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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.

Ep1107: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) - Live Roundtable Review

Ep1107: Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025) - Live Roundtable Review

You've never seen Earth's Mightiest Critics really upset--but that all changes with our Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning roundtable review!

In fairness, some of our super savvy cineastes enjoyed Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise's curtain call for globe-trotting do-gooder Ethan Hunt. But for others, this over-long, overstuffed race against the AI clock was a little too self-serious (and dare we say, "messianic") to serve as a worthy capstone to one of the great action-adventure series.

Join us for a spoilerific, self-destructing deconstruction of the mega franchise's alleged last gasp! We also take your questions, comments and SuperChats!

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Ep1108: Hello Apocalypse! Live Filmmaker Interview w/ Jeremy Eden

Ep1108: Hello Apocalypse! Live Filmmaker Interview w/ Jeremy Eden

Ep1106: Class of '95: Clueless - Live Roundtable Review

Ep1106: Class of '95: Clueless - Live Roundtable Review