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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.

1917 and the Assassination of Characters

1917 and the Assassination of Characters

Ian Simmons

Sam Mendes' 1917 has received a lot of praise, a handful of Awards Season nominations, and the top prizes at the Golden Globes. It has also been criticized for a lack of solid characters.

Ian talks about why the single-shot-style World War I drama is far more than just an expensive, gimmicky spectacle--and how its "underwritten" characters speak volumes beyond the literal page.

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Two Things to Know Before Watching THE GENTLEMEN

Two Things to Know Before Watching THE GENTLEMEN
The Slowdown: UNCLE BOONMEE

The Slowdown: UNCLE BOONMEE