Kicking the Seat

Ian and Luke blast off into the Spider-verse with a look at the latest blockbuster animated film from Sony/Marvel!Into the Spider-verse introduced Miles Morales and his Spider-egos from billions of alternate realities. When Gwen Stacy joins an elite corps of variants, Miles gets a peek into a wider world of possibilities--one which may help him defeat a dangerously bent new villain called The Spot. But not everyone in this newfound Spider-family is an ally!In this quick review, father and son and compare the original to the sequel; tiptoe through the non-spoiler minefield, and wonder if the movie might be better suited for older kids (and not for the reasons you might think!).What did you think of Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse? Let us know in the comments!Show LinksWatch the Spider-man: Across the Spider-verse trailer.Plus! Watch Ian and Earth's Mightiest Critics' reality-hopping round table review of Across the Spider-verse!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 Cole celebrate the 25th anniversary of Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight with a special "Page2Screen" comparison of the film to Elmore Leonard's 1996 crime novel.When a botched prison break finds career bank robber Jack Foley locked in a trunk with Federal Marshal Karen Sisco, the unlikeliest of romances gets in gear. This puts Jack's next big score in jeopardy--as does the involvement of a truly dangerous criminal element who want to take over the operation. Is there any room for true love in this world of feds, car thieves, corporate swindlers, and murderers?In this spoiler-filled episode, the guys gush over George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez (and the rest of Soderbergh's all-star cast); look at some of the key differences that help the movie realize the novel's full dramatic potential; and stitch together the makings of the ELQTCU (Elmore Leonard/Quentin Tarantino Cinematic Universe)!Show LinksWatch the Out of Sight trailer.Read Cole's article on animation, "Why Do People Still Balk at Animation and How Can We Change Their Minds?" at Tor.com (referenced in the show)…...and his recently published follow-up piece, "Finding the Perfect Animated Movie for People Who Avoid Cartoons".Keep up with all of Cole's literary goings-on at his website.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

We're back with more Bava, baby! Accademia Giallo returns with a look at 5 Dolls for an August Moon!Mario Bava's 1970 chiller centers on an industrialist who invites his colleagues to his private island so they can exploit a resin formula invented by one of the guests--until a killer within the group disrupts the proceedings!Enjoy this spoilerific review where we talk splatter, spoilers, and suspicions as to where the heck Bryan is!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!

What better excuse for a fiery conversation than a 50th-anniversary review of The Wicker Man?This month Ian and AC go waaay Beyond Hammerland to the rocky shores of Scotland for a look at Robin Hardy's 1973 cult classic--which finds a cop (Edward Woodward) investigating the disappearance of a little girl in a remote Scottish village. He is impeded by a secretive and overtly sexual populace whose charismatic leader (Chritopher Lee) is also a businessman and a pagan cultist.In this spoilerific examination, Ian expresses his surprise and dismay at a film he's heard about for years, but which is a very different kind of horror movie than he'd expected.The guys talk about The Wicker Man's cult status, its surprising take on religious morality, and why it is the perfect example of a landmark movie whose ideas and aesthetics can only be improved upon!Correction: Christopher Lee's Lord Summerisle shows up at the 40-minute mark in the film--which is both earlier and later than Ian and Aaron claimed in the discussion.Show Links:Watch the Wicker Man trailer.Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, which is positively dripping with fiendishly fresh content!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!

Kneel before pod! Hot on the heels of last week's Superman livestream, Earth's Mightiest Critics return for a look at both cuts of Superman II!Years ago, WB put out an alternate cut of the 1980 sequel, comprised of original, alternate, and unfinished scenes that were more in line with what director Richard Donner had originally envisioned. The result is a bizarre "Tale of Two Movies", both centered on Superman's rejection of his powers at the precise moment a trio of Kryptonian criminals arrive on Earth with domination and destruction on the brain!In this spoilerific round table review, we look at the pros and cons of both films, and debate which version deserves to wear the cape!Superman: The Movie was recently released by WB Home Entertainment as part of a 4K UHD Blu-ray box set of the 1978-1987 films.Show LinksWatch the Superman II 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!

