In short order, Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl has become the most debated and polarizing movie so far this summer. If you need evidence of that, just watch the latest roundtable on Ian Simmons’s Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel. The split opinions, including mine, on an extra-large panel create quite a chat for your enjoyment and edification. Get your capes on and enjoy!
Read MoreIt took receiving a pair of Google Alerts on my name and website to see that quotes of mine about 2009’s The Road, starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron, were recently cited on the media site BGR. The piece by Alan Bradley promoted the film’s standing as being underseen, which it is. The quote is from my review on Every Movie Has a Lesson that was logged on Rotten Tomatoes.
Read MoreAs I have grown in press credentials and professional affiliations nationally, I have found myself landing in circles with other film critics of various levels. Kristen Lopez, a fellow member of the Critics Choice Association, on her site, The Film Maven, was looking for statements from peers about the growing trend of early morning embargoes and short review turnarounds for published film critics with big studio releases. I was happy to oblige and share my two cents.
Read MoreAs I have grown in press credentials and professional affiliations nationally, I have found myself landing in circles with other film critics of various levels. Recently, I was included in a poll for voting critics for Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel, a fellow Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. His survey was to collect picks for the best movies of 2026 so far from over 100 critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my top five selections.
Read MoreAs recently seen with his episode talking about the 45th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ian Simmons’s Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel can fill the YouTube dais space for an anniversary of a definitive classic. That said, Ian doesn’t shy away from anniversaries for lost classics either. They just draw a smaller crowd. I got to join him on such a movie with the 30th anniversary of The Phantom, in honor of its brand-spanking-new 4K-UHD treatment from Kino Lorber
Read MoreEvery now and then, on Ian Simmons’s Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel, an anniversary comes around of a definitive classic. This year is the 45th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ian recently got to enjoy the film in a very special way, as it played with a live orchestra at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre. After that experience, he invited his “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” rotation to talk about the iconic movie.
Read MoreFollowing plenty of contention discussing Dracula and “Wuthering Heights,” it was time for the blockbuster hit of Project Hail Mary, based on the celebrated novel from Andy Weir. As is becoming the trend on Ian’s show, there are critics with a magnifying glass for detailed translations and those who loosen up for the movie’s sake.
Read MoreLast week, visit #151 extended the honor and brought another bold adaptation of a literary classic to the roundtable. This time, it was Emerald Fennell’s spicy take on Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights.” Enjoy the divisive back and forth between Ian, myself, Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front, Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree, and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.
Read MoreEveryone who grew up with pets knows that they can teach us a lot about life. If we pay close attention, we see that the way we look at them often reflects our own inner demons, beliefs, and insecurities. Pets also show us what loyalty looks like in its purest form. At the same time, they can reveal how easily we grow overly attached, or where our ability to connect with others starts to falter.
Read MoreThere have been too many Dracula movies. In fact, there have been over 200. Personally, I think they’ve been tough acts to follow since Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. Coming from Frenchman Luc Besson, 2026 brings the closest—and most romance-forward—Dracula since Coppols. Join Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel hosting myself and Cati Glidewell of The Blonde in Front to talk all about Caleb Landry Jones and company in Dracula.
Read MoreContinuing to plod through “awards season,” Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel circled Bradley Cooper’s newest directorial effort, Is This Thing On?. The dramedy follows a separated married couple played by Will Arnett and Laura Dern as they find new outlets while single, including standup comedy.
Read MoreKicking-off their tenth year in style, the Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) have announced the nominees for their 9th annual 2025 Windie Awards. The 38 voting film critic members completed ballots this week to select Windie nominees in 27 categories. The CIC members will commence a final round of voting ending on January 10, 2026. The 2025 Windie Award winners will be announced internally at a private members-only party at Blue Bayou Chicago.
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