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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 NoéRachel BrosnahanAmy 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.

Ep181: Twenty-Sixteen: The Final Chapter (Part 1)

2016 is a killer year, and the Kicking the Seat Podcast has assembled a round table of its finest guest critics to tackle the biggest (and weirdest) movie questions. Which film helped everyone get through the tumultuous and bizarre presidential election? Which movie reignited the group's faith in the art form? These answers, and more, await as Ian welcomes back David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Emmanuel Noisette of Eman's Movie Reviews, Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, and Don Shanahan of Every Movie Has a Lesson (with special appearance by Harry Egbo)!

Also, Ian reminds listeners of two great movie projects they can contribute to; announces the first Kicking the Seat Contest in quite awhile; and hops on a mausoleum-sized soapbox to talk about the language of celebrity grieving (or, as Lionel calls it, "auto-mourn"). Be sure to check back on New Year's Eve for the epic conclusion to our year-in-review, as Ian recounts his ten favorite KtS Podcast moments and reveals his top sixteen films of the year!

Recorded in close proximity to the world's squeakiest cinema escalator, Episode 181 captures all the exhilarating ups and excruciating downs of 2016!

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Ep182: Twenty-Sixteen: The Final Chapter (Part 2)

Ep180: Bad Santa, Good NASA