In recent months, Ian has spoken with Shashwat Mookherjee, a young filmmaker and Data Science student at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. During their discussions, Shashwat talked about his forthcoming documentary, which he created with the dedicated and very talented members of the IIT Madras BS Film Society.Now you can watch Breaking Barriers: The IIT Madras Story YouTube. Ian spoke with several members of the production team about their incredible journey. The movie looks at the ways in which IIT Madras broke from institutional traditions by widening the opportunities for students to apply for their widely respected programs--and in the process opened the door to people of all different ages, backgrounds, and education levels to engage with the school's legendarily rigorous courses.In this very special episode, Ian learns about the film and the filmmakers, including Shashwat and:Shruti Dutta: WriterSusnighdha Saha: Creative ConsultantPranshu Jaiswal: Production ManagerAshwin Hebbar: Production ManagerPlease enjoy this eye-opening conversation, and be sure to check out Breaking Barriers next Friday! Show LinksWatch the Breaking Barriers trailer.Watch Breaking Barriers on the IIT Madras BS Film Society YouTube channel!Follow IIT Madras BS Film Society on Instagram.Learn more about IIT Madras on their website: https://www.iitm.ac.in/Watch Shashwat's short films on YouTube (and be sure to subscribe!).Watch Ian and Shashwat's recent interview for the Indian Institute of Technology Madras Film Society about film criticism!And catch up with previous "Spotlight India" episodes.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Pat bust out the legwarmers for a 40th anniversary review of Flashdance!Adrian Lyne's 1983 dancing drama stars Jennifer Beals as Alex, an 18-year-old welder at a Pittsburgh steelworks. She moonlights as an exotic dancer at the local dive bar, and dreams of one day enrolling at a classical dance academy. Things get complicated when she starts dating her boss, Nick (Michael Nouri), and the film vacillates between May/December romance flick and a misfit-townies take on Fame.In this episode, the guys discuss why they decided to talk about this unlikely $200 million-grossing blockbuster (and that's in 1983 dollars!); how the film trips up its own fancy narrative footwork; and how it would be different if re-imagined today!Show Links:Watch the Flashdance trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

You'll believe a podcast can fly! Join Earth's Mightiest Critics live for a soaring celebration of Richard Donner's landmark superhero adventure, Superman: The Movie!Christopher Reeve stars Kal-El, the sole survivor of the doomed planet Krypton. He lands on Earth, where he discovers unique powers that allow him to become a hero to the helpless and a defender of justice. He runs afoul of criminal mastermind Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), and the rest is cinema history!In this retro round table, the EMC look back on the movie that started it all. This discussion considers Superman as a movie, as a special effects breakthrough, and as a pop cultural phenomenon that comic-book-movie creators are, in many ways, still chasing today.Superman: The Movie was recently released by WB Home Entertainment as part of a 4K UHD Blu-ray box set of the 1978-1987 films.Show LinksWatch the Superman: The Movie 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!

In March 2022, Ian and Sujewa planned to talk about David Lynch's 2006 shot-on-video film, Inland Empire--but it wasn't available anywhere (within reason) to buy, rent, or stream.Fortunately, Criterion recently released a remastered version of the film on The Criterion Channel, and as a Blu-ray. In this episode, the guys look at the unscripted 3-hour drama, which centers on an actress (Laura Dern) whose grasp of reality is jeopardized when she signs on to the remake of a legendarily cursed film. This may be Lynch at his Lynch-iest.Hailed by some, and derided by others, Inland Empire plays like a Rorschach Test of audience patience. It's either a daring expression of creative genius--or a high falutin star-studded indulgence that could have been told in 30 minutes.Note: We also discuss Sujewa's latest film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene, which was supposed to debut at the Lammle Glendale in Los Angeles this weekend. Due to technical issues, however, the premiere is being rescheduled. You can find updates on the new date at nycfantastic.com and on Twitter at @CosmicReneMovie.Timestamps:Intro: 0:00 - 0:48What's New with Sujewa? 0:49 - 9:45Inland Empire Review: 9:46 - 54:14Outro: 54:15 - 1:01:15Show Links:Watch the Inland Empire trailer.Buy Inland Empire on Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.Learn more about Sujewa's upcoming series, "Indie Discovery L.A."Rent Sujewa's new movie, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Find clips, making-of videos, and other cool info about Sujewa's upcoming film, 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.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

At long last, Ian welcomes Dog Soldiers superfan-turned-author-turned-filmmaker, Janine Pipe!Ever since last year's review of Neil Marshall's 2002 squaddies-versus-werewolves movie, Ian has been low-key obsessed with catching up on the writer/director's filmography. Fortunately, UK-based author Janine Pipe wrote a heartfelt, thorough, and thoroughly enjoyable book called Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers--which covers everything about the project, from concept, to filming, to release, and beyond. In this wide-ranging conversation, Janine talks about stepping away from a career in law enforcement to focus on motherhood, and how that made way for her turning a lifelong passion for horror movies into a snowball of writing gigs, meeting and collaborating with her filmmaking hero, and now producing, writing, and directing her own short films!This one's for anyone who needs that push to stop dreaming and start being! Show LinksWatch the Dog Soldiers trailer.Buy Janine's book, Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers.Support Janine's latest short film, Footsteps, Executive-produced by Neil Marshall (now In Demand at IndieGoGo).Buy Scream Factory’s 4K UHD Blu-ray of Dog Soldiers.Watch the episode that started it all--Ian and Chad's Dog Soldiers review.Watch Ian, Chad, and AC review Neil Marshall's 2005 film, The Descent.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!