Kicking the Seat

Earth's Mightiest Critics assemble once again to wade through Venom: Let There Be Carnage!In director Andy Serkis' sequel to the surprise 2018 smash hit, sad-sack indie journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) must reckon with a savage alien that has melded with his body. Woody Harrelson pops up as death row inmate Cletus Cassidy, who gets a taste of Brock's powers and begins a citywide rampage of revenge and twisted love.Watch as the gang dissects the good, the bad, and the gooey--including bizarre performances from Oscar-caliber actors; a troubling sense that the filmmakers don't actually respect the character at the heart of their movie; and a tonal inconsistency that could spell big trouble when this pocket Sonyverse collides with the greater Disney/Marvel brand!In a surprise twist, one of Earth's Mightiest Critics didn't even see the movie, yet still had some of the episode's most spot-on takes!Show LinksWatch the Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer.Check out our round table review of the original Venom movie!Support Earth's Mightiest Critics! Keep up with our rotating panel of guests at their various outlets:Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at Chuck Load of Comics....And Giant Freakin Robot!And help us welcome our latest panel member, Elliott Serrano of Shaken Not Heard: A James Bond Fancast!PLUS: You can read Elliott's Army of Darkness comics (referenced in the show) on Comixology, or buy ol' fashioned physical copies from Amazon!Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Welcome back, children of the night!The "Scare-a-Thon" tradition continues as our good friend Aaron Christensen of Horror 101 with Dr. A.C. spends all of October watching horror movies and raising money for a worthy cause.This year, he's supporting Chicago's Albany Park Theatre Project, which creates transformative experiences that forge an inclusive community of youth artists, adult artists, and audiences to envision and build a more just, equitable, and joyful world.And to help the good doctor in his quest, we'll be doing Friday night livestreams all month long--beginning with a special 90th-anniversary review of the seminal Universal Monsters hits, Dracula and Frankenstein! Join us LIVE on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch at 7:30pm every Friday in October. We'll take questions, address comments, and invite you to tell us about your go-to Spooky Season movies!Show LinksWatch the Dracula (1931) trailer.Watch the Frankenstein (1931) trailer.Keep up with Aaron's entire "Scare-a-Thon" experience beginning October 1st at Horror 101 with Dr. AC (you can peruse his library of horror content in the meantime!).For more info on the Albany Park Theatre Project visit their website.Donate to the Albany Park Theatre Project here.And check out this "Scare-a-Thon 2021" trailer from the great Jason Coffman!Dying for more? Check out our "Hammerland" Playlist, to see Ian and Aron's year-long look at Hammer Films' interpretation of Frankenstein and Dracula!Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian talks with co-directors Andrew and Jon Erwin about their new film, The Jesus Music!This lively and thorough documentary traces the history of Contemporary Christian Music from its surprising roots in the hippie movement of the 1960s to its global 21st Century diversification. Packed with interviews, rare footage, and, yes, lots of inspirational songs, the movie adds many fascinating dimensions to art and artists that some (including Ian) may have easily dismissed.In this brief but revelatory conversation, the sibling filmmakers talk about the challenges of coordinating a documentary during the pandemic; the tough decisions in shaping hundreds of interviews into a comprehensive history of the music they love; and the importance of highlighting institutional hypocrisy in a genre that ostensibly promotes tolerance and love.The Jesus Music opens exclusively in theatres this Friday, October 1st, from Lionsgate Films.***The opening title card erroneously reads "September 24th"***Show LinksWatch The Jesus Music trailer.And check out the trailer for the Erwin Bros' upcoming December film, American Underdog (referenced in our conversation).Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Break out the love beads and garlic!Today, Ian and Aaron take a trippy trip through "Hammerland" with a look at Alan Gibson's Dracula A.D. 1972!In an effort to bring Dracula out of the dusty period-piece past and into "modern" times, Hammer Films transports Christopher Lee's vicious vamp to swingin' London where he faces off against a descendent of Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) and his hippie granddaughter, Jessica (Stephanie Beacham).The result is a mixed bag among fans, but Ian and Dr. AC make a strong case for why this entry is not only worthwhile but also one of the series' most sophisticated (and, admittedly, goofy).Plus: The guys tease the upcoming return of "Scare-a-Thon"!Starting this Friday, we'll be doing weekly livestreams in support of Albany Park Theatre. In addition to live versions of "Hammerland" and "Accademia Giallo", you'll be able to join ghoul-tastic conversations about a wide range of horror classics!Show Links:Watch the Dracula A.D. 1972 trailer: Keep up with all of Aaron's reviews at Horror 101 with Dr. AC.Dying for more? Check out our “Hammerland” playlist!Learn more about Albany Park Theatre.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Mike don't believe in guilty pleasures, but they do appreciate "Awfully Great" movies!Yes, it's time for another ongoing series, and we're kicking things off with a 30th-anniversary tribute to David Kellogg's magnum oh-yeah-pus, Cool as Ice! Robert Van Winkle stars as Johnny, a colorful space alien/superhero* who brings style and hip-hop culture to a hopelessly square rural town (which also shares a nexus point with vast expanses of desert). He meets a brilliant high school senior whose parents happen to be in the witness protection program, and helps the family defeat a pair of vengeful, crooked cops.Yes, that's a real movie, and in the next 50 minutes, you'll hear heart defenses of this mash-up of Rebel Without a Cause and Say Anything--including the dazzling camerawork of Oscar-winning DP Janusz Kaminski; unironically strong performances by Kristin Minter and Michael Gross; and a story so brazen in its lack of give-a-shit that the film demands to be seen and placed on a boombox atop a pedestal!