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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 Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy 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.

Ep129: Hey, Good Lookin'!

Ian Simmons

This week, the Kicking the Seat Podcast sidles up to Marc Abraham's new Hank Williams biopic, I Saw the Light. Artist, musician, and bona fide Hank-Head Charlie Baruffi joins Ian to talk about what the movie got right, where it fell short, and to speculate on whether or not the music legend's tumultuous life can ever really be captured on film. These pastures are full of spoilers, so watch your step.

Also, Ian teases a few titles from next month's fourth annual Chicago Critics Film Festival, which promises to be the biggest one yet!

(Psst! Passes are on sale now!)

Episode 129 has enough boozy, twangy, hard-hearted goodness to fill a jukebox--or as we call 'em around these parts, "good times"!

Ep130: Not For Today, But For All Time

Ep128: A TWISTED Talk with Director Andrew Horn!