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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.

Ep760: There's No Stalgia Like Nostalgia: LA DOLCE VITA (1960)

Ep760: There's No Stalgia Like Nostalgia: LA DOLCE VITA (1960)

Ian Simmons

Ian becomes a first-time Fellini fanatic as Pat "The Uber Critic" McDonald introduces him to 1960's La Dolce Vita!

Marcello Mastroianni plays Marcello, a tabloid journalist whose penchant for drinking, smoking, and womanizing places him smack-dab in the middle of an existential crisis. Turns out putting the "bone" in "Bon Italia" isn't all it's cracked up to be--and through a series of seven vignettes, we watch this so-called "sweet life" decay into a grim battle for a wayward soul.

In their annual Easter-week podcast, Ian and Pat dig into the themes, the style, and the masterful visual storytelling of this indispensable classic.

Show Links:

Ep761: Son of Hammerland: SCREAM OF FEAR (1961)

Ep761: Son of Hammerland: SCREAM OF FEAR (1961)
Ep759: IndieSeen: HENRY FOOL at 25 w/ THOMAS JAY RYAN

Ep759: IndieSeen: HENRY FOOL at 25 w/ THOMAS JAY RYAN