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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.

Ep925: Chi-Town Chi: An Interview with FOR KICKS Director SEAN FAHEY

Ep925: Chi-Town Chi: An Interview with FOR KICKS Director SEAN FAHEY

Ian Simmons

Ian welcomes back one of his very first podcast guests, filmmaker Sean Fahey, for a look at the life-changing new documentary, For Kicks--which will have its world premiere this weekend at the Chicago Underground Film Festival!

The film centers on Chicago security specialist and musician Eugene Thomas who, back in the 1980s had a wild career in Taiwanese martial arts movies. After learning self-defense from watching Kung Fu movies, Thomas took formal Tae Kwon Do lessons, and traveled East to find his true calling. Through a series of chance encounters, he rose to prominence as one of the genre's few Black superstars--along with Ron Van Clief, who Fahey also profiles in the doc.

In this interview, Sean talks about what he's been up to since making his first feature film, Bailout (For Kicks is his second); the unexpected circumstances under which he learned about his friend's secret life as a movie star; and how he found cosmic parallels between Thomas' life story and his own as a filmmaker.

He also talks the possible future of For Kicks--i.e. where folks might see the movie outside of a handful of upcoming festivals. The film will screen as the Closing Night event at CUFF's 30th anniversary celebration this Sunday, with shows at 5pm and 8:30pm (with appearances by Sean and Eugene Thomas!).

Show Links

  • Get your tickets for CUFF's September 17th Closing Night event, featuring For Kicks, with Sean Fahey and Eugene Thomas!

  • For more information about the Chicago Underground Film Festival's 30th anniversary celebration, check out the fest's website and their full schedule.

  • Keep up with Sean's film and video work at Vimeo.

  • Learn more about Eugene Thomas at his website.

  • And listen to Ian and Sean's first interview from waaaay back in Episode 5 of the Kicking the Seat Podcast, discussing the documentary Bailout!

Ep926: Green Means "GO": Linh Tran and James Choi on Making WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE

Ep926: Green Means "GO": Linh Tran and James Choi on Making WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE
Ep924: THE EQUALIZER 3 (2023) - Round Table Review

Ep924: THE EQUALIZER 3 (2023) - Round Table Review