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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.

Ep1140: The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) - Live 40th Anniversary Roundtable Review

Ep1140: The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) - Live 40th Anniversary Roundtable Review

Earth's Mightiest Critics may fight a lot, but at least we fight fair--thanks in part to the punky, earnest admonitions of 1985's The Legend of Billie Jean!

Helen Slater stars as the titular teen outlaw who goes on the lam with her younger brother and a couple of close friends, following a violent run-in with a skeevy local businessman. The story gains national attention, and Billie Jean becomes a symbol for rebellion and extra-judicial justice.

Four decades on, can The Legend of Billie Jean still inspire faith in youthful activism in the face of corrupted authority? Or is it yet another dated cringe-fest propped up by iconic imagery and a Top 40 single?

Join us for a spoilerific retrospective of this 80s cable staple and see if it remains...invincible!

We also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

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Ep1139: Wrung Turn: An Interview with "Four Horses, Seven Seals" Author Ben Beard

Ep1139: Wrung Turn: An Interview with "Four Horses, Seven Seals" Author Ben Beard