Kicking the Seat

Ian welcomes back one of his very first podcast guests, filmmaker Sean Fahey, for a look at the life-changing new documentary, For Kicks--which will have its world premiere this weekend at the Chicago Underground Film Festival!The film centers on Chicago security specialist and musician Eugene Thomas who, back in the 1980s had a wild career in Taiwanese martial arts movies. After learning self-defense from watching Kung Fu movies, Thomas took formal Tae Kwon Do lessons, and traveled East to find his true calling. Through a series of chance encounters, he rose to prominence as one of the genre's few Black superstars--along with Ron Van Clief, who Fahey also profiles in the doc.In this interview, Sean talks about what he's been up to since making his first feature film, Bailout (For Kicks is his second); the unexpected circumstances under which he learned about his friend's secret life as a movie star; and how he found cosmic parallels between Thomas' life story and his own as a filmmaker.He also talks the possible future of For Kicks--i.e. where folks might see the movie outside of a handful of upcoming festivals. The film will screen as the Closing Night event at CUFF's 30th anniversary celebration this Sunday, with shows at 5pm and 8:30pm (with appearances by Sean and Eugene Thomas!).Show LinksGet your tickets for CUFF's September 17th Closing Night event, featuring For Kicks, with Sean Fahey and Eugene Thomas!For more information about the Chicago Underground Film Festival's 30th anniversary celebration, check out the fest's website and their full schedule.Keep up with Sean's film and video work at Vimeo.Learn more about Eugene Thomas at his website.And listen to Ian and Sean's first interview from waaaay back in Episode 5 of the Kicking the Seat Podcast, discussing the documentary Bailout!Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

When the going gets tough, the tough review The Equalizer 3!Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) finds himself at home in Southern Italy, but soon discovers his friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall knows what he has to do: become his friends' protector by taking on the Mafia!Ian hadn't expected to fly solo for this one, but the podcast must go on! Watch as he muscles through the early stages of what would turn out to be a nasty COVID Weekend, while sharing his thoughts on why Antoine Fuqua's conclusion to the McCall trilogy is not only better than John Wick 4, it's also one of the most beautiful (and beautifully violent) films of the year!Show LinksWatch the The Equalizer 3 Red Band trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.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 MoviewebKeep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Accademia Giallo returns with a lesson that's So Sweet…So Perverse!Umberto Lenzi's 1969 thriller centers on a bored, married Parisian socialite who is pulled into a web of lust and deception after he seemingly rescues a woman from her abusive boyfriend! In this lively round table discussion, Ian, AC, Kitley, and Bryan peel back several layers of deceptively simple storytelling to reveal a twisted scheme in which nothing (and we mean nothing) is as it seems!Plus! Stick around 'til the very end to find out what next month's very special Halloween episode will be! You're guaranteed to be shocked and sickened! Show LinksWatch the So Sweet…So Perverse trailer.As mentioned in the show, September is National Suicide Prevention Month. If you or someone you know is in danger, please:Call 988Or visit https://988lifeline.org/ If you'd like to learn more about Umberto Lenzi, pick up friend of the show Troy Howarth's definitive deep dive, Make Them Die Slowly: The Kinetic Cinema of Umberto Lenzi. 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! Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Our journey Beyond Hammerland has brought us to yet another spooky residence. Behold: The Legend of Hell House!John Hough's 1973 adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel finds a group of paranormal explorers spending the week before Christmas in a mansion packed to the rafters with malevolent spirits. An aging millionaire hires Dr. Barrett (Clive Revill) to determine whether or not there is life after death. The doctor brings his wife, Ann (Gayle Hunnicutt), and two psychics, Florence (Pamela Franklin) and Ben (Roddy McDowall), to investigate. The result is a chilling supernatural nightmare that remains unparrallelled in the half-century since the film's release!In this spoilerific episode, Ian and AC compare Hell House to Robert Wise's The Haunting (and explore the fascinating rivalry of the films' source materials); lament most modern horror's inability to truly shock audiences; and examine the unexpected way Hough deals with sexuality, especially compared to many Hammer films the guys have discussed throughout their various series!Show Links:Watch the Legend of Hell House (1973) trailer.Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, which is positively dripping with fiendishly fresh content!Watch Ian and AC's recent review of The Haunting (1963).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"!Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Kicking the Seat ain't playing around with its newest series, "If You Like...You'll Love..."!In this inaugural installment, we look at Neill Blomkamp's GRAN TURISMO and Nick Castle's 1984 cult classic, THE LAST STARFIGHTER--two films with much more in common than a hopeful-gamer-teen-gets-the-chance-of-a-lifetime plot!Show LinksWatch the Last Starfighter trailer.Watch the Gran Turismo trailer.Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.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 MoviewebKeep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and David take on the forces of darkness with a double-feature review of The Pope’s Exorcist and The Devil and Father Amorth!The first is a horror movie from earlier this year, in which Russell Crowe plays Father Gabriele Amorth, an Italian priest who served as the Vatican's designated exorcist from 1986 until his death in 2016. Amorth must vanquish a demon tormenting an American family who has just moved into an inherited Abbey in Spain--one which holds dark secrets that could shake the Church (and Christianity) to its core.The second film is a documentary by The Exorcist director William Friedkin, who passed away recently. It follows the real-life Father Amorth, and claims to capture a bona fide exorcism on camera. The results are...curious, to say the least.In this spoilerific episode, they guys dig into both movies, looking them as entries in the "possession movies" genre; as horror movies; and as examinations of faith. They also talk about Crowe's oddball performance, and imagine what a "Further Adventures of Father Amorth" series might look like!Show LinksWatch the Pope’s Exorcist trailer.Watch the Devil and Father Amorth trailer.We referenced a couple of Matt Zoller Seitz's written reviews for RogerEbert.com in this discussion. Both are magnificent and worth checking out:The Pope’s ExorcistThe Devil and Father AmorthFollow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.And join David next month (Monday, 9/11) at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove, IL, where he'll host an After Hours Film Society screening of Kelly Reichhardt's Showing Up (including a film discussion afterward!).Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Buckle up for a collision of opinions as Ian and David review Retribution!Liam Neeson stars as Matt Turner, an investment banker living in Europe who finds himself trapped in a luxury SUV with his two kids...and a pressure-sensitive bomb! A mysterious madman forces Matt to traverse city streets and bear witness to gruesome acts of destruction--all the while setting him up as the bomber in the eyes of a terrified public.In this episode, the guys get under the hood to discover how (for one of them, at least), this ostensibly by-the-numbers thriller became so much more, thanks in large part to Neeson's acting chops (remember those?) and familial themes that elevate this over a dozen other Speed knock-offs! Also presented here is an argument that this is like every other one-name-title Neeson (ahem) vehicle since Taken.Retribution is now playing in theaters.Show LinksWatch the Retribution trailer.Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.And join David this Monday night at the Tivoli Theater in Downers Grove, IL, where he'll host an After Hours Film Society screening of Celine Song's Past Lives (including a film discussion afterward!).Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

