Kicking the Seat

Ian and Sujewa welcome back Amir Motlagh to discuss his 2018 film, Three Worlds!The L.A.-set drama follows Saam (Motlagh), a frustrated indie filmmaker who scrapes out a living by shooting and producing commercials, and whose love life has devolved into meaningless hookups. As he flashes back to the childhood dreams of Hollywood magic that propelled him from Iran to California, Saam begins an existential search for answers in a city that has none to offer.In this wide-ranging conversation, Ian, Sujewa, and Amir talk about the years-long development of Three Worlds; comparisons to Terence Malick's Knight of Cups; and the fact-versus-fiction elements of the movie's multi-layered story and guiding philosophy.Plus: Sujewa shares updates on his upcoming film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene, which will premiere next month in Los Angeles as the kick-off to his Indie Discovery L.A. Film Series!Show Links:Watch the Three Worlds (2018) trailer.Keep up with all of Amir's creative efforts at amirmotlagh.com.Get ready for Indie Discovery L.A., Sujewa's upcoming film series--featuring Three Worlds!Watch Ian and Sujewa's review of No Bears (mentioned in the show).Watch Ian and Sujewa's previous interview with Amir, for his other 2018 film, Man.Listen to Ian and Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk discuss Terence Malick's Knight of Cups on The Spoiler Room Podcast.Learn more about Sujewa's upcoming series, "Indie Discovery L.A."Rent Sujewa's latest 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!

Ian and Don investigate the legacy of John Huston's foundational film noir, The Maltese Falcon!The 1941 detective-movie template stars Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, a private eye with a hard edge and a soft spot for dames. A visit from a mysterious widow (Mary Astor) lands him in the heart of a global conspiracy to obtain an ancient artifact--the titular bird statue whose black veneer conceals millions in jewels and sculpted gold.This was a first-time-watch for Ian, who relied on Don's expertise (he's actually read the Dashiell Hammett novel on which the film was based AND is a Bogart super-fan) to help him understand why the movie didn't quite grab him in the way its reputation suggests it might have.This spoiler-filled discussion looks at the obsessions of The Maltese Falcon's characters; fan's and filmmakers' obsession with The Maltese Falcon; and the treasures that lay ahead when Ian gives this one another shot.The Maltese Falcon is now available on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.Show LinksWatch the Maltese Falcon trailer.Order The Maltese Falcon on 4K UHD Blu-ray from Warner Bros.Watch Ian and Don's review of Casablanca.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson….. and Film Obsessive: https://filmobsessive.com/...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Luke share their thoughts on 2023's most powered-up motion picture!Is The Super Mario Bros. Movie pure Gen X nostalgia-bait, or is it truly fun for all ages?Find out what two lifelong Mario fans think about Nintendo/Universal/Illumination's new animated blockbuster!What did you think of the movie? Let us know in the comments!Show LinksWatch the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer.Watch Earth's Mightiest Critics' round table review of the Super Mario Bros. 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!

In this very special episode of "Spotlight India", Ian welcomes filmmaker Shashwat Mookherjee to talk about Satyajit Ray's landmark 1966 film, Nayak!En route to Delhi to receive an award, a Bengali film star reevaluates his success through his fellow passengers, dreams, and past experiences.Before digging into the movie, we get to know Sashwat and talk about his fascinating journey, which includes creating short films, attending the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, and founding the IIT Madras BS Film Society.Plus: Shashwat shares an important announcement live on the show!Show LinksWatch the Nayak trailer.Watch the 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!

Earth's Mightiest Critics level up with a round table review of Illumination's record-stomping animated adventure, The Super Mario Bros. Movie!In this 3D-animated adaptation of Nintendo's flagship video game, two Brooklyn plumbers named Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) find themselves sucked into a magical world of flying fish, clinically depressed talking stars, and a mutant dragon-turtle (Jack Black) hellbent on marrying a no-nonsense princess warrior (Anya Taylor-Joy).The film has already proven itself a box office juggernaut, but has reignited the age-old divide between critical opinion and audience tastes. There is perhaps no better illustration than the heated discussion you're about to see. Show LinksWatch the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer.Bonus! See what the "Target Audience" thinks of The Super Mario Bros. 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!

Earth's Mightiest Critics invite thee on an epic quest to review Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!The latest big-screen adaptation of the classic role playing game is now in theaters, and stars Chris Pine as the head of a rag-tag band of misfit magicians, shapeshifters, and thieves who might just end up saving the world!How does John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein's adventure comedy stack up to previous incarnations? Is this just Guardians of the Galaxy with spells and potions--and, if so, is that a bad thing? And what of the filmmakers' flippant comment about emasculating male heroes?In this surprising and rip-roaring discussion, we break it all down and take your questions and comments live in the chat!Plus: Stick around to the end for a special guest review from the EMC’s littlest critic!Show LinksWatch the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 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 25YL...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!

Our Good Friday tradition continues as Ian and Pat look back on a half-century of Jesus Christ Superstar! Norman Jewison's big-screen adaptation of the smash Broadway musical is a unique chronicle of Jesus's final days. Ostensibly a period piece filmed in Israel, the film's conceit is that a merry band of hippie performers sets up an elaborate production in the desert--marrying an age-old story with modern dress, music, and, in an astonishing nod to the times, weapons of war.In this spoilerific exploration, the guys discuss who the movie is really about; why it might actually speak to people of different faiths (or even no faith); and how it remains relevant fifty years on. Show Links:Watch the Jesus Christ Superstar trailer.Ian and Pat's review of Godspell, which came out the same year as Jesus Christ Superstar.BONUS! Check out Pat's interview with Jesus Christ Superstar's Ted Neeley at HollywoodChicago.com.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

This month, Ian and Sujewa welcome special guests filmmaker Raphael Sbarge and subjects Greg and Tish Laemmle to discuss their documentary, Only In Theaters!This eye-opening roller coaster of a movie traces the history of L.A.'s most prominent independent theater chain back to the very origin of the film industry--and charts the Laemmle family's ups and downs in the face of streaming services and a global pandemic that brought an entire industry to its knees.Here, Sbarge and the Laemmles talk about how the project came together; how it evolved during several extremely challenging developments; and how things have continued to change since the film's release last year.Plus: Sujewa shares updates on his upcoming film, Cosmic Disco Detective Rene, and the Laemmle's involvement with its premiere!Chicagoans! This Saturday (4/8/23) you can catch Only In Theaters at the Music Box Theatre! As an added bonus, Greg and Tish Laemmle will be on hand after the 4:30pm show for a Q&A! More info below. Show Links:Watch the Only In Theaters trailer.Get info and tickets for this Saturday's special Music Box Theatre screening of Only In Theaters--featuring a Q&A w/ Greg and Tish Laemmle! Watch Sujewa and Matt Zoller Seitz's discussion with Raphael Sbarge and The Laemmles.Learn more about Sujewa's upcoming series, "Indie Discovery L.A."Rent Sujewa's latest 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!

This month, Ian and Cole look back at John Landis' classic societal switch-up comedy, Trading Places!Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd play a street hustler and wealthy stock trader, respectively, whose lives are upended when two multi-millionaire brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) decide to swap their roles behind the scenes.This inventive twist on the slobs-vs-snobs flick has a lot going for it, but as first-time-viewer Cole discovers, it has definitely been improved upon in the ensuing four decades. In this spoilerific review, the guys look at Trading Places in its original context, and as a part of the evolution of comedy on the big and small screens.Show LinksWatch the Trading Places trailer.Keep up with all of Cole's literary goings-on at his website.Watch the vintage Eddie Murphy SNL sketch, "James Brown's Celebrity Hot Tub Party" (referenced in the show!).Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Earth's Mightiest Critics convene for a riveting High Table round table on John Wick Chapter 4!You'd think falling off a building after being "fatally" shot would slow down even the kill-iest of killing machines. But nothing can stop John Wick as he continues his globetrotting quest for vengeance/freedom/box office records!We talk stunts, spoilers, and spine-shattering set pieces--plus take all your questions and comments in the chat! Whoa! (Or should that be, "Yeah"?)Show LinksWatch the John Wick Chapter 4 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 25YL...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!