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.
You'll wanna bust out the happy pills for this episode, kids. Ian, Matt, and Graham discuss Joshua Oppenheimer's haunting documentary, The Act of Killing, which raises questions about objectivity versus subjectivity; the role of Western entertainment in a global context; and whether or not a movie this depressing can really be on anyone's "favorites" list.
Enjoy?
