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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.

FRIDAY THE 40TH Part 1: You're All Doomed!

FRIDAY THE 40TH Part 1: You're All Doomed!

Ian Simmons

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Friday the 13th, Ian and Lee Shoquist of ChicagoFilm kick off a 12-part miniseries devoted to all things Jason! Each month they'll tackle the landmark franchise in chronological order, offering up personal memories, trivia, wild theories, and an overall look at why the slasher series has remained so popular four decades on.

First up: the one that started it all! 1980's Friday the 13th may have been conceived as a Halloween knock-off, but Ian and Lee found it to be an effective thriller with story layers that are far more captivating than the twists, turns, and gore.

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