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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.

Ep117: The Enemy of the Good

Why is this episode late? If we told you, we'd have to kill you--which is appropriate 'cause this week's KtS Podcast is all about Steven Spielberg's Bridge of Spies! Ian sits down for a rare post-screening chat with fellow critics David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel and Brendan Hodges of The Metaplex. The guys unpack their feelings about Spielberg, structure, awards season, and whether Spies' omnipresent blown-out lighting is awesome or distracting.

Also, Ian checks in with Dr. AC and John Pata, as they pass the half-way mark in their October "Scare-a-Thons",* and drops another shameless plug for his upcoming Halloween-weekend appearance at Naperville’s Hollywood Palms Theatre, where he'll host A Nightmare on Elm Street Q&A with Mimi Craven!

Oh, and if you haven't gotten your tickets for the 51st Chicago International Film Festival, you should fix that right away.

It's no secret that episode 117 is packed with cinematic intrigue! Dun dunn dunnnnn!

As always, we invite you to comment, follow, like, subscribe to, and share Kicking the Seat on TwitterFacebookiTunes, and Stitcher!

*If you'd like to donate to either "Scare-a-Thon", feel free to contact Aaron and John directly at drach101@gmail.com and john.marcus.pata@gmail.com, respectively.

Ep118: WITCH's PEAK

Ep116: THE FINAL GIRLS' REVENGE: A NEW BEGINNING