Unwatchables with Marc & Seth

Today we welcome Letterboxd’s own Swartacus for the 2nd edition of our CANNES-TASTROPHES series. The Cannes film festival is the most prestigious of its kind in the world, and these films had premieres so disastrous that hundreds booed and even fled the theater. First up is Vincent Gallo’s scandalous 2003 art film THE BROWN BUNNY, which Roger Ebert famously declared the worst film in Cannes’ history (sparking a legendary feud with the director). Then we see whether that label REALLY applies to our second candidate, Gus Van Sant’s universally panned, Matthew McConaughey-starring mush THE SEA OF TREES.

You can find more from Swartacus at https://letterboxd.com/swartacus/

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’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 joined by author Derek Fisher for two eerily similar, and similarly miserable, family portraits. Both are the directorial debuts of renowned British actors who would never direct again; both follow dysfunctional working class families; and both star Ray Winstone as *the* worst dad of all time. Only one, however, was too much for one of our hosts to finish. Is it Gary Oldman’s 1997 slice-of-misery NIL BY MOUTH, or Tim Roth’s harrowing 1999 incest drama THE WAR ZONE?

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.

On the conclusion of our two-part episode on the STAR WARS prequels, we somehow find both more AND less middle ground. ATTACK OF THE CLONES and REVENGE OF THE SITH are generally considered the worst and best of the prequels, respectively—so naturally, we can’t even agree on that. Topics include whether lightsaber Yoda is a high- or lowlight, how you whiff the casting of Anakin two times over, and the future of both George Lucas and a Lucas-free STAR WARS.

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.

On a special two-part UNWATCHABLES, our hosts opinions are galaxies far, far apart. George Lucas’ STAR WARS prequels were greeted with mixed to hostile reactions over 20 years ago, but these days some fans—even one on this podcast!—will argue that they’re worth defending. With help from our producer Tony, we’re tackling all three films in the most divisive STAR WARS trilogy of them all… but can a divided UNWATCHABLES stand?

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 joined by Zack Bornstein, the Emmy-nominated, WGA and Peabody Award-winning writer from shows like SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and SHRINKING, to answer the question: what if the Care Bears were in ANTICHRIST? The animated films of Alberto Vázquez are full of cuddly talking animals, but also graphic gore, human-looking genitalia, and possibly clinical depression. We’ll be discussing his two unrelentingly bleak features: 2015’s coming-of-age horror drama BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN, and 2022’s epic splatter film UNICORN WARS.

You can find more from Zack at https://www.zackbornstein.com/

Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.

Unwatchables welcomes back Cinematary’s Michael O’Malley for two unhinged California cult curiosities that land somewhere between ROCKY HORROR and THE ROOM. Are they crazily inspired, or just crazy? They are: Timothy Carey’s 1962 Frank Zappa-scored satire THE WORLD’S GREATEST SINNER, and Richard Elfman’s 1980 absurdist musical fantasy FORBIDDEN ZONE.

You can find more from Michael at https://www.cinematary.com/

Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.

Today we welcome podcaster and musician Bob Ethington to discuss two ambitious, high-profile flops from two of the 1970’s most ambitious, high-profile auteurs. Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola were following up some of the most beloved American films ever made when they sunk huge budgets into experiments that blew up in their faces— and that might even share some blame for the end of the New Hollowood era. They are Spielberg’s 1979 epic historical farce 1941, and Coppola’s 1981 lavish musical romance ONE FROM THE HEART.

Unwatchables is hosted by Marc Dottavio and Seth Troyer, produced by Tony Scarpitti, featuring artwork by Micah Kraus.

You can hear more of Paul on Cinematic Underdogs at ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7B13xjGbXCV4Sebw1CfQoX⁠

Today we welcome back Paul Keelan of CINEMATIC UNDERDOGS to discuss the abrasive, deliberately alienating character studies of Rick Alverson. Alverson works with alt-comedy icons like Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington, but his films are anything but normal comedies— whatever you call them, they’re dark, uncomfortable, and follow people you probably don’t want to spend much time with. We’re discussing two of his best-known provocations (don’t let the titles fool you): 2012’s Tim Heidecker-starring THE COMEDY, and 2015’s Neil Hamburger vehicle ENTERTAINMENT.

You can hear more of Paul on Cinematic Underdogs at https://open.spotify.com/show/7B13xjGbXCV4Sebw1CfQoX

We’re thrilled to welcome Hit Factory hosts Aaron & Carlee to discuss the films of French provocateur Catherine Breillat. Breillat never met a male/female relationship she couldn’t dissect in harrowing fashion, often with explicit or downright shocking content. We tackle two of her hardest to stomach films: 2001’s pitch-black coming of age tale FAT GIRL, and 2004’s graphic arthouse provocation ANATOMY OF HELL.

You can find more from Aaron and Carlee at https://open.spotify.com/show/2bwSvn4H3airk00IYCwaoa