Every week, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel is looking for something like that, and he sure found one this week, just in time for Christmas. The movie in question is the crowd-pleasing, toe-tapping, and heart-moving Song Sung Blue, the musical biopic—not of Neil Diamond—but of a Wisconsin-based Neil Diamond tribute band starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
Read MoreIan Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel was among the Chicago press who got the chance to see James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash multiple weeks early. Since he (and the rest of us for that matter) didn’t want to completely forget a completely forgettable movie, Ian assembled “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” to pre-record a “live” roundtable for the movie’s big release this weekend. Enjoy Ian, myself, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front talking about all things ashy and blue.
Read MoreIan Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel kept finding his movie spins on Netflix this month with the awards season in full swing. Following up Train Dreams, he stepped into the Hollywood-adoring spotlight of Jay Kelly, the comedy on aged stardom from Marriage Story director Noah Baumbach. Thanks to some critic perks, I have been lucky to chase a few of the stars of Jay Kelly at a Netflix press junket last month. I bring those tales and my own fandom to Ian’s channel.
Read MoreIan Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel recently took a spin on Netflix to watch one of its chief awards season contenders. He sat down for Train Dreams, starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and William H. Macy. After seeing the film, he was intrigued by the 2011 source novella of the same name. I’ve veen lucky enough to read the book, so this was a good, comparative talk between myself, Ian, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree.
Read MoreIan Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel has enjoyed this chances to review physical media releases alongside new theatrical releases and classics. He and I are on the press list for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, which nets us some preview copies of many of their physical media offerings. For a new episode of Ian’s “Featured Extras” series, enjoy myself, Ian, and David Fowlie of Keeping It Reel appreciating the craftsmanship and speed of the Brad Pitt vehicle F1: The Movie.
Read MoreThe event featured fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds holding court with a dais that included moderator Kevin McCarthy, Candy’s Chris, and special Chicago guest Jim Belushi. Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel also attended and invited me, David Fowlie of Kicking the Seat, and Cati Glidewell on The Blonde in Front to talk about the excellent film.
Read MoreWhat could have been a morose, listless slog about a bitter whiner is energized into something of a soul-stirring seance in many layers and moments. If you’re taken away for 100 minutes to think about your life—what you’ve done and haven’t done—and what kind of man or person you want to be, one could do far worse than swoon to Gabriel Byrne and groove to Leonard Cohen.
Read MoreAfter a two-month siesta thanks to the rigors of the teacher day job, I found myself back on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosted by Ian Simmons. The cinephile world was set ablaze at the end of September with much-ballyhooed release of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new multi-genre opus One Battle After Another. The film has been enjoying all the recency bias and proclamations that it’s the best film of the year and the titan to beat at the Oscars.
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 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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