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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 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.

Ep677: The Slowdown: FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH

Ep677: The Slowdown: FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH

Ian Simmons

School's out, but there are many lessons ahead for Ian and Don!

Today the guys revisit Amy Heckerling's landmark 1982 classic, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which was recently added to the Criterion Collection. Based on a novel by Cameron Crowe, in which the Rolling Stone reporter went undercover in a California high school to capture the true spirit of a generation, this funny, poignant, and, yes, fast-moving comedy put several stars on the map and forever changed the way America looks at carrots.

Ian and Don discuss how their understanding of the film has evolved over the years; what sets it apart from other sex comedies of its time, and the surprising ways in which it still rings true.

Also, Ian talks about some of the special features on the new Criterion disc, including a fascinating 1982 Q&A with Heckerling at the American Film Institute.

Show Links:

Ep678: Late Screening: THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001)

Ep678: Late Screening: THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001)
Ep676: The Slowdown: ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY

Ep676: The Slowdown: ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY