Kicking the Seat

Ian and Luke look at James Gunn's MCU swan song, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!In this spoiler-free review, two lifelong comic-book fans discuss the highs, lows, and in-betweens of this stars-spanning space saga--which finds Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and his gang of misfits looking for the key to saving a mortally wounded Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper). Along the way, they encounter a living space station, a golden Warlock, and an alternate Earth comprised of 1970s-era mutants!Is this movie too much...movie? And how does it stack up to previous installments?Find out what one comics nerd and one newly minted 6-year-old have to say!What did you think of Guardians 3? Let us know in the comments!Show LinksWatch the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 trailer. Watch Earth's Mightiest Critics’ reality-smashing round table review of Guardians 3!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 welcomes back filmmaker Shashwat Mookherjee for a "Spotlight India" look at Maneesh Sharma's 2016 thriller, Fan!The film centers on Gaurav (Shah Rukh Khan), who develops an obsession with a movie star that looks just like him. He goes to Bombay to meet his idol, but he refuses to grant him five minutes of his time. Gaurav is enraged and plots to destroy his hero.Also, the guys continue their conversation about Shashwat's own budding filmography, including his soon-to-be-released documentary about IIT Madras, Breaking Barriers!Show LinksWatch the Fan trailer.Watch the trailer for Shashwat's upcoming documentary, Breaking Barriers.Watch Shashwat's short films on YouTube (and be sure to subscribe!).Follow IIT Madras BS Film Society on Instagram.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!

As the MCU says goodbye to one of its most beloved series, Ian returns from his year-long hiatus from superhero movies and TV shows!Following 2022's round table review of Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ian vowed to stop watching the bulk of new comic-book-related releases. Now, he's back with Earth's Mightiest Critics to review James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3!So how’d it go? Watch and find out!Show LinksWatch the Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 trailer.Watch the EMC's Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Round Table.Watch Ian's declaration of a superhero-movie hiatus!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!

Yes, May 4th is Star Wars day. No, we didn't talk about Star Wars.But Earth's Mightiest Critics did talk about a rebellious country boy (with a very familiar name) who must navigate a treacherous hive of scum and villainy!In this round table review of Cool Hand Luke, we look at Stuart Rosenberg's sweltering chain gang drama, which stars Paul Newman in the iconic, titular role. From changing depictions of masculinity on film; to connections with Christ imagery and Rebel Without A Cause, and the disappearance of culture-shaking big studio pictures from the modern movie landscape--this spirited episode is 50 eggs worth o' podcast!Cool Hand Luke is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.Show LinksWatch the Cool Hand Luke trailer.Order Cool Hand Luke on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros.Watch Ian, Mark, and Don review Rebel Without A Cause.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 are a little late with the latest "Late Screening", but they come roaring back with a 40th anniversary review of Brian De Palma's Scarface!This 1983 (loose) remake of Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson's 1932 gangster film centers on Tony Montana (Al Pacino), an ambitious Cuban criminal who connives, claws, and kills his way from the Miami refugee ghetto to the very heights of the American Dream (as seen through the cracked and critical lens of screenwriter Oliver Stone).In this spoilerific deep dive, the guys look past the quotes and body count to figure out how a movie that so heavily influenced pop culture and informed subsequent crime pictures could also be boring to a first-time viewer in 2023--and whether or not Ian might help change the mind of said first-time viewer, who is entirely hypothetical and does not at all appear on camera as his guest!And, yes, they address some of the controversies surrounding the film, including its early criticisms for over-the-top violence and profanity, and concerns over the portrayal of cultural stereotypes.Show LinksWatch the Scarface 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).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!

This month, Accademia Giallo gives you a crash-course in creepy-crawlies with a look at The Black Belly of the Tarantula!In Paolo Cavera's 1971 chiller, a series of victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open, much in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp. The victims all seem to have a connection with a spa.This spoilerific round table is part review, and part intervention on behalf of Ian, who can't quite appreciate everything the film has to offer (while also acknowledging Black Belly's truly jaw-dropping rooftop chase). "Accademia Giallo" is Kicking the Seat's monthly deep dive into Italian Horror's "giallo" sub-genre.Show LinksWatch the Black Belly of the Tarantula 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!

Crack open a book with Ian and Mark as they summon a spirited review of Evil Dead Rise!Lee Cronin's entry into Sam Raimi's storied franchise is a twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable (at least, according to IMDb!). While most of Earth's Mightiest Critics were out a a press screening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Ian and Mark sat trying to figure out if Evil Dead Rise swallow their souls, or was just plain hard to swallow!Show LinksWatch the Evil Dead Rise trailer.Watch Ian and Mark review the 2013 Evil Dead remake on "The Spoiler Room". 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!

This month, Ian and AC pass the parchment to Jacques Tourneur's Curse of the Demon!The 1957 supernatural thriller finds skeptical American scientist John Holden (Dana Andrews) visiting the UK to deliver a lecture debunking renowned devil worshipper Dr. Julian Karswell (Niall MacGinnis). On arriving, he learns that one of his colleagues died mysteriously after having had a suspicious interaction with Karswell. Holden teams up with Karswell's niece, Joanna (Peggy Cummins) to solve a mystery that may just squash Holden's atheism in its razor-sharp brimstone grip!In this spoiler-filled review, the guys discuss the film's controversial creature; its deft combination of engaging characters and unusual (for the time) story; and Curse's truly mind-blowing special effects--minus one scene in particular!Show Links:Watch the Curse of the Demon 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!

Turns out the kids aren’t alright! Ian, Don, and Mark get all broody and sensitive with a look at Nicholas Ray's landmark 1955 drama, Rebel Without a Cause!The movie follows three troubled teens who find solace in each other, away from the dysfunctional families and knife-wielding hoodlums that make life nearly unbearable. Jim (James Dean), Judy (Natalie Wood), and Plato (Sal Mineo) navigate the ups and downs 1950s America in ways that scrape at the facade of its post-war idealism.In this wide-ranging, spoilerfific discussion, the guys marvel at the audacity of Ray's achievements; the subtext (and plain ol' text text) of a story whose layers are still being unraveled today, and touch on why Rebel should remain a film of its time.Rebel Without a Cause is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.Show LinksWatch the Rebel Without a Cause trailer.Order Rebel Without a Cause on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros.Watch Ian and Don's review of Casablanca.Watch Ian and Don's review of The Maltese Falcon.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson……and Film Obsessive: https://filmobsessive.com/...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Spoil yourself with Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk at The Spoiler Room Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian talks with Cinema Femme founder Rebecca Martin Fagerholm about the upcoming Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, and with Chicago filmmaker Michael Glover Smith, whose co-directorial effort, "Paper Planes", is included in the lineup.The fifth edition of the festival is going hybrid this year, with online screenings starting April 28th and, for the first time, a series of in-person events at the historic Music Box Theatre (the April 30th slate is sold out, but tickets are still available for the May 3rd programs).In this interview, Rebecca talks about the origins of Cinema Femme, the Breaking Down Walls mentorship program for women and nonbinary filmmakers, and the industry impacts that result from helping diverse voices reach a larger audience.Also, Michael discusses how "Paper Planes" got off the ground thanks to a Tweet by the short's writer/co-director Alyssa Thordarson! For showtimes, tickets, and more information about the 5th Cinema Femme Short Film Festival, check out the links below.Show LinksWatch the Cinema Femme Short Film Fest 2023 trailer.Get tickets for the online portion of the festival here.Get showtimes and tickets for the April 30th in-person shorts program at the Music Box Theatre.Keep up with all things Cinema Femme!Website: cinemafemme.com TikTok: tiktok.com/@cinemafemmeTwitter: @Cinema_FemmeFacebook: Facebook.com/cinemafemmemagazineInstagram: @cinemafemmemagazineFollow (and use) the festival's Official Hashtag: #CinemaFemmeShortFilmFestKeep up with Michael's movies (and movie reviews!) at White City Cinema: https://whitecitycinema.com/Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!