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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.

Ep732: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021) - Movie Review

Ep732: NIGHTMARE ALLEY (2021) - Movie Review

Ian Simmons

Ian and David take another stroll through the moonlit midway with their review of Guillermo Del Toro's Nightmare Alley!

Bradley Cooper stars as a mysterious carnival worker who charms his way to the big time with a bogus mind-reading act. As he ascends the ladder to wealth and fame, he must contend with his dark past and a trio of women who may or may not be as under his sway as he assumes.

Following up their discussion of Edmund Goulding's 1947 adaptation of William Lindsay Gresham's novel, the guys look at how Del Toro handles (or mishandles) similar material. In this exhaustive and very spoiler-heavy examination, the guys dig into how characters, themes, and the overall point of Gresham's story have changed in each telling--and question whether or not Del Toro and co-writer Kim Morgan were the right fit for this project.

Show Links:

  • Watch the Nightmare Alley (2021) trailer.

  • Watch the Nightmare Alley (1947) trailer.

  • Watch Ian and David's review of the 1947 Nightmare Alley.

  • Buy Nightmare Alley (1947) on DVD or Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.

  • Order the novel on which Nightmare Alley was based (also discussed in the show).

  • Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Accademia Giallo: THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY (1971)

Accademia Giallo: THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY (1971)
Ep731: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021) - Round Table Review

Ep731: SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (2021) - Round Table Review