Masterclass in Kinetic Horror
With 'Evil Dead Burn,' filmmaker Sebastien Vanicek proves that the winning formula of 'Evil Dead Rise' was no fluke.
certifiedforgotten.com
"So present are these portraits of Jesus and crucifixes that they speak to a cynical sentiment reminiscent of THE EXORCIST: God will not save these people." Here's Vivi Estaris on Mike De Leon's KISAPMATA.
‘Kisapmata’ Is Unapologetically Filipino and Unmistakably Gothic
Vivi Estaris examines the national trauma behind 'Kisapmata,' Mike De Leon's groundbreaking work of Filipino horror.
certifiedforgotten.com
It's been too long since we've recorded a proper guest episode of @certifiedforgotten.com, and I love how @madmanmendez.bsky.social threw us right back in the deep end with Damon Packard's REFLECTIONS OF EVIL hahahaha. Holy shit, this movie.
Occult is easily one of my favorite horror movies, and probably my favorite Shiraishi movie.
Certified Forgotten@certifiedforgotten.com · 2mo ago"While OCCULT might lack the degree and visceral nature of NOROI's terrors, it succeeds at tying together some very real societal concerns." Rob Hunter rounds out our week with a love letter to director Koji Shiraishi.
We've got merch! And other updates in this week's newsletter.
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