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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.

Ep229: Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard

This week, the Kicking the Seat Podcast welcomes writer/director Ned Crowley and first-time-returning-guest Jim O'Heir to discuss their delightfully twisted new comedy-thriller, Middle Man! The film opens in select theatres today, and tells the story of an accountant-turned-wannabe-stand-up comic (O'Heir), who picks up a hitchhiker/serial killer (Andrew J. West) while driving to Vegas for a TV audition. What follows is a funny, horrific, yet tragically sweet story about fame's high cost--and body count.

In today's raucous and candid conversation, Ned and Jim talk about their thirty-year friendship; the inspiration and impetus for Ned to step into the world of feature filmmaking; and the hard realities of making an ambitious movie on a nothing budget.

Unlike Jim's previous appearance on the show, this installment is mercifully light on political conversation, but we've ratcheted up the expletives--for, you know, balance.

If you're in Chicago this weekend, Middle Man opens at the AMC River East 21 downtown, and at the AMC Showplace Cicero 14 in Cicero. Definitely check it out. Crowley has made one of the year's best films so far--no joke.

Episode 229 would kill to die on stage!

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Ep230: Zoe Lister-Jones' Rock Therapy

Ep228: Duking it Out