*Ian's theory, not officially endorsed by Universal Pictures.Show Links:Watch the Cool as Ice trailer.Chicagoans! Catch Vanilla Ice live in concert this Saturday at the Naperville Music Festival! (Note: Mike and Ian mistakenly said that The Village People are part of the lineup.)Buy Kino Lorber's recently released Cool as Ice Blu-ray.Keep up with Mike Crowley's reviews at You'll Probably Agree.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian speaks with screenwriter Matt Harris about his new Netflix film, The Starling!Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd star as Lily and Jack, a couple struggling to save their marriage following a life-altering tragedy. After Jack is committed to a mental institution, Lily seeks help from a retired therapist-turned-veterinarian, played by Kevin Kline. Complicating Lily's crumbling world is a ruthless starling that has taken up residence in the front yard, acting as both menace and metaphor.In this honest and enlightening discussion, Matt talks about how his screenplay winding up on the famous Black List changed his life; the surprising story switch that caused the entire Starling team to re-evaluate their narrative; and how he contends with the barrage of negative pre-release reviews.The Starling premieres on Netflix this Friday, September 24th.Show Links:Watch The Starling trailer.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Pat close out the summer with a look at George Lucas' mainstream breakout hit, American Graffiti! Yes, two years before Star Wars, the young filmmaker created a love letter to the mischievous car-culture Americana of his teen years--resulting in not only one of the most profitable independent movies ever made but also launching an entire generation of iconic actors into the stratosphere.In this warm reminiscence, Ian and Pat talk about American Graffiti’s remarkable balance of rambunctious innocence with the encroachment of adult themes; its unexpected influence on the era of teen sex comedies; and how MAD Magazine's impact on two budding film critics rippled down the generations to inform how these two film critics look at movies like American Graffiti...and the world!Show Links:Watch the American Graffiti trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.And listen to Ian's 2019 interview with American Graffiti star Richard Dreyfuss! Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and David look at Joe Carnahan's second kick-ass revenge flick of 2021, Copshop!Teaming once again with star Frank Grillo, Carnahan ignites the screen with a cross between Super Troopers and Assault on Precinct 13 (and, no, that's not a criticism)! The police department of a small Nevada town detains two criminals (Grillo and Gerard Butler) on different charges and locks them up across from one another.This sets into motion an elaborate assassination scheme that puts the cops in the middle of a high-level conspiracy carried out by dangerous lowlives. It's up to the department rookie (Alexis Louder) to piece together the mystery--as well as the parts of herself that have been riddled with bullets.In this spoilerific review, the guys dissect the ways in which Carnahan and co-writer Kurt McLeod punch up genre tropes; examine the visual artistry of Carnahan and DP Juan Miguel Azpiroz; and address a few tweaks that could have made this modern action classic just about perfect (including a vestigial tacked-on ending)! Copshop is now playing in theatres.Show Links:Watch the Copshop trailer.Watch Ian and David's review 2021's other Carnahan/Grillo collaboration, Boss Level.Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Cole put on their stupid human suits for a 20th anniversary "Late Screening" retrospective of Donnie Darko!After avoiding a deadly freak accident, troubled suburban teen Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) begins exhibiting mysterious abilities and foresight--guided by a creepy, six-foot-tall rabbit named Frank (James Duvall), who warns him that the world is coming to an end. Donnie's quest to help reset a broken timeline leads him to uncover town secrets and come to terms with his place in an emotionally awkward family.In this theories-heavy discussion, the guys attempt the impossible: making sense of writer/director Richard Kelly's brilliant but utterly inscrutable time travel horror drama.Also, stay 'til the end to find out what's in store for October's mind-breaking blockbuster edition of "Page2Screen"!Show Links:Watch the Donnie Darko trailer.Keep up with all of Cole's literary criticism at The Quill to Live.Check out Cole's TikTok channel, BookRush.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

From the ashes of "The Slowdown" emerges a brand new series focusing on the wide, weird world of independent film!Ian and Sujewa kick of "IndieSeen" with returning guest and Baylor University Professor of Film and Digital Media Chris Hansen. His latest film, Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage, recently made its streaming debut, and is comprised of seven vignettes integral to the rocky fourteen-year marriage of Noah (Drez Ryan) and Madison (Chynna Walker).Chris talks about the real-life inspirations for the story; breaks down the filming of a pivotal and highly emotional scene, and talks about Seven Short FIlms' unconventional release. Also, Ian and Sujewa put Chris in the hot seat with some critiques that really open up the discussion!Show Links:Watch the Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage trailer.Rent Seven Short Films About (Our) Marriage from Amazon.com (or your preferred streaming service).Check out our previous slow cinema-centric series, "The Slowdown".Find clips, making-of videos, and other cool info about Sujewa's upcoming film, The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!