Skip to Content

Episode 29: The Matthew Monagle Horror-igin Story

Matthew Monagle Certified Forgotten

Matthew Monagle

Last week, we presented our listeners with a unique proposition: what if we turned the microphone back on ourselves and shared our own horror origin (horrorigin?) stories for a change? The result was the Matt Donato Origin Story, where Donato opened up about the experiences and friendships that helped shape his relationship to the genre.

This week it's Matthew Monagle's turn to share his story with our listeners. In our latest episode, Monagle shares his biggest childhood fear, the terrible fate of his My Buddy doll, and the winding path that led him from Alaska to Texas to New York, with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

And if you're in the mood for more personal commentary from Matthew, here are a few articles to check out:

"Her, Me, and the Movies: A Love Triangle" (Film School Rejects)
In this essay, Monagle shares the experience of falling in love with someone who could care less about your Letterboxd.

"You Should Probably Go To More Movies By Yourself" (Film School Rejects)
In his 20s, Monagle started going to see movies by himself at the movie theater. In this article, he shares how this made his relationship to the cinema better than ever.

"How the 'Alien' RPG Reignited My Love of the Franchise" (WhatToWatch)
In this article, Monagle shares how a childhood love of the Aliens franchise circled back in new and interesting ways in his 30s.

Want to learn even more about the founders of Certified Forgotten? Listen to the Matt Donato 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

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

‘1000 Women in Horror’ Review: A Much-Needed Refresh of Horror Canon

'1000 Women in Horror,' the new documentary from Donna Davies and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, returns women to the heart of horror.

March 21, 2026
See all posts