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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.

Ep591: Ultra Disturbing

Ep591: Ultra Disturbing

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Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast and Keeping it Reel's David Fowlie are awash in gore and great ideas as they look at Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor (now available On Demand and playing at Chicago’s Music Box Theatre)! Andrea Riseborough stars as an unconventional breed of assassin whose employer allows her to get closer to her targets than anyone else. That’s all we can say, really, without giving away a whole lot of the story—but Ian and David can say that Possessor ranks as one of their favorite films of the year so far.

The guys dive head-first into a spoilerific discussion about body horror, old-school practical effects, and the odd links between this bleak bit of speculative sci-fi and our present-day reality.

Also, Ian reviews the new World War II thriller, A Call to Spy; provides an troubling update on last episode’s Jiro Dreams of Sushi discussion; and invites you to join him live on YouTube tonight for the “Scare-a-Thon” round table celebrating 40 years of Fulci’s The Gates of Hell (benefiting Boxville Marketplace)!

Episode 591 doesn’t know what’s come over it!

Show Guide:

Intro Music: 0:00 - 0:14

Intro: 0:14 - 1:47

Jiro Dreams of Sushi Update: 1:47 - 6:52

A Call to Spy Review: 6:52 - 9:23

Intro Ct’d: 9:23 - 11:26

Possessor Trailer: 11:26 - 13:29

Possessor Discussion: 13:29- 50:06

Outro Music: 50:06 - 50:22

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Ep592: Page2Screen: Bates and Switch

Ep592: Page2Screen: Bates and Switch

Ep590: I Dream of JIRO

Ep590: I Dream of JIRO