Skip to Content

Episode 28: The Matt Donato Horror-igin Story

Matt Donato Certified Forgotten

Matt Donato

Last month, one of our listeners asked us a very good question: when are you going to take a deep dive into your horror origins? While we may talk all things horror with our guests, we'd never really turned the microphone back on ourselves. So what better time to share some of the experiences that shaped us as hosts?

In the first of this special two-part series, Matt Donato opens up about his early experiences with horror, including the group of friends that brought him into the horror community. And if that wasn't enough, Donato also shares how his serial-killer-catching father (true story) helped influence his upbringing.

If you're in the mood for more personal commentary from Matt, check out these articles:

"How I Conquered My Fears of Chucky" (/Film)
In this article, Donato shares how influential - and, at times, terrifying - the Child's Play series has been throughout his life.

"How 'The Farewell' Helped Me Say Goodbye" (/Film)
Donato pays homage to the wonderful life of his grandmother - and the award-winning movie about family that helped him find his closure.

"The 10 Movies That Saved Us This Decade" (/Film)
In this year-end list, Donato shares the ten movies that helped him both survive and thrive during the 2010s.

Want to learn even more about the founders of Certified Forgotten? Listen to the Matthew Monagle episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and check out the rest of our podcast episodes on our Podcasts page.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it on social media! Word of mouth is everything for independent publications likes ours.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Certified Forgotten

‘Faces of Death’ Review: Shudder’s Meta-Sequel Is Weaponized by Apathy

Daniel Goldhaber and Issa Mazzei's 'Faces of Death' strikes an uncertain chord, but there's no denying its power.

April 9, 2026

Turning a Savage Subgenre Silly with ‘The Eternal Evil of Asia’

In this edition of Hopping Mad, Rob Hunter explores 'The Eternal Evil of Asia,' a Cat III shocker that delivers more fun than cruelty.

April 8, 2026

‘Exit 8’ Review: Meet Your New Favorite Liminal Space

Genki Kawamura's 'Exit 8' is more a thought exercise than an emotional journey, but that's enough to maintain our interest.

April 7, 2026

We’re Already Living in the ‘Land of the Dead’

Christine Makepeace revisits George Romero's 'Land of the Dead' and explains why the end of the world is no reason to play dead.

April 3, 2026

‘Hunting Matthew Nichols’ Review: A Solid Exercise in Docu-Horror

Markian Tarasiuk's 'Hunting Matthew Nichols' looks for inspiration in true crime documentaries - and it mostly works.

March 31, 2026

‘The Cremator’ Is a Meditation on Extremist Indoctrination

Tori Potenza explains why Juraj Herz's 'The Cremator' remains, sadly, as relevant today as it was a half-century ago.

March 23, 2026
See all posts