Recently, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel started up a new series of pairing a new release with a catalog/classic title. He’s calling it “If You Like… You’ll Love…” I joined Ian and Jeff York of The Establishing Shot to connect the cinematic chromosomes between Alex Garland’s 2014 landmark debut of Ex Machina with the new Gareth Edwards blockbuster The Creator. Enjoy the double movie coverage and engaging show!
Read MoreFacebook is the main place that I’ve come to know and commiserate with Kenan Cross, part of the Culture Junkies network of genre-loving content creation. Their YouTube channel and Twitch presence are outstanding. In their brand’s Facebook group, I play “the ringer” as the vetted and RT-approved film critic surfing in the discussion thread. Kenan invited me on recently to talk with his squad all about that work landscape during a time when the “critics vs. fans” debate couldn’t be higher
Read MoreRecently, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel and I were talking about the anniversary Warner Bros. 4K release of East of Eden. At the end of the episode, he wanted to know more about my FreeBlockbuster.org project. For those who don’t know, my family and I updated a retired Little Library in Elmwood Park, Illinois into a “Take a Movie/Leave a Movie” franchise location for a Free Blockbuster. Our box is the fourth in the Chicagoland area, and it’s been a fun civic experiment. I told Ian all about it. Follow the Free Blockbuster Elmwood Park Instagram page!
Read MoreRecently, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel and I were on the receiving end of a pair of promotional 4K-UHD disc copies from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Throughout 2023, the studio has been celebrating their 100th anniversary. Fresh physical media copies of classic titles have been hitting store shelves all year. Last tiome, it was the classic western Rio Bravo. This time around, we have Elia Kazan’s still-evocative East of Eden. Enjoy the show and be sure to subscribe to Ian’s channel!
Read MoreRecently, Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel and I were on the receiving end of a pair of promotional 4K-UHD disc copies from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Throughout 2023, the studio has been celebrating their 100th anniversary. Fresh physical media copies of classic titles have been hitting store shelves all year. The first of the most recent pair is Howard Hawks’ seminal western Rio Bravo.
Read MoreLast week on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel with Ian Simmons was Oppenheimer, one half of 2023 cinema “Barbenheimer” event of the summer. This week, it was Barbie’s turn. First up was Christopher Nolan’s massive Oppenheimer. Things took quite a turn late in the show when the social commentary reared its ugly head between Ian, myself, Jeff York of The Establishing Shot, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, and Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions. Enjoy the show and be sure to subscribe to Ian’s channel!
Read MoreAn Indiana Jones movie counts as a special occasion. So is the chance to join Ian Simmons on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel for one of his roundtables. Coming off the heels of its opening weekend, “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” got together to talk about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Ian, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree reminisce on ups and downs of getting the chance to see Harrison Ford play one of his iconic characters again.
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 votes for the single best Christopher Nolan from over 110 critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my vote of Memento to be included with some very high professional company. Enjoy the article and list. Check out your boy!
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 the best films from the first half of 2023 from over 100 critics and other industry folk. I was honored to chime in with my top five selections to be included with some very high professional company. Enjoy the article and list. Check out your boy!
Read MoreAn Indiana Jones movie counts as a special occasion. So is the chance to join Ian Simmons on the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel for one of his roundtables. Coming off the heels of its opening weekend, “Earth’s Mightiest Critics” got together to talk about Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Ian, myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, and Mike Crowley of You’ll Probably Agree reminisce on ups and downs of getting the chance to see Harrison Ford play one of his iconic characters again.
Read MoreFolks who know me well know that 1978’s Superman: The Movie is head-and-shoulders my favorite comic book movie of all-time and one of my overall Top 10 favorites, period. Ian Simmons of the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel is one of those folks who knew and invited me on his airwaves to talk about the first Christopher Reeve Superman movie on the heels of its first-time release to 4K UHD disc as part of Warner Bros.’s year-long 100th anniversary celebration. Ian and I are joined by the #DCshill Mark Krawczyk of Special Mark Productions, who makes it a party.
Read MoreThis latest YouTube roundtable for the Kicking the Seat podcast and YouTube channel counts as a special one. After a bold (and wise) self-imposed year-long moratorium, this is the return of host Ian Simmons to comic book movie discussions with “Earth’s Mightiest Critics.” See him tell his story and receive enthusiastic welcomes to talk about Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Joining this special comeback with Ian and myself is a full half-dozen big talkers.
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