After months (and maybe years) of souring tastes and more-than-occasional red-assed disdain, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel found a movie that actually knocked his socks off and entered his pantheon of all-time favorites. The hard part was he had to go back 65 years to a blind spot to find it. Hey, that counts as better late than never. The movie is question and celebration is Alfred Hitchcock’s mistaken identity thriller North by Northwest from 1959. The Cary Grant vehicle drew an assembly of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” in the form of Ian, myself, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and the KTS on-camera debut of The Last Drive-In’s Joe Randazzo. Enjoy this talkative manhunt flick!
Read MoreLet it be known that Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel is the “ghost with the most” among his assembly of Earth’s Mightiest Critics. He earns that nickname because, unlike many general audiences plopping money down at the box office, Ian would rather ghost screenings for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Watch and listen to Ian, myself, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel go back and forth from the land of living to the dark and murky afterlife to talk about this legacy cycle.
Read MoreThis week, the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons got me excited because he finally caught up to what stands as my personal favorite movie of 2023, namely Godzilla: Minus One now available to stream on Netflix. Ian and I were joined by Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, special guest and kaiju modelmaker Bill Gudmundson, and a returning Annie Banks from We’ve Got This Covered and The Mary Sue.
Read MoreDuring the COVID pandemic, the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons spurred a pair of talks about where the history of cinema and movie theaters would be during a time of social distancing, essential workers, and an in-person shutdown of movies. We’ve made it through that era only to land in a 2024 year that is landing under either expectations, corporate bottom lines, or both. Ian invited myself, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot to diagnose the present and future of the business.
Read MoreThe Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons grabbed the “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” as passengers back to the “Wasteland” world of George Miller’s Mad Max universe with a talk on the new prequel Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. As always, it was a hoot to Ian, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot to discuss how much gas and how many bullets we have for this movie.
Read MoreThe Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons reached a huge milestone this week: 1000 episodes! That is rarified air in this creativce community. To celebrate the occasion, Ian brought in a big collection of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” to discuss the movie he’s seen on the big screen more than any other. The topic was Quentin Tarantino’s seminal indie classic Pulp Fiction, turning 30 this year. It was an honor to join Ian, David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel, Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree discuss how we like our cinematic burgers and massages.
Read MoreWith the summer movie season started, the live roundtables of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” have continued in earnest on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons. Filling the widest theaters for the second week of the month of May was the new trilogy starter Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Come watch Ian, myself, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Cati Glidewell of The Blonde In Front discuss what all the monkeying around was all about.
Read MoreWith the summer movie season started, the live roundtable of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” have continued in earnest on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons. Opening the month of May was David Leitch’s The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Come watch Ian, myself, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree discuss the peaks and valleys of this stuntman springboard.
Read MoreThe newest live roundtable for the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel went to war to not talk about war, but to talk about anti-war in a journalistic war film that’s occaisional true to its vision. Ian, myself, and Mark Krawcyzk of Special Mark Productions drew the lines of the cinematic battlefield to discuss Cival War from Alex Garland. We three had plenty of questions to ask and discussion points to expound on trying to found reasons and implications in this dramatic thriller.
Read MoreThis live roundtable for the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel stood as the final gathering of “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” for 2023. The release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom put a cap on the defunct DCEU and a pretty crappy overall year for comic book movies. Ian led a group of us to talk all about it and bury the dead. Watch Ian, myself, Mark Krawcyzk of Special Mark Productions, and new addition Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front on this stellar episode.
Read MoreFilm critics are often parents too and, sometimes, one of the perks of the position is being about to bring your children as your guests to an advanced screening. Recently, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel and I were two film critic parents of many who brought our kiddos for the viewing privilege and bragging rights of seeing the new sequel Trolls Band Together earlier. While our sons did not join the conversation as the “target demographic,” Ian and I had plenty to celebrate and compliment!
Read MoreRecently, I was invited by Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel to join a group conversation on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Being one of the few critics giving the film a “Rotten” negative review on Rotten Tomatoes, I figured I would be bringing the piss and smoke to drop the would-be masterpiece down a few rungs. As it turns out, I wasn’t alone on the panel when it came to stern critiques on the movie
Read More