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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.

Ep172: Men in Black (Magic)

This week, the Kicking the Seat Podcast enters No-Maj land with a look at the first Harry Potter prequel, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel joins Ian on a spoilerific journey of high-fantasy and higher ticket prices, to examine the elements of David Yates' film that cast a spell on them, as well as the problem areas of muddled muggle mediocrity.

How does this adult-centric pocket of the Potter-verse fare, compared to the child-friendly adventures of Harry and company? Just how fantastic are these titular beasts? And do we really need four more film adaptations of a fake encyclopedia?

The answers to these questions and more await in this jam-packed 172nd installment of the Kicking the Seat Podcast!

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Ep173: Candyland Path of Peril

Ep171: Bleeding and Leading