profile pic ian.jpg

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.

Teachers Without Pants (ELECTION Spoiler Review)

Teachers Without Pants (ELECTION Spoiler Review)

Ian Simmons

In the latest installment of our "Reelpolitik" series (where Ian looks at a politically themed movie each month leading up to the 2020 election) guest Don Shanahan provides some valuable insights into Alexander Payne's 1999 comedy, Election!

Matthew Broderick stars as Jim McAllister, a high school teacher who runs afoul of ruthlessly ambitious senior Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) during her bid for class president. Despite this being a late-90s MTV Films production, Election's hilarious brand of dark humor remains not only a timeless commentary on youth but an eerie and unfortunate mirror of our (allegedly) grown-up political climate.

The guys get into heavy spoilers here, and Don weighs in with his thoughts as a current high school teacher.

Please follow Don's work at Every Movie Has a Lesson and 25 Years Later!

If you enjoy this content, please "like" and subscribe to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel for more commentary and reviews--and leave a comment while you're there!

FINDING COURAGE Interview w/ Director KAY RUBACEK

FINDING COURAGE Interview w/ Director KAY RUBACEK
Ain't LOVEBIRDS Grand? (SPOILER Review)

Ain't LOVEBIRDS Grand? (SPOILER Review)