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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.

Ep137: A Reading from the Book of MANOS

Kicking the Seat's week-long celebration of Manos: The Hands of Fate concludes as Chicago-area author Laura Mazzuca Toops joins Ian to discuss the new book, Growing Up with Manos: The Hands of Fate! You might not give a second thought to a making-of book about the "Worst Movie Ever Made", but Laura and co-author/star Jackey Neyman Jones deliver an engrossing look at the doomed 1966 production, which would find a second life decades later, in the most unexpected of ways. 

Laura talks about how she got involved with the project, her collaboration with Jackey, and what she thinks of intentionally bad movies.

Also, Ian teases some upcoming Shout! Factory releases, and shares more info on his involvement with F This Movie's July 9th podcasting marathon (which will benefit the breast cancer charity The Magnolia Tree Foundation).

Torgo says The Master would definitely be pleased with Episode 137!

As always, you can keep up with the latest seat-kicking goodness by following, liking, rating, and subscribing to us on TwitterFacebookiTunes, and Stitcher!

Ep138: DEMON Worship

Ep136: The Pixar Punch