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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.

Ep184: Missionary Lizards

We Believe in Dinosaurs, a documentary about the Creation Museum's controversial Ark Encounter attraction, is in the home stretch of its highly successful IndieGoGo campaign. This afternoon, Ian and Keeping it Reel's David Fowlie sat down with the film's producer Amy Ellison and co-director Monica Long Ross to discuss the offshoot of Kentucky's Creation Museum, a life-sized replica of Noah's Ark.

R-L: Amy Ellison, Monica Long Ross, David Fowlie, Ian Simmons

Devotees, skeptics, and agnostics alike are sure to enjoy this fun and enlightening hour-plus chat that explores the chasms between church and state; faith and science; and faith-science versus science-science. You'll also get an update on the campaign; more details on just how every dollar is being put to work; and a few teasers regarding Ian's long-promised Creation Museum road-trip story--which he'll share in full, once We Believe in Dinosaurs has been fully funded (Hint, Hint!).

And if you're in the Windy City this week, be sure to hit up Google Chicago on Tuesday, January 10th at 5pm for a live Q&A with Monica and co-director Clayton Brown. They'll also debut the brand-new We Believe in Dinosaurs trailer. The event is free, but you must register at EventBrite.

Believe it or not, Episode 184 represents an evolutionary leap for the Kicking the Seat Podcast!

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

Ep185: Reclaimed Wood

Ep183: [Insert Joke About SILENCE Being Golden]