Kicking the Seat

Ian and Cole don their finest skin suits for a special 30th anniversary "Page2Screen" review of The Silence of the Lambs!Jonathan Demme's blockbuster 1991 thriller about an FBI trainee's hunt for a serial killer and her unconventional mentor swept the Academy Awards. But after having read Thomas Harris' 1988 novel, the guys can scarcely think of the film as more than an appetizer to the source material's epic feast.Watch as they strain through hot takes, horrid impressions, and a hearty analysis. They also take on the controversy surrounding the book/film's depictions of trans people; debate whether or not a straight adaptation would even be possible, and question the title's narrative integrity.Bon appetit!Show Links:Watch The Silence of the Lambs trailer.Read along with Cole Rush at The Quill to Live.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian talks with writer/director Gillian Wallace Horvat about her feature film debut, I Blame Society!The horror/comedy/mockumentary follows a fictitious version of Horvat as she decides to chronicle her road to becoming a serial killer. Packed with the best kind of uncomfortable humor, disturbing gore gags, and bold social commentary, this mock-doc is a sharp calling card for a truly original voice.In this spoiler-light discussion, Horvat talks about what drove her to make the film; becoming a version of herself on camera, and the insidiousness of Hollywood virtue signaling in regards to gender politics.I Blame Society premieres On Demand this Friday, February 12th. Show Links:Watch the I Blame Society trailer.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Aaron stop messing around and buy a one-way ticket to Hammerland! Their year-long exploration of the legendary studio's "Frankenstein" and "Dracula" franchises kicks off with the film that started it all: Terence Fisher's 1957 mad-scientist mind-frick, The Curse of Frankenstein!Peter Cushing made his big-screen debut as demented Swedish cousin-lover Victor Frankenstein. Armed with a deadly intellect, killer instincts, and a thoroughly trashed moral compass, the mad doctor and his mentor-turned-apprentice, Paul (Robert Urquhart), seek to uncover the secrets of life and death. Unfortunately, the monster that arises from their experiments is only half as terrifying as the grave-robbing madman who dreamt it up.In this fun and educational discussion, the guys get into Curse's origins; the ways in which it set the stage for decades of horror films to come; and why Fisher's 64-year-old movie towers above a lot of modern genre fare! Show Links:Listen to Ian and Aaron's first foray into Hammerland.Watch the guys' recent discussion about The Scars of Dracula (from "Scare-a-Thon 2020").Keep up with all of Aaron's reviews at Horror 101 with Dr. AC.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian talks with author J.R. Jordan about his latest book, Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures.From editing Citizen Kane to directing movies as diverse as The Sound of Music, The Day The Earth Stood Still, The Haunting, and The Sand Pebbles, Wise's forty-film portfolio spans more genres than it does decades. Jordan discusses his inspiration for the book; some of his biggest surprises in conducting nearly twenty interviews; and the lost Hollywood sensibilities that Robert Wise represents.Show Links:Purchase Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures from Amazon.com.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian welcomes back Aaron Christensen for another look at Awards Season films that they've finally caught up with--and which are either now available to watch or are coming soon to a theatre/streaming service near you! This time, they give some real breathing room to analyzing three powerful movies.First up is the stirring immigrant drama, Minari, starring Steven Yuen. A Korean family moves to Arkansas in the 1980s to find the American dream--but success comes at the cost of the bonds that keep them together.Then they spend One Night in Miami with Regina King's adaptation of a Kemp Powers play that finds Malcom X, Jim Brown, Muhammad Ali, and Sam Cooke debating issues of race and culture in 1964.Lastly, the guys end with a debate of their own, centered on the sexual politics of Promising Young Woman. Emerald Fennell's inventive revenge fantasy stars Carey Mulligan as a woman whose quest to foil nightclub predators takes a chilling turn when past trauma manifests in present day.Time Stamps:Intro: 0:00 - 4:30Minari Discussion: 4:30 - 17:12One Night in Miami Discussion: 17:13 - 35:43Promising Young Woman Discussion: 35:44 - 1:04:48Outro: 1:04:49 - 1:07:25Show Links:Watch the Minari trailer (In theatres February 12th; coming to VOD on 2/26).Watch the One Night in Miami trailer (Now streaming on Amazon Prime).Watch the Promising Young Woman trailer (Now in theatres and On Demand).Keep up with all of Aaron's reviews at Horror 101 with Dr. AC. Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Cole break down the interstellar intricacies of The Day the Earth Stood Still! Robert Wise's sci-fi classic turns 70 this year, making this one of our latest "Late Screening" episodes yet. The easygoing yet stealthily profound 1951 film centers on an alien visitor who must grapple with politics, human frailty, and, ultimately, human kindness to help us save ourselves from extinction.The guys talk the good and the less-than-good-but-still-fun (there's no "bad" or "ugly" to this film--which remains one of Ian's favorites).Also, Cole shares some micro-reviews from his weekly "Movie Nights" with Erin!Show Links:Watch the Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) trailer.Read Cole's book reviews at The Quill to Live.As a teaser for Friday's podcast, check out J.R. Jordan's book, Robert Wise: The Motion Pictures.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian welcomes back National Review film critic Armond White for a look at two movies whose influence on the art form is as undeniable as it is controversial.D.W. Griffith's 1915 silent epic The Birth of a Nation is a Klan origin fable bursting with racism and historical inaccuracies--but it's also a gripping human drama that boasts ahead-of-its-time storytelling techniques. Griffith followed this up the next year with Intolerance, an even grander project that interweaves four centuries-spanning morality tales, all connected by a theme that essentially undermines The Birth of a Nation's...intolerance.In this wide-ranging (and by no means definitive) conversation, Ian and Armond talk about the balance between appreciating art and endorsing it; Griffith's puzzlingly inconsistent use of blackface; and what makes Intolerance, in Mr. White's opinion, the "greatest movie ever made."Show Links:Watch the Birth of a Nation (1915) trailer.Watch the Intolerance (1916) trailer.Read Armond's The Birth of a Nation (1915) review. Read Armond's Intolerance (1916) review.Order the book that inspired this conversation, Armond White's Make Spielberg Great Again. Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Pat put on their virtual tuxes and dance the night away at Netflix's The Prom!Ryan Murphy's adaptation of the hit Broadway musical debuted late last year, and the guys catch up with this fanciful, dance-able dramedy. Cultures clash when a quartet of New York theatre elites comes to the aid of an Indiana teen who's been barred from bringing her girlfriend to the big dance.The guys talk about strong music; weak narrative underpinnings; and how two key bits of casting may have muddied an otherwise strong message. And, no, that doesn't refer to The Prom's most obviously controversial bit of casting--but that's up for discussion, too!Show Links:Watch the Prom trailer.Keep up with Pat at HollywoodChicago.com.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and Sujewa conclude their look at Richard Linklater's "Before Trilogy" with a sobering review of Before Midnight.The 2013 drama finds lovers of happenstance Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Delpy) married with children and trying to salvage their rocky relationship in a Grecian paradise. The guys bring the series full circle, examining the evolution of Linklater's collaborations with Delpy and Hawke; why there aren't more stories like this in mainstream entertainment; and what the future might hold for these enduring, endearing characters.Also, Sujewa updates viewers on his latest film, The Secret Society for Slow Romance, co-starring Alia Lorae (who, unfortunately, was unable to join this conversation).Show Links:Watch the Before Midnight trailer.Watch the Secret Society for Slow Romance teaser trailer.Three Clips from The Secret Society for Slow Romance.Keep up with all of Sujewa's projects. Support Alia's creative endeavors.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!

Ian and David look at one of 2020's most acclaimed films, Driveways! Andrew Ahn's small-town drama stars Hong Chau as Kathy, a single mother who brings her eight-year-old son, Cody (Lucas Jaye), on a trip to clean out her dead sister's house. Cody meets the lonely, widowed war vet next door, played by Brian Dennehy (in one of his final performances), setting the stage for a friendship that's as unconventional as the film that encompasses it.In this spoilerific discussion, the guys break down the triumphs and shortcomings of Ahn's film, and its odd relationship to Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino. One of the hosts has seen it three times; the other begrudgingly admits it might be worth a second watch!Show Links:Watch the Driveways trailer.Follow David's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat YouTube channel!