profile pic ian.jpg

Welcome to Kicking the Seat!

Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).

The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar NoéRachel BrosnahanAmy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.

Ep176: Taking the LONG WAY NORTH with Rémi Chayé

On today's episode, the Kicking the Seat Podcast welcomes director Rémi Chayé to talk about his new animated film, Long Way North! This thrilling family adventure follows a 19th Century Russian teenager on a trek through the Arctic, in search of her missing explorer grandfather. Though Chayé is well known for his work on movies like The Painting and the Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells, this is his first time as a feature director. Ian spoke with Chayé from Paris last week about stylistic choices, competing with big-studio fare, and epic journeys both real-life and animated.

Long Way North opens this Friday at Chicago's Gene Siskel Film Center, and you can catch two versions of the film, in both the original French-language audio and with an English voice cast. For tickets and more information, visit siskelfilmcenter.org/longwaynorth.

Climb aboard Episode 176, as we travel to parts unknown in search of cinematic truth!

You can keep up with the latest seat-kicking goodness by following, liking, rating, and subscribing to us on TwitterFacebookiTunes, and Stitcher!

Ep177: ROGUE ONE: A [SPOILERS!] STORY

Ep175: You Don't Know JACKIE