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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.

Ep826: WALL-E (2008) - Movie Review

Ep826: WALL-E (2008) - Movie Review

Ian Simmons

Ian welcomes back Jeffrey York of The Establishing Shot for his first solo appearance on the podcast! And what better topic than Jeff's favorite film of 2008, WALL-E!

Andrew Stanton's comedic twist on the dystopian sci-fi epic feels more prescient today than it did on release, and the guys look this bold new direction for Pixar Animation Studios. From the opening 30 minutes (which play like a silent film); to eerily accurate takes on technological addiction at the expense of everything else; and a nuanced view of mankind that is at once scathing and redemptive, WALL-E combines the doomsday sadness of Children of Men with the whimsical acrobatics of Buster Keaton--all with Pixar's breathtaking innovations in animation, sound, and design.

Part review, part examination of themes through a 2022 lens, this spoilerific discussion of WALL-E is one of our most hopeful yet!

Show Links:

Ep827: SARDAR UDHAM (2021) - Movie Review

Ep827: SARDAR UDHAM (2021) - Movie Review
Don't Read the Comments! RRR Special Part 2 (11/18/22)

Don't Read the Comments! RRR Special Part 2 (11/18/22)