Kicking the Seat

Ian and Luke close out the summer with a brief look at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem!This was Luke's first experience with the Heroes in a Half-shell AND his first 3D movie! Is Mutant Mayhem a worthwhile adventure? Or does it deserve to be shredded?Watch and find out!Plus: Get a sneak peak of our next "Target Audience" segment!Show LinksWatch the TMNT: Mutant Mayhem trailer.Watch Ian and Mark's Mutant Mayhem review! https://youtube.com/live/Lc2tii5G12USupport 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 Mark are the world's most fiercest fighting team...of movie reviewers! And we're taking on the latest animated incarnation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: the Seth Rogen-produced feature, Mutant Mayhem!In this retconned re-telling of the Ninja Turtles' origin story, four New York City pets encounter mutagenetic ooze and learn martial arts from a sewer rat named Splinter! They launch a vigilante crusade to protect citizens from criminals, monsters, and madmen...all the while grappling with growing pains!In this spoilerific review, the guys break down one of the summer's most surprisingly entertaining and uplifting action movies. From a retold origin that doesn't totally suck; to finding layer upon layer of meaning in the reimagined versions of the Turtles, April, Splinter, and the mutant henchmen; to an animation style that just plain messed with their heads--this is one shell of a conversation!Show LinksWatch the TMNT: Mutant Mayhem 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 Don saddle up and head West for a revealing look at Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo!Yes, this is a John Wayne movie, but the 1959 epic about outnumbered lawmen in a small town beset by hired killers is as much a showcase for its supporting talent as it is for the Duke! Angie Dickinson makes her big screen debut as a traveling con artist who falls for the top-billed stoic lawman; Dean Martin co-stars as Wayne's alcoholic former deputy; and teen heartthrob Ricky Nelson shows up as an utterly mesmerizing cross between a wet-behind-the-ears Elvis Presley and Han Solo!In this spoiler-filled review, the guys dig into their history with Westerns and revel in the ideas and delivery that set Rio Bravo apart--including its unexpectedly stark look at the ravages of addiction.They also make the case for Rio Bravo as a great companion piece to Barbie; appreciate character actor extraordinaire Ward Bond; and explore the wonderful world of the "Free Blockbuster" movement!Show LinksWatch the Rio Bravo trailer.Order Rio Bravo on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, now available from Warner Bros. Home Video.Watch Earth's Mightiest Critics' round table review of Barbie (mentioned in the show).Watch Ian and David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel review "The Cavalry Trilogy", starring John Wayne (mentioned in the show).Follow The Elmwood Park Free Blockbuster on Instagram.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson……and Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Today, Ian and Pat look back on one of the most under-appreciated films in the James Bond franchise: 1983's Octopussy!Roger Moore stars as the MI6 super-agent, whose latest adventure involves fake Fabergé eggs, a Russian plot to conquer the "divided and distracted" West, and a team of international female criminals who have about as many commitment issues as Bond himself!In this fun flashback episode, Ian and Pat stand up for an entry that many Bond-ophiles ignore (or downright despise), and draw some really fun parallels between last episode's movie, Enter the Dragon, and several of this summer's biggest blockbusters!Note: There was a bit of a connectivity issue on the video conference, so Pat's audio is a bit choppy at times. Apologies for that. We're working on a solution.Show Links:Watch the Octopussy trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Listen to Pat's movie reviews on the radio at STAR 96.7.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics quit playing around and finally talk about Barbie!Greta Gerwig's modern take on the classic Mattel doll is helping revitalize a flagging summer box office--and sparking controversy left, right, and center! Is this story of Barbie's trip to the real world and back simply a pink-paletted, girl-power popcorn romp, or a sly, venomous cultural critique fueled by award-worthy marketing?In either case, how does it hold up...as a movie?Watch and find out!What did you think of the Barbie movie? Let us know in the comments!Show LinksWatch the Barbie trailer.Watch our Oppenheimer round table review.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!

To pass the time on their bizarre journey Beyond Hammerland, Ian and AC enjoy some Tales from the Crypt!Freddie Francis' 1972 horror anthology may be from Amicus Pictures, but it features a who's who of Hammer talent in front of (and behind) the camera. This breezy (and often chilling) British adaptation of the 1950's EC Horror Comics finds a group of strangers touring an ancient graveyard. When they're confronted by a mysterious robed figure in the catacombs beneath, they are treated to visions of treachery, torture, and terror that may just be windows into their own demises!In this spoilerific celebration, Ian explains why he'd avoided this film for more than three decades; AC talks about the history of horror anthologies; and the guys debate the effectiveness of the "Crypt Keeper" wrap-around!Show Links:Watch the Tales from the Crypt (1972) trailer.Chicagoans! Join AC for a special anniversary screening of The Haunting at the Sulzer Regional Public Library on Tuesday, August 22! He'll introduce the film and conduct a Q&A afterward!Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, which is positively dripping with fiendishly fresh content!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!

After a brief summer break, the Accademia Giallo faculty returns with a look at Short Night of Glass Dolls!In Aldo Lado's 1971 thriller, an American journalist temporarily stationed in Central Europe searches for his new girlfriend, who has suddenly disappeared.Glass Dolls is one of the most divisive films we’ve covered in this series. Is the pacing too languid or just right? Is this a first-time director setting the giallo world ablaze with uncommon themes and visual techniques—or a novice whose ambitions far outpace his actual talent? And where the hell are these “glass dolls”?It’s as contentious a class as has ever been in session, but you might be surprised at how things shake out at the closing bell!Show LinksWatch the 5 Dolls for an August Moon trailer.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!

Ian welcomes The Blonde in Front herself, Cati Glidewell, for a scary-fun look at one of 2023's best films, Talk to Me!YouTubers/brothers Danny and Michael Philippou make their feature debut with a smart, character-focused horror movie that really threw our hosts for a loop. Centering on a group of Australian teens who discover that the latest viral sensation is actually a gateway to Hell, Talk to Me offers a fresh take on Ouija Board and possession movies that neither host saw coming!In this spoilerific review, Ian and Cati examine how the the Philippous built upon their genre influences instead of merely referencing them; why A24 is the perfect studio for up-and-coming horror filmmakers; and the surprising link between Talk to Me's conception of the afterlife and that of Michael Tolkin's 1991 end-of-days thriller, The Rapture.Also, Ian shares an utterly shocking experience from the Music Box Theatre's preview screening (after which the Philippou's stuck around for a Q&A)!Show LinksWatch the Talk to Me trailer.Follow all of Cati's front-row goings-on!WebsiteTwitter/XInstagram/Facebook/YouTube: theblondeinfrontRadio of HorrorPost Mortem RadioSubscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics go nuclear with Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer!This grand biopic stars Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant and disturbed scientist who spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb.How does this passion project stack up to Nolan's other historical epics like The Prestige and Dunkirk? Does the writer/director push his love of non-linear storytelling too far this time? And, most importantly, what's the deal with “Barbenheimer”?Watch our contentious analysis and find out!Show LinksWatch the Oppenheimer trailer.Watch "The True Scale of Nuclear Weapons" from the How to Survive YouTube channel (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!

Tom Cruise strikes again! The ageless maverick returns to resuscitate the summer box office once again with Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One--and Earth's Mightiest Critics discuss whether the risk is worth the reward!Ethan Hunt and his team of globetrotting super-spies must track down a powerful weapon before it falls into the wrong hands (yes, this is a description of a new movie, allegedly!).Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to join us in spilling secrets, hatching plans, and decoding your coded messages from the chat!Show LinksWatch the Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One 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!