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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.

Ep493: Page2Screen: Squid Pro Squo

Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast and Cole Rush of The Quill to Live tackle the greatest graphic novel of all time--and its not-as-great-as-they-remember film adaptation. Yes, they're talking Watchmen, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' genre-disrupting 1986 comic about retired superheroes working to solve a murder mystery against the backdrop of impending World War.

In this spoilerific discussion, the guys dig into Watchmen's significance; why Zack Snyder's attempts at adapting it came up short; and how Moore's flight of spandexed fancy mirrors today's very real headlines.

And, of course, they talk about the squid.

Also, Ian reviews the sci-fi sex-bot indie, 2050, and reminds listeners about tonight's screening of Parasite at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove! At 7:30pm, Keeping it Reel's David Fowlie will host the After Hours Film Society presentation of Bong Joon Ho's award-winning drama, including a post-screening Q&A. Don't miss your chance to see one of the decade's most unforgettable films on the big screen! 

Episode 493 is just a joke!

Show Guide:

Intro Music: 0:00 - 0:14

Intro: 0:14 - 1:47

2050 Review: 1:47 - 5:04

Intro Ct'd: 5:04 - 6:26

Watchmen Trailer: 6:26 - 8:39

Watchmen Discussion: 8:39 - 1:09:09

Outro Music: 1:09:09 - 1:09:25

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Ep494: Reelpolitik: Better Dead Than Redford

Ep492: LIFE Serial