Kicking the Seat

The man with the hat is back, and this time he's bringing his...goddaughter?Yes, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is the series' third send-off for pop culture's most beloved globe-trotting archaeologist, and Earth's Mightiest Critics will break it all down!Is Indy's latest Nazi-punching, relic-hunting, time-traveling adventure worth dusting off the IP for one more go-round? Or are some treasures better left un-plundered?Join us and find out!Show LinksWatch the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer.Want a sneak peak of Ian's thoughts on the movie? Check out his recent appearance on Sam Carrico's Film Fanclub Show (the upcoming livestream is a bit more contentious)!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!

As Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center concluded its recent "Daddy Issues" series, Ian and David made the trek downtown to catch Peter Weir's 1986 drama, The Mosquito Coast, on the big screen.Projected in gloriously scratchy 35MM, the film tells the story of Allie Fox (Harrison Ford), a disgruntled American dad and genius inventor, who moves his family to the titular under-developed Central American territory. There, he battles the elements, a zealous missionary, and the pull of consumer-culture comforts drawing his wife and kids back home.In this pseudo-spoilery discussion, the guys examine where this oddity fits into Ford's blockbuster career; its harsh critical reception; and why it belongs in the wider discussion of expertly written, performed, and directed dramas.Note: This episode does not contain a review of the 2021 Apple TV+ show, also based on Paul Theroux's novel ('cause at least one of the panelists hasn't seen it!).Show LinksWatch the Mosquito Coast trailer.Read Roger Ebert's Mosquito Coast review from 1986 (referenced in the show).Keep up with David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Join David for his regular film discussion series, presented by the After Hours Film Society.The AHFS screenings take place at the historic Tivoli Theatre in downtown Downers Grove, IL.Visit the Gene Siskel Film Center's website for info on upcoming films and film series.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

This month, we're beyond excited to go "Beyond Hammerland", thanks to a TRIPLE birthday celebration! Yes, Ian and AC were born on June 30th, and Robert Wise's THE HAUNTING turns 60 this year! Join us for a...ahem...spirited and spoilerific review of this classic horror movie, which centers on a paranormal investigator who recruits a pair of psychically touched women and a wealthy freewheeling hipster to uncover the secrets of the famously haunted Hill House! The guys have talked about talking about this movie for a long time, and now you can hear what they have to say. Despite this being a well-regarded and highly influential film, today's episode is not strictly a love fest--with one of the panelists needing his own guided tour of the film's merits!Show Links:Watch the Haunting 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!Watch Ian's interview with J.R. Jordan, author of Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures. Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, which is positively dripping with fiendishly fresh content!Watch AC's recent round table review of Twilight Zone: The Movie (mentioned in the show): Catch up with 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!

This month, Ian and Cole look back on 40 years of John Badham's brainy, ballistic blockbuster, Wargames!The 1983 techno-thriller finds high school computer genius David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) on the run from the Feds after he mistakenly hacks into the Defense Department's new "War Operations Planned Response" system--which runs constant simulations of World War III. Can David, his friend, Jennifer (Ally Sheedy), and the WOPR's co-creator, Professor Falken (John Wood) shut down the "game" before the world's missile silos are emptied out?This spirited and surprising discussion is not only the Kicking the Seat Podcast's 900th episode, it is also an essential look into what makes "Late Screening" one of our favorite series. Between the Gen Xer who grew up loving Wargames, and the Millennial who watched it for the first time in preparation for this show, the opinions are as revealing as they are audacious.Thanks for watching, everyone, and here's to another 900!Show LinksWatch the Wargames trailer.Read Cole's Tor.com article, "Five Memorable Takes on Artificial Intelligence".And it's never too late to catch up with our full "Late Screening" Playlist.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

