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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.

Scare-a-Thon 2022: POLTERGEIST 40th Anniversary Round Table Review LIVE!

Scare-a-Thon 2022: POLTERGEIST 40th Anniversary Round Table Review LIVE!

Ian Simmons

The last Friday night livestream of Scare-a-Thon 2022 is heeeeeere!

The rock-ribbed round table review Tobe Hooper's landmark ghost story, which centers on a suburban family's struggle against angry spirits. Poltergeist made TV static terrifying and created an entire generation of vegetarians. It also stirred up a decades-long controversy in genre fandom and sparked a legend about cursed productions (for both the original and its sequels).

Join us as we get into all that, plus some hearty discussion about how our appreciation of Poltergeist has changed with age!

All proceeds from this year's Scare-a-Thon will benefit the Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project (WRRAP), a non-partisan, nonprofit organization assisting women who are financially unable to pay for safe, legal abortions or emergency contraceptives.

Show Links

  • Watch the Poltergeist trailer.

  • Support WRRAP via our Scare-a-Thon donation link on Plumfund.

  • Pick up Warner Bros' release of POLTERGEIST (1982) on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray.

  • Keep up with our rotating panel of pontificators from "Accademia Giallo" AND this week's special guest:!

    • Follow Jeff York's illustrative film criticism at The Establishing Shot.

    • Stay studious with Aaron Christensen at Horror101 with Dr. AC!

    • If you dare, venture down into Kitley's Krypt with Jon Kitley! http://www.kitleyskrypt.com/ And listen to Jon's scary-good podcast, Discover the Horror!

    • Get devious with Bryan Martinez's Film Deviant podcast!

    • Buy J. Blake Fichera's "Scored to Death" Volume I and II on Amazon (mentioned in the show).

    • And catch up with classic episodes of his Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast!

    • Also: Blake is making a documentary! Yes, the author of Scored to Death Volume I & II is making a feature film with interviews from top horror composers. You can help make it happen by contributing to his Kickstarter campaign.

  • Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ep818: THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE (1997) 25th-Anniversary Review

Ep818: THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE (1997) 25th-Anniversary Review
Ep817: Page2Screen: MISERY

Ep817: Page2Screen: MISERY