IndieSeen returns with the show you've all been waiting for!Sujewa's follow-up to The Secret Society for Slow Romance has just begun its multi-media roll-out, and Ian welcomes the writer/director and his co-star, Alia Lorae, for a no-holds-barred look at Cosmic Disco Detective Rene!Now that Rene and Allyson's plan to end global poverty through independent film has taken off, Rene can focus on his other passion--solving bizarre mysteries! When a federal agent (Genoveva Rossi) contacts him to figure out if the strange lights in Sunset Park represent a threat from immortal time travelers, the quirky private eye must tune into the vibrations of the universe (which just happen to sound like disco music) to get answers...and possibly save the world!In this wide-ranging interview, Ian, Sujewa, and Alia dig into the film's narrative and visual language, its themes, and mainstream accessibility. Though this is one of the most contentious interviews to appear on Kicking the Seat, it's a fine illustration of how individuals react to art--for better or worse.Plus: Learn how you can experience the movie on VOD, in theaters, and as a virtual screening!Show Links:Watch the Cosmic Disco Detective Rene trailer.For a limited time, you can rent Cosmic Disco Detective Rene on Vimeo!Read Jamie Toth's review of Cosmic Disco Detective Rene (mentioned in the show).Learn more about Sujewa's upcoming series, "Indie Discovery L.A."Rent The Secret Society for Slow Romance (the previous film featuring Rene and Allyson).Find clips, making-of videos, and other cool info about Sujewa's upcoming film, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects.Follow Sujewa on X.Keep up with all of Alia's creative ventures.If you're in New York this September, be sure to catch Alia's upcoming art show at NoHo M55 Gallery!Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics take flight with Blue Beetle!The second-to-last entry in this incarnation of the DCEU centers on Jaime (Xolo Maridueña), a teenager who accidentally becomes the host for a symbiotic alien technology. Adopting the superhero name Blue Beetle, Jaime must fight the evil forces who want the alien artifact, while also protecting his family--and his identity!In this spoilerific review, Ian and Jeff talk culture, clichés, and cinematic universes--and how Angel Manuel Soto's late entry into the superhero genre could have been great, rather than a melange of better films from a decade-and-a-half ago.Show LinksWatch the Blue Beetle trailer.Read Jeff's article, "Are Cliffhangers Ruining Storytelling?", at Pipeline Artists (mentioned in the show)!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.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 MoviewebKeep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics sink their teeth into this adaptation of a single chapter from Bram Stoker's Dracula!Yes, The Last Voyage of the Demeter tells the story of a doomed ship transporting the undead, bloodthirsty body of the OG vampire from Transylvania to London. It was all but drowned out at the weekend box office (Thanks, Barbenheimer!), but is it actually worth a watch?(With praise from the likes of Stephen King and our very own Jeff York, how could it not be?)Join us for this spoilerific journey through the choppy waters of "homage"; overstating themes to death; and troublesome title cards! Oh, we also have some good things to say, too!Show LinksWatch the Last Voyage of the Demeter trailer.Check out Cati Glidewell's (The Blonde in Front) appearance on Radio of Horror, in which she unleashes the Alien 3 comparison that became a centerpiece of this discussion.Watch Ian and Cati's recent review of Talk to Me.And while you're at it, go ahead and subscribe to The Blonde in Front!Read Jeff's article, "Are Cliffhangers Ruining Storytelling?", at Pipeline Artists (mentioned in the show)!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.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 MoviewebKeep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot.And stir things up with Will Johnson of the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!