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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.

Ep386: Just Say Noé!

The Kicking the Seat Podcast and Lee Shoquist of ChicagoFilm load up on LSD and sick dance moves to discuss Gaspar Noé's latest voyage into the unspeakable, Climax! The writer/director behind Irreversible and Enter the Void returns with a 90s-era thriller about dance students trapped in a remote location with heads full of LSD-spiked sangria. It's a challenging, borderline-unwatchable masterpiece that pushes the envelope of artistry to its very limits.

How does Climax stack up against the filmmaker's other works? Do these 1996 characters and their attitudes resonate today? And why are Ian and Lee so afraid of drugs? These answers and more are just one click away!

Also, if you're not yet subscribed to the 90 Under 90 Podcast, Ian invites you to tune in this Thursday as he talks The King of Kong with Jeremy and Dan Eden (later this month, they'll tackle 1941's Dumbo)!

Episode 386 just wants to dance!

*As a bonus, you can check out Ian's 2015 interview with Noé, in which they discuss his wild relationship drama, Love.

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

Ep387: Toxicity and The Avenger

Ep385: Late Screening: Hedley!