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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 NoéRachel BrosnahanAmy 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.

Ep872: THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) - Movie Review

Ep872: THE MALTESE FALCON (1941) - Movie Review

Ian and Don investigate the legacy of John Huston's foundational film noir, The Maltese Falcon!

The 1941 detective-movie template stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a private eye with a hard edge and a soft spot for dames. A visit from a mysterious widow (Mary Astor) lands him in the heart of a global conspiracy to obtain an ancient artifact--the titular bird statue whose black veneer conceals millions in jewels and sculpted gold.

This was a first-time-watch for Ian, who relied on Don's expertise (he's actually read the Dashiell Hammett novel on which the film was based AND is a Bogart super-fan) to help him understand why the movie didn't quite grab him in the way its reputation suggests it might have.

This spoiler-filled discussion looks at the obsessions of The Maltese Falcon's characters; fan's and filmmakers' obsession with The Maltese Falcon; and the treasures that lay ahead when Ian gives this one another shot.

The Maltese Falcon is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Show Links

What If He Doesn't Survive? THE MANDALORIAN Season 3 / Episode 8 - Round Table Review

What If He Doesn't Survive? THE MANDALORIAN Season 3 / Episode 8 - Round Table Review

Ep871: Target Audience: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023)

Ep871: Target Audience: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE (2023)