Kicking the Seat

Kicking the Seat

By Ian SimmonsTV & Film
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Kicking the Seat episodes

  • Ep986: CIVIL WAR (2024) - LIVE Round Table Review

    Earth's Mightiest Critics hop off the fence to engage with Civil War!

    Alex Garland's latest look into mankind's cracked crystal ball features Kyrstin Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, and Stephen McKinley Henderson as four journalists trekking across a combat-ravaged America on a quest to interview a dictatorial 3rd-term President (played by Nick Offerman).

    Writer/director Garland has said his film doesn't take sides, and leaves it up to the viewer to interpret Civil War's true political implications. Is that true--or just more Hollywood spin? And does the combination of hard-hitting drama and pulse-pounding action make ideology (or the supposed lack thereof) irrelevant?

    Join us as we dig into the firepower, politics, and prescience of Alex Garland's latest dystopian drama--and take 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 Civil War 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.

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

      • Keep up with Annie Banks at Chuck Load of Comics.

        • ...and Movieweb

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

    1 hr 29 min
  • Ep985: Power in Itself: An Interview with A FORGOTTEN MAN Writer/Director Laurent Nègre

    Ian welcomes writer/director Laurent Nègre for an eye-opening look into his latest feature film, A Forgotten Man!

    Michael Neuenschwander stars as Heinrich Zwygart, a Swiss ambassador returning home from Berlin at the end of World War II. Haunted by visions of a doomed young man he'd failed to help at the start of the conflict, Zwygart begins to buckle under the lie of neutrality (both his and his country's). The film unravels at the pace of the mind, hurtling the viewer down a dark path of secrets, guilt, and good intentions.

    In this eye-opening conversation, Nègre talks about his ten-year journey to bring A Forgotten Man to cinemas; the social obstacles he faced in exploring this dark corner of world history; and reveals the meaning behind his film's bold aesthetic.

    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 A Forgotten Man trailer.

    • Learn more about Sovereign Films at their website.

    32 min
  • Ep984: IndieSeen: MANBABY (2022) w/ Writer/Director Tim Lightell

    Ian and Sujewa welcome writer/director Tim Lightell to discuss his outrageous indie film, Manbaby!

    Sal (Asa Fager) is a stand-up comedian whose stage gimmick is dressing like an overgrown baby. His wife, Dana (Sidney Jayne Hunt), is a research scientist who specializes in hormones. The two can't agree on whether or not to have kids--so Sal hatches a plot to bring out Deanna's maternal instincts by making her believe he's regressed to infancy. From here, Manbaby gets weird...

    In today's episode, Tim talks about the surprising origins of the "Manbaby" character; his decade-long journey to complete the film; and the upcoming 4/20 screening at Brooklyn's Film Noir Cinema.

    Plus: Sujewa talks about Cosmic Disco Detective Rene's newfound success on YouTube, and Ian (reluctantly) shares his thoughts on Manbaby!

    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 Manbaby trailer.

    • Get tickets for Film Noir Cinema's 4/20 Manbaby screening (with Tim and Sujewa in person!):

    • Follow Manbaby on X.

    • Can't make it to New York? Watch Manbaby at home on:

      • Tubi

      • Amazon

    • Check out Tim's Grampaw Universe YouTube series.

    • Watch Sujewa's latest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene for free on YouTube!

    • Rent The Secret Society for Slow Romance (the predecessor to Cosmic Disco Detective Rene).

    • Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects.

    • Follow Sujewa on X.

    • Rent Cosmic Disco Detective Rene on Vimeo!

