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 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.

Ep289: The Shape of Whatever

Today, the Kicking the Seat Podcast and Keeping it Reel's David Fowlie look back on the films of 2017! Don't worry: this is far from a standard-issue "Top Ten" episode. The guys share their answers to questions that get at the heart of what they loved, loathed, and learned from at the movies last year. From the industry-shaking Harvey Weinstein scandal; to the relevance of film critics in the social media age; to the films that fewer people are talking about than they'd hoped for--this is a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation (with a fair helping of silliness thrown in).

Also, Ian breezes past yesterday's Oscar nominations with an over-caffeinated and incendiary awards-show rant!

Episode 289 is so retro!

Keep up with the latest seat-kicking goodness by following, liking, rating, and subscribing to us on TwitterFacebookInstagramiTunes, and Stitcher!

Ep290: Plated and Floored

Ep288: MOM AND DAD, Why are You Fighting?