Unwatchables with Marc & Seth

This week’s Unwatchables features Matt Singer, film critic, author, and editor of ScreenCrush.com, to help continue our month of high-profile misfires (or are they?). His pick is one of the most foolhardy cinematic experiments ever released by a major studio: Gus Van Sant’s 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. It’s not a reimagining, a reboot, or even a legacy-quel— to use a phrase that our guest coined— but a nearly shot-for-shot recreation of one of the most iconic classics in the canon. We discuss what exactly Van Sant meant to accomplish, whether any part of it “works,” and what distinguishes Psycho ’98 from today’s soulless retreads.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 https://www.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’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/grrgTjspZInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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.comUnwatchables 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/grrgTjspZInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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/grrgTjspZInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/unwatchablespod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/UnwatchablesPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.unwatchablespod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: [email protected]