    58 min
  • Ep983: HOUSE OF WAX (1953) and MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) - LIVE Movie Reviews
    Ian and AC recently attended the opening of The Music Box Theatre's "Triple Threat" 3-D festival,* and returned eager to discuss Andre de Toth's 1953 thriller, House of Wax!Vincent Price stars as the curator of a newly opened exhibit, featuring eerily lifelike recreations of tragic historical figures. But is there more to his creations than mere wax, wardrobe, and Plaster of Paris? Of course--it's a horror movie!In addition to talking about the film and their experience with the Music Box's new state-of-the-art 3-D projection system, the guys compare House of Wax with the film that inspired it: Michael "Casablanca" Curtiz's 1933 movie, Mystery of the Wax Museum!Join us for hot commentary, dripping with insight---and responses to your questions, comments, and SuperChats!*Cati Glidewell, The Blonde in Front, was there, too!Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!Show LinksIf you enjoyed the show, jump on over to The Spoiler Room Podcast to hear Ian talk about 1933's King Kong (also starring Fay Wray)!Watch the House of Wax (1953) trailer: Learn about the Triple Threat 3-D movie series, taking over Chicago's Music Box Theatre this April (mentioned in the show and featuring state-of-the-art Digital 3-D technology!).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"!
    46 min
  • Ep982: GOJIRA X GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS! - LIVE Round Table Review
    Though there's a "new" dueling-giant-monsters movie now in theaters, Earth's Mightiest Critics are doing something a bit different this week: We're traveling back 70 years to the King of All Monster Movies: Godzilla!But this show isn't just about Ishiro Honda's 1954 Japanese film, Gojira--it's also a compare-and-contrast discussion of the "Americanized" 1956 version, Godzilla: King of the Monsters!Who will win? And what will be left of the panel when the dust clears?Join us as we take on these twin titans of towering terror--and 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 LinksWatch the Gojira (1954) trailer.Watch the Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956) trailer.Chicagoans! Get your tickets now for the Music Box Theatre's June event, “Godzilla Versus Music Box” (featuring Godzilla Minus One and the entire Showa Era-Godzilla filmography)!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.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.Keep up with Annie Banks at Chuck Load of Comics....and MoviewebAnd stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.
    1 hr 20 min
  • Ep981: There's No Stalgia Like Nostalgia: THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL
    It's a doubly good Good Friday as Ian and Pat look at two spiritual films: In one corner, Mel Gibson's controversial 2004 drama, The Passion of The Christ--squaring off against Cameron and Colin Cairnes' recently released horror spectacular, Late Night with The Devil!The guys dig deep to talk about Gibson's widely misunderstood masterpiece (some of the contention persists into this very podcast!), in which Jim Caviezel plays the Son of God during his tumultuous final hours on Earth.Next up, David Dastmalchian's star turn as a late-70s, late-night TV talk show host made Ian and Pat's heads spin! Jack Delroy is a jocular but fiercely competitive Carson rival whose idea of a ratings grab is to interview Satan on a live Halloween broadcast. Dastmalchian makes audiences believe in the Cairnes' fully realized world of wide lapels, hypnosis, and occult hysteria.Join us for an odd pairing and a classic tale of Good Versus Evil at the Movies!Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!Show LinksWatch the Passion of The Christ trailer.Watch the Late Night with The Devil trailer. Listen to Pat's interview with Late Night with The Devil star David Dastmalchian at HollywoodChicago.com!Watch Ian and Jeff York discuss the controversies surrounding the use of A.I. in movies (prompted by Late Night with The Devil)!Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Listen to Pat's movie reviews on the radio at STAR 96.7.
    59 min
  • Ep980: The Devil's in the Details
    There's a lot of buzz surrounding Cameron and Colin Cairnes' bold new horror film, Late Night with The Devil--but not all of it is positive.Artists-turned-film critics Ian Simmons and Jeff York dig into the recent controversy surrounding the film's use of AI-generated artwork. Does this signal the death of creativity in The Arts? Or is it a lot of hand-wringing from the same type of people who once feared the Internet, television, and the printing press? Join us for a human-generated look at this hot-button issue! We also 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 LinksWatch the Late Night with The Devil trailer.Read the Variety article that broke the AI controversy.Follow Barsee on X to see the sample AI videos discussed in this episode.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at:The Establishing Shot.Pipeline Artistsand his website
    1 hr 24 min
  • Ep979: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (2024) - LIVE Round Table Review
    Chill with Earth's Mightiest Critics as we review Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire!When the new people from the last one team up with the old people from the first two (and the last one) to fight ghosts in New York City, the whole world hangs in the balance (just like in the first two and the last one)!Join us as the EMC bust open the latest entry in this 40-year-old franchise--and take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!We ain't afraid of no nostalgia bait!Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!Show LinksWatch the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire trailer.Watch Ian and David Fowlie's 2021 review of Ghostbusters: Afterlife.Listen to Ian and Cole Rush's "Late Screening" revisit of 1984's Ghostbusters.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.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.Keep up with Annie Banks at Chuck Load of Comics....and MoviewebAnd stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.
    1 hr 17 min
  • Ep978: Featured Extras: AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM and DARKMAN
    What do Sam Raimi's Darkman and James Wan's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have in common? Beyond the obvious comic-book-movie aesthetic, the answers may surprise you!Ian makes some fun connections while exploring the special features on both films' recent 4K UHD Blu-ray releases!Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!Show LinksWatch our full Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom round table review.Watch our full Darkman round table review.Order Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros.Order Darkman on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Shout! Factory.Check out our "Hammerland" review series (mentioned in the show!).
    15 min
  • Ep977: Accademia Giallo: OPERA (1987)
    Spring is in the air, and the "Accademia Giallo" crew feel like singing (or is that screaming?) along with Dario Argento's Opera!In this gruesome 1987 thriller, A young opera singer is stalked by a deranged fan bent on killing the people associated with her--so he can have her all to himself!This is actually a re-review of sorts, as Ian and AC discussed the film waaaay back in the audio podcast days of 2017's "Scuola Argento" series. How have things changed in the ensuing 7 years--especially now that Ian has several courses of Giallo training under his belt?Join us as we take a lyrical look back at one of Argento's grandest and deeply disturbing films--and take your questions, comments, and Super Chats!Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week!Show LinksWatch the Opera trailer.In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, check out AC's Horror 101 round table review of the entire Leprechaun franchise!For extra credit, listen to this vintage Kicking the Seat review of Opera from the ol' "Scuola Argento" days (featuring AC and special guest, Jason Coffman)! And in case you missed it, catch up with Ian and Bryan's interview with legendary Giallo director, Sergio Martino!Support all of our terrifying teachers' axe-tracurricular activities!Stay studious with Aaron Christensen at Horror101 with Dr. AC!If you dare, venture down into Kitley's Krypt with Jon Kitley! And listen to Jon's scary-good podcast, Discover the Horror!Get devious with Bryan Martinez's Film Deviant podcast!And check out his YouTube show, The Giallo Room!Buy J. Blake Fichera's "Scored to Death" Volume I and II on Amazon (mentioned in the show).And catch up with classic episodes of his Saturday Night Movie Sleepovers podcast!Continue your education with our "Accademia Giallo" Playlist!
    1 hr 6 min

About Kicking the Seat

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Go beyond the movies with reviews, interviews, and live critics roundtables you won't find anywhere else--from the last guy anyone asks!