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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.

Ep1066: Wolf Man (2024) - Live Round Table Review

Ep1066: Wolf Man (2024) - Live Round Table Review

Earth's Mightiest Critics pounce on their first theatrical-release review of the year with a look at Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man!

In this twist on the classic Universal monster movie, Christopher Abbott and Julia Garner play Blake and Charlotte, a dysfunctional married couple who, along with their young daughter, Ginger (Matilda Firth), visit Blake's rural childhood home after his father's death. The family encounters a savage creature in the woods, which attacks Chris and transfers a lycanthropic curse to him.

Who will survive the night? And will Dad still be "Dad"--or the new family pet?

Critics and audiences alike have savaged Whannell's Wolf Man, but there's at least one critic who thinks everyone is missing the point.

Join us for a transformative look at this divisive horror movie! We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

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Ep1067: Target Audience: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Ep1067: Target Audience: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

Ep1065: "Scrap" Mettle: An Interview with Filmmaker Vivian Kerr

Ep1065: "Scrap" Mettle: An Interview with Filmmaker Vivian Kerr