Welcome to Kicking the Seat!

Ian Simmons launched Kicking the Seat in 2009, one week after seeing Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia. His wife proposed blogging as a healthier outlet for his anger than red-faced, twenty-minute tirades (Ian is no longer allowed to drive home from the movies).

The Kicking the Seat Podcast followed three years later and, despite its “undiscovered gem” status, Ian thoroughly enjoys hosting film critic discussions, creating themed shows, and interviewing such luminaries as Gaspar Noé, Rachel Brosnahan, Amy Seimetz, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Ian is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. He also has a family, a day job, and conflicted feelings about referring to himself in the third person.

All - About Eve

All About Eve: Upstage, Downstage - The Criterion Collection

At the heart of the narrative is the parasitic relationship between Margo Channing, an established but insecure star, and Eve Harrington, a seemingly naive fan who systematically dismantles