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Welcome to Kicking the Seat!

Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).

The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar NoéRachel BrosnahanAmy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.

Chicago Premiere! SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME

UPDATE: Thanks to a weekend of sold-out shows and the generosity of one very hard-working star, The Music Box is delighted to announce that Nick Offerman will be on-hand for one last Q&A at today's 2:30pm screening!

These $10 tickets are disappearing, so drag your ass out of bed and pre-order yours now!

Fellow Chicagoans! The coolest thing blowing into town this week is not our four-thousandth winter storm.

No, it's The Music Box Theatre's Somebody Up There Likes Me premiere event!

Bob Byington's quirky comedy is about the charmed life of one Max Youngman (Keith Poulson), who appears to be blessed with a dry sense of irony, accidental good fortune, and eternal youth. Over a period of three-plus decades, Max, his best friend Sal (Nick Offerman) and his second wife Lyla (Jess Weixler) stumble through infidelities, divorce, therapy, and poverty in a breezy series of surreal jumps forward in time.

What makes this weekend's screenings so special? Well, if being the first to see this new indie comedy isn't enough, how's about attending a special Q&A with star Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation)?!

That's right, Mr. Offerman will be on-hand after each of the four premiere screenings to interact with fans!

Showtimes are 7:30pm and 9:45pm on Friday, March 8th and Saturday, March 9th. Tickets are going fast, so pre-order yours today!

For more information, head on over to the film's event page at musicboxtheatre.com!

The Music Box Theatre is located at 3733 N. Southport Ave. Chicago, IL 60613. For showtimes, call (773) 871-6604.

Projecting Grief

Music Box Theatre 70mm Film Festival (Chicago)