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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.

Ep267: Ahead of the Pack

Today, HollywoodChicago.com's Pat “The Über Critic” McDonald returns to the Kicking the Seat Podcast for a look at Samuel D. Pollard's magical documentary, Sammy Davis, Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me! The film was just named "Audience Favorite" at the 53rd Chicago International Film Festival, and Ian and Pat dig into what makes this revealing, entertaining, and brain-shattering movie one of the year's top picks.

If you want to catch I've Gotta Be Me on the big screen, get down to the AMC River East tonight for a special "Best of the Fest" screening at 6pm (tickets and more info here). 

Plus, time is running out to enter Kicking the Seat's "Melt with You" Contest, where you could win a positively murderous prize pack from The Snowman!

Episode 267 mixes film with commentary and makes the world sound good!

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Ep268: ACTS to Grind

Ep266: Late Screening: We're Ready to Believe You!