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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.

Ep208: A Movie Guy XSW

Today, Ian catches up with indefatigable Chicago film critic Leo Brady, who recently returned from the nine-day cinema cyclone known as South By Southwest! Leo and his wife, Christina, run A Movie Guy.com, and over the course of a very long week, they screened dozens of movies and conducted several red carpet interviews and sit-down conversations with filmmakers. Leo talks to Ian about the experience of SXSW from the perspective of an out-of-town critic, and what it takes to provide wall-to-wall coverage that's as close to live as possible without the infrastructure of a powerful media outlet.

Also, Ian recommends another SXSW-centric chat Leo did with You'll Probably Agree, which you can find on YouTube. It's more film-centric than this episode, and just as enjoyable.

Have your press passes ready: Episode 208 is going backstage!

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Ep209: The Disconnect

Ep207: The RAW, Sunken Place