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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.

Ep520: I Love Your Precious Heart

Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast welcomes Kip Gire of the brand-new This is Your Song podcast for a look at Richard Lowenstein's revelatory documentary, Mystify: Michael Hutchence! The film, which hits DVD and Blu-ray from Shout! Factory tomorrow (3/31), follows the INXS lead singer's rise and fall using only archival and home-movie footage, mixed with testimonial voice overs. The result is a beautiful and surprising portrait of an artist whose desire to stay true to himself became warped in the face of fame and fortune.

In addition to digging into the film's highs and lows (both narrative and technical), the guys talk about Kip's adventures in podcasting--including interviewing his indie-rock heroes about their careers and deep connections to their work, as well as the odd challenges (and opportunities) of launching a show at the dawn of a global pandemic.

Episode 520 will give you what you need!

Show Guide:

Intro Music: 0:00 - 0:14

Intro: 0:14 - 3:19

Mystify Trailer: 3:19 - 5:29

Mystify Discussion: 5:29 - 1:05:21

Outro Music: 1:05:21 - 1:05:36

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Ep521: RE-ANIMATOR, Revisited

Ep519: Mullin' MULAN