For their 210th episode, two non-mustached film critics, two un-soldierly dads, and two bell-ringing teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, hitch another wave from the Ridley Scott blind spot beach. Once again, Will brings us to something he missed with the Demi Moore vehicle G.I. Jane. Don was there in 1997 to enjoy the Demi Moore hype of this one and brings it back to the present day, especially post-Substance.
Read MoreFor their 209th episode, two mask-pulling film critics, two special agent dads, and two stuntman teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, continue their retrospective race through the Mission: Impossible series. For this show, the gents cover the Christopher McQuarrie takeover of Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. These two movies have equal shares of quality and presposterousness fitting this franchise.
Read MoreFor their 208th episode, two "Council of Elrond" film critics, two space cadet dads, and two non-botany teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, take a trip to the next planet in the solar system to cover a Ridley Scott blindspot. Don has long loved and celebrated The Martian in its ten years of existence, but Will had never seen it until prepping for this show. Enjoy getting space-y with these guys.
Read MoreFor their 207th episode, two long-driving film critics, two short-putting dads, and two gold jacket-wearing teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan have kept returning guest, Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front and Film Obsessive, to talk about one more summer entertainment target. They bit the nostalgia bug to experience Netflix's Happy Gilmore 2, celebrating the return of comedy legend Adam Sandler to one of his most hallowed characters. The trouble was the 10 pounds of cameo-rich, checkbox-filling sugar that was stuffed in a 5-pound bag.
Read MoreFor their 206th episode, two invisible film critics, two rocky dads, and two stretchy teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, visit Marvel's next summer blockbuster, the hotly anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They are not along, either. The hosts welcome back frequent guest, Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front and Film Obsessive, to weigh in on all of the family dynamics and kitschy period-era style. They were ready for a no-homework Marvel movie
Read MoreFor their 205th episode, two mask-pulling film critics, two special agent dads, and two stuntman teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, return for their second of four retrospective episodes discussing the Mission: Impossible franchise. Covering the next two, this episode breaks down the J.J. Abrams entry, Mission: Impossible III from 2006 and the Brad Bird live-action graduation of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol from 2011.
Read MoreTwo weeks after a combative Superman discussion on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons, cooler heads prevailed with an extended retrospective on the history of “The Fantastic Four” comic book property on the big screen. The assemblage of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” went back to 1994, 2005, 2007, and 2015 before finishing with the brand spanking new The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Enjoy Ian, myself, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front sharing our experience and critiques.
Read MoreSomething I’ve learned in the past few weeks basking in the success of James Gunn’s universal starter Superman is that something the “S” on that costume can stand for more things than the name of the hero or some Kryptonian translation of hope. On a recent livesteam joining “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” led by Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel, the “S” stands for SPICY. With supporters and contrarians clashing, this roundtable got heated.
Read MoreI’ll go right ahead and admit. Summer has been busy. I’m a school teacher on summer vacation where every day is a Saturday and the memories blend together. I forgot about one of the opportunities I had this past month to joing Ian Simmons on his Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel. A few weeks back, Ian, myself, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions talked about the thrills and spills of Jurassic World: Rebirth. Enjoy this recorded live chat!
Read MoreFor their 204th episode, two heroic film critics, two hopeful dads, and two cape-wearing teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, vault their podcast up in the sky to address the hotly anticipated and hot button summer blockbuster, Superman, directed by James Gunn and starring David Corenswet in the tights and spectacles. Our hosts are unafraid to celebrate the movie and address the so-called controversies.
Read MoreFor their 203rd episode, two list-making film critics, two highly ranked dads, and two Top 100 teachers, Will Johnson and Don Shanahan, take this new episode as an editorial chance to talk about the hubbub created in the cinephile world recently when The New York Times asked for public input to create a master list of the Top 100 films of the 21st Century so far (never mind that there's still six months of 2025 left, but I digress). The hosts highlight their official Top 10 submissions, comparing similarities and differences, and seeing which of their picks made the final list.
Read MoreMovies are communal experiences. While us film critics are spoiled by mostly closed press screenings, we still get to sit with familiar friends in our circle. When the big and loud F1 came around, I had the pleasure of sharing an armrest with Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel. We shared the IMAX energy of the Brad Pitt film and were revved up plenty to talk about it on his weekly live show. Enjoy Ian, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists on camera waving our own checkered flags!
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