Kicking the Seat

Reviewers rejected it. Audiences avoided it. But Earth's Mightiest Critics aren't Afraid of stirring things up with an honest and highly detailed look at the latest Blumhouse thriller! John C

o and Katherine Waterston star as parents who allow an experimental AI to take over their home--only to realize (too late, naturally) that something sinister is afoot. Part M3gan, part 2001, part Her, Chris Weitz's new film is the best, most frustrating kind of commercial failure: one that strives to be about something, but which falls short where it matters most.

Join us for a hard-hitting, human-generated conversation about one of the last desperate gasps of a wildly uneven summer.

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Afraid trailer.

• Check out our AI-themed episode from earlier this year.

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

  • And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

Talk about a long, strange trip!

On this month's leg of their Return to Hammerland, Ian and AC take a waterlogged detour through The Lost Continent. Co-directors Michael Carreras and Leslie Norman's tale of a doomed vessel transporting disreputable passengers (and dangerous chemicals!) promises intrigue, monsters, and mayhem.But there's hardly any of the last two--and the intrigue isn't especially intriguing.

In this spoilerific review, the guys talk about unreliable memories; the bizarro monsters-and-cults material that they literally couldn't get enough of; and how subsequent viewings might actually sway their opinions!

Plus: Get ready for more Friday the 13th references than you can shake a machete at--and find out what film will mark our next stop on the Return to Hammerland!

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch The Lost Continent (1968) trailer.

• As mentioned in the show, you can watch AC's recent round table review of 1974's The Land That Time Forgot on Horror 101 w/ Dr. AC!

• Order AC's books on essential and obscure horror movies, Horror 101 and Hidden Horror!

• Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, Horror 101 with Dr. AC.

• It’s not too late to catch up with our 2023 trip “Beyond Hammerland”!

• Check out 2022's year-long journey, "Son of Hammerland"!

• And watch the series that started it all: "Hammerland"!

Critics call Alien: Romulus the third-best Alien film--which is kind of like saying Back 2 Tha Hood is the first-best Leprechaun sequel.

Today, Earth's Mightiest Critics take a good, long look at Alien 7 and discuss whether or not Fede Alvarez's contribution to the franchise is a much-needed jolt of innovation--or the final case for shoving this series into cryo for 57 years.

Plus: We answer your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Alien: Romulus trailer.

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

  • And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

It's back-to-school time, and Accademia Giallo is getting back to basics with a bona fide, bloody giallo, starring the incomparable Edwige Fenech and George Hilton!

Giuliano Gestaldi's 1972 thriller, The Case of the Bloody Iris, centers on a beautiful model who recently escaped a sex cult--only to be pursued by a serial killer whose previous victims include former occupants of her new apartment!

Join us as we return to the J&B-soaked* world of flesh, fear, and freakishness! We'll also take your questions, comments, and SuperChats live!

The Case of the Bloody Iris recently debuted on 4K, courtesy of Celluloid Dreams! Order your copy today, and get an exclusive slipcover and a set of free reproduction lobby cards!

*Turns out there's no J&B in this movie (but it's still a giallo, as we discuss in the show)!

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Case of the Bloody Iris trailer.

• Support all of our terrifying teachers' axe-tracurricular activities!

  • Stay studious with Aaron Christensen at Horror101 with Dr. AC!

  • And subscribe to his YouTube channel!

  • If you dare, venture down into Kitley's Krypt with Jon Kitley!

    • And listen to Jon's scary-good podcast, Discover the Horror!

  • Stalk Bryan Martinez in The Giallo Room!

  • Buy J. Blake Fichera's "Scored to Death" Volume I and II on Amazon (mentioned in the show).

• Catch up with classic episodes of his Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast!

• Continue your education with our "Accademia Giallo" Playlist!

• And if by chance you missed it, catch up with Ian and Bryan's interview with giallo legend Sergio Martino, whom they interviewed earlier this year (his film, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, also stars Fenech and Hilton)!

This is it! The final fight!

Ian and Don drag Bryan back into the ring for one last look at the Rocky franchise. In this surprise-studded episode, the guys look at the universally maligned Rocky V and the Director's Cut of the beloved legacy sequel, Rocky Balboa!

Plus, Bryan tossed the group a sharp left hook by recommending they check out the mythical Rocky V workprint, which--in his estimation, raises the 1990 flop from a 4-out-of-10, to an 8-out-of-10! Did everyone do the assignment?

Take your corners, wait for the bell, and join us as we give the legend his due one last time!

Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Rocky V (1990) trailer.

• Watch the Rocky Balboa (2006) trailer.

• As mentioned in the show, here's a link to the (very rough) Rocky V workprint.

• Note: The Rocky V workprint is not part of the new WB collection, as it has never been officially released (or even finished!).

• Pick up the Rocky Ultimate Knockout Collection on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros!

• Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

  • ...And Film Obsessive

  • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

• Be sure to stalk Bryan over at The Giallo Room on Instagram!

• As mentioned in the show, check out the 500th episode of Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's Spoiler Room Podcast, where Ian joined in a hearty defense of Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls!