As hard as it is to believe, Ian and Pat have never seen Enter the Dragon...until now!To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Robert Clouse's landmark martial arts film, the guys watched and discussed this surprising action-spy adventure starring the inimitable Bruce Lee. He plays Mr. Lee, an MA instructor at a Shaolin temple who is recruited by British intelligence to infiltrate the lair of a former-student-turned-criminal-mastermind.In this spoilerific love fest, these newly minted Bruce Lee fans talk about their expectations going in; the myriad pleasant surprises they discovered; and the legion of imitators that have tried their hands at the formula--only to be slammed to the mat!Show Links:Watch the Enter the Dragon trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Listen to Pat's movie reviews on the radio at STAR 96.7.Note: Shortly after Ian and Pat recorded their review, Warner Bros announced an upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of Enter the Dragon, and Fathom Events will be hosting two big-screen showings of the film in August (the guys talked about these as "What If's" during the show.).Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian talks Alice Lucy and Casper Van Dien, stars of the world's first "Swissploitation" film, Mad Heidi!In a dystopian future, Switzerland is ruled by malevolent cheese magnate President Meili (Van Dien). After losing her loved ones in a series of vicious attacks, country girl Heidi (Lucy) takes up arms against Meili's regime, cutting a pulpy, bloody path through is sinister plans for world domination!In this brief interview, Lucy and Van Dien talk about how they connected with this crowdfunded project; a surprising controversy surrounding its production; and how each prepared to play these instantly iconic characters, between studying action movie heroes and switching up accents for maximum effect!Show LinksWatch the Mad Heidi trailer.Keep up with all the Mad Heidi goings-on at the film's website.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Forget easing into summer: Earth's Mightiest Critics are zooming right through blockbuster season with a round table review of The Flash!When titular speedster Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) accidentally creates an alternate reality without superheroes, he must team up with Batman (Michael Keaton) and a formerly imprisoned Supergirl (Sasha Calle) to defeat General Zod (Michael Shannon).At least, that's what we've gathered from the trailers!Is The Flash a long-overdue shot in the arm for the DCEU? Will the behind-the-scenes controversies overshadow the film's adrenaline-fueled nostalgia bait? And what of all this talk about Flash 2?Catch up with our sensational spoiler-talk and find out!Show LinksWatch the The Flash 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!

Transform and roll out with Earth's Mightiest Critics as we give shape to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts!Steven Caple, Jr.'s entry into the smash-'em/crash-em robots franchise takes the story back to mid-90s Brooklyn, where down-on-his-luck computer whiz Noah (Anthony Ramos) finds himself caught up in a battle of worlds. He must help the heroic Autobots retrieve an ancient device and keep it out of enemy hands, so as to prevent the end of humanity.No, we didn't copy/paste this synopsis from the plot of Michael Bay's 2007 Transformers movie! This one has robots that change into animals! In this ratcheted-up round table review, the EMC get into the good, the bad, and the downright depressing--talking characters, story points, and some disturbing messages woven into the script!Note: Due to a technical issue, Ian sounds like he's "talking into the room" for the first few minutes of the show. Things get much better after a rough start.Show LinksWatch the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer.Plus! Watch our “Target Audience” review to see what Ian and his son, Luke, thought of the movie!Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Learn more about Sujewa's upcoming series, "Indie Discovery L.A."Rent Sujewa's new movie, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Follow the production of Sujewa's Slow Romance sequel, Cosmic Disco Rene.Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects.Follow Sujewa on Twitter.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 Luke get wild with a "Target Audience" look at Transformers: Rise of the Beasts!When planet-eating monster Unicron threatens to devour Earth, Optimus Prime and the Autobots must team up with their robot-animal counterparts and a pair of down-on-their-luck Brooklynites to save the world!In this spoiler-free mini-review, Ian and Luke talk about the excitement, the scares, and the near-tears that mark the seventh Transformers movie. And Luke does his best to share the huge final-scene spoiler. Can Dad stop him in time?!What did you think about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts? Let us know in the comments!Show LinksWatch the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer.Plus! Watch Ian and Earth's Mightiest Critics' reality-hopping round table review of Rise of the Beasts!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!

Web-heads unite! Join Earth's Mightiest Critics for a rollicking round table review of one of the year's most anticipated films!In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse, Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.How does this sequel stand up to its Oscar-winning 2018 predecessor? Is it the energy boost that multiverse movies need right now--or a final nail in the coffin? And is it still "Part 1", as was teased in the early marketing push?We discuss all this and more, in spoilerific detail! Show LinksWatch the Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse trailer.Plus! Watch our “Target Audience” review to see what Ian and his son, Luke, thought of the movie!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!