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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.

Ep742: Life of the Poitier: THE DEFIANT ONES (1958)

Ep742: Life of the Poitier: THE DEFIANT ONES (1958)

Ian Simmons

This tribute to the late Sidney Poitier isn't just a review of The Defiant Ones, it's the soft launch of a new 2022 series in which Ian and David will explore the films and legacy of one of our greatest, most influential performers.

Stanley Kramer's 1958 drama centers on two convicts who escape from a prison-transport accident. Poitier and Tony Curtis star as Cullen and Joker, respectively, and the racial tensions between them are heightened by the fact that they're chained together at the wrist.

Watch as the guys talk about the film as an unlikely noir; adjust their modern-day viewing lenses to gain a greater appreciation for the movie's significance; and lay the groundwork for what is sure to be a very enlightening year.

Plus: A Sidney Poitier impression that might just signal the end of this podcast!

Show Links:

Accademia Giallo: TORSO (1973)

Accademia Giallo: TORSO (1973)
Ep741: Son of Hammerland: THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970)

Ep741: Son of Hammerland: THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970)