• Finally, catch up on our entire Rocky retrospective in the "Yo, Rocky!" playlist!

At Kicking the Seat, we don't believe in curses--but this 0-for-3 streak of movie reviews between Ian and David has us asking, "Why not?"

Neil Marshall's latest film, Duchess, is now available On Demand and playing in UK theaters, and the guys are absolutely flabbergasted that the writer/director of new-century genre staples Dog Soldiers and The Descent would even be capable of unleashing such a DOA paint-by-numbers actioner.

In one of our shortest episodes this year, Ian and David unpack as much as they can (in spoilerific detail) before running out of steam. From fight scenes where the camera moves faster than the participants; to the dead-eyed, vengeance-seeking, tough-chick lead; to character interactions whose dialogue is so cliché-ridden they play like drinking games, Duchess is something that simply must be seen...wait for it...to be believed!

But trust us: this review is time much better well spent!

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Duchess trailer.

• Bonus! Flash back to Ian's 2021 interview with Duchess star Philip Winchester, about the (much better) film, Endangered Species.

• Plus! Listen to Ian and David's other recent (and very raucous) reviews of:

  • The Old Oak (2024)

  • What Remains (2024)

• Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

Worlds collide as Accademia Giallo meets Earth's Mightiest Critics for a knock-down, drag-out review of...the Rocky movies?

Yes, on the heels of last week's look at the first two films, Ian and Don are joined by Bryan Martinez for a right-hook retrospective of and the "Ultimate Director's Cut" of Rocky IV.

Though Rocky IV is widely regarded as one of the best (or at least most iconic) films in the series, Ian maintains that it's among the worst--and that the overlooked Rocky III is actually the capper to a legitimately great movie trilogy. Can Bryan and Don beat some sense into him? Or could this two-on-one brawl wind up favoring the underdog?

Grab your ringside seat and plenty of towels: this one's gonna get bloody!

Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Rocky III (1982) trailer.

• Watch theRocky IV Director’s Cut (1985 / 2021) trailer.

• As mentioned in the show, here's a video of Sylvester Stallone discussing the making of the Rocky IV Director's Cut.

• Pick up the Rocky Ultimate Knockout Collection on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros!

• Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

  • ...And Film Obsessive

  • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

• Be sure to stalk Bryan over at The Giallo Room on Instagram!

• And check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast (he wasn't on this episode, but he was definitely mentioned)!

• Pick up the Rocky Ultimate Knockout Collection on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros!

25 years ago, M. Night Shyamalan shook the pop landscape with his spooky, emotional, and unforgettably rug-pulling ghost story, The Sixth Sense.

Now he's back with... ...um...Trap.

Yeah...

Join us for an evening of twists, turns, and enough teen-pop-concert-energy to melt the charm off a Hartnett (whatever the hell that means)!

Plus: We answer your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

Note: Pardon the first minute or so of wonky audio (it was a technical difficulty that, mercifully, didn't last long).

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Trap trailer.

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

  • And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

Following their raucous sparring on the Deadpool & Wolverine livestream, Ian and Don return to the ring to review Rocky and Rocky II!

Both films were recently released in a 4K box set from Warner Bros, and on the occasion of Rocky II's 45th anniversary, the guys decided to look at how this sequel stacks up to one of cinema's greatest sports movies.

Three years after the iconic underdog story of Philly boxer Rocky Balboa swept the Oscars and captured America's heart, writer/star Sylvester Stallone took over from director John G. Avildsen for the follow-up. The result is a movie whose gloss and high profile put it in stark contrast to the original--which works thematically in its favor.

In this review, the guys talk about Rocky as an institution dating back to their childhoods; how surprised they were to discover the richness of the characters surrounding the film's lead; and why many sports movies using the Rocky template fall short.

Plus: Find out if there'll be a sequel to this episode!

Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Rocky (1976) trailer.

• Watch the Rocky II (1979) trailer.

• Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

  • ...And Film Obsessive

  • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

• Pick up the Rocky Ultimate Knockout Collection on 4K Ultra HD from Warner Bros!

Earth's Mightiest Critics are winding down one of the wildest summers on record with the biggest movie of the year!

Yes, Deadpool & Wolverine smashed into cinemas last weekend, breaking records and re-igniting enthusiasm for the MCU.

But is Shawn Levy's madcap, mature-audience melee an actual movie--or just naughty, nonsensical nostalgia-bait?

Join us as we talk cameos, causality, and that cockamamie Dr. Doom announcement! PLUS: We answer your questions, comments, and SuperChats!

Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!

Show Links

• Watch the Deadpool & Wolverine trailer.

• As mentioned in the show, Ian saw Deadpool & Wolverine at Chicago's fantastic Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville. Their pop-rich decor and full-service dinner-and-a-movie experience make even the worst movies tolerable!

• Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:

  • Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.

  • Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.

  • Get seated with The Blonde in Front!

  • Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.

  • Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…

    • ...And Film Obsessive

    • ...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.

  • Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue.

    • ...and We Got This Covered.

  • Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.

  • And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.