profile pic ian.jpg

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 Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy 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.

Ep1118: Target Audience: How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

Ep1118: Target Audience: How to Train Your Dragon (2025)

Ian Simmons

Ian and Luke return with a high-flying review of Dreamworks' live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake!

The Simmons family caught a sneak peak of the new film earlier this week (in IMAX, no less!) and are here to share their thoughts on how it stacks up to the 2010 animated movie--and how someone who's never seen the original, or its sequels, is affected by this action-packed period fantasy (one of your two hosts is brand new to the series)!

So cozy up by the (dragon-lit) fire and enjoy this spoiler-free review!

Subscribe, like, and comment on Kicking the Seat here on YouTube, and check us out at:

Show Links

  • Watch the How to Train Your Dragon (2025) trailer.

  • Catch up with all of Ian and Luke's reviews in our "Target Audience" Playlist!

Ep1117: The Life of Chuck (2025) - Live Roundtable Review

Ep1117: The Life of Chuck (2025) - Live Roundtable Review