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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.

Ep389: Saulnier School: The Siege and The Horror

Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast and Aaron Christensen of Horror 101 with Dr. A.C. conclude their two-part micro-series, "Saulnier School", with a look at 2015's Green Room and last year's Hold the Dark!

Green Room represented a big leap forward for writer/director Jeremy Saulnier, who followed up the art-house hit revenge thriller Blue Ruin with a siege movie about a punk band fighting their way out of a neo-Nazi compound. In Hold the Dark, Geoffrey Wright stars as a wolf tracker who is called upon to stalk a very different kind of prey in the wilds surrounding a superstitious Northern Alaska town.

Taken as a whole, Saulnier's filmography is a master class in evolving style and elevating genre. Ian and Aaron talk about the mixed results, and why even Saulnier's missteps are more entertaining than many mainstream filmmakers' so-called successes.

Also, Ian extends an offer to Mr. Saulnier; announces the trailer for Nick Alonzo's new film, Decaf Don; and talks about why he's just about had it with The Avengers!

Episode 389 encourages independent study!

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Ep390: Late Screening: Green Vegetables

Ep388: Rendezvous with Destiny