Episode 40: Mike Snoonian on ‘Sweatshop’

Like any other mode of storytelling, horror tends to come in waves, and the 2000s were not the most forgiving

In this week's episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast, Matthew Monagle and Matt Donato are joined by Mike Snoonian, a horror journalist and mental health professional. In their conversation, the group discusses the therapeutic power of horror, the potential themes of Gen Z horror filmmakers, and how Sweatshop differentiates itself from the wave of post-9/11 slashers.

04:11 - Molly explains how her sister's indifferent babysitting launched her love of horror.
09:13 - Molly shares what caused her to abandon her original plans to be an archeologist and educator.
24:15 - Molly discusses the origins of Uterus Horror, her series of essays on coming-of-age female horror.
36:13 - Introduction to The Hive and the reason behind its selection.
42:34 - Conversation about Yarovesky's nonlinear approach - and why it works so much better than you'd expect.
51:15 - Donato and Monagle discuss the "mean" streak of The Hive and how it generates empathy for its characters.
58:44 - Conversation about the special effects in the film and the influence of Tunnicliffe on the special effects.
70:54 - Conversation about the legacy of The Hive and whether this film was undone by its Fathom Events release strategy.

To see more of MIke's work as a film critic, check out The Pod and the Pendulum, a franchise-based podcast he runs with Certified Forgotten irregular Lindsay Traves. You can also find Mike on Psychoanalysis: A Horror Therapy Podcast, which he co-hosts with two fellow mental health professionals and horror critics.

Sweatshop is now available to stream at no additional cost on Plex.tv. You can also rent or purchase the film on most major streaming platforms, including Apple TV.