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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.

Ep211: Jim O'Heir's Midwestern Handshake

Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast concludes its two-part coverage of the Chicago indie comedy, Landline, with a hilarious and informative conversation with actor Jim O'Heir. Last week, Ian sat down in Jim's hotel room to discuss absolutely everything, from Landline, to Parks and Recreation, to the trickiness of fame, to politics, and working with Steven Soderbergh!

Also, Ian explains why this installment is a day late; how an interview that wasn't initially supposed to happen instantly rocketed into his top-five favorite conversations; and how you can experience a silent-film classic as never before, this weekend at the Music Box Theatre!

Episode 211 earns its "Explicit" label right off the bat, and we swear it's the best thing you'll hear all week!

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Ep212: Ido Fluk's Blind Luck

Ep210: Smack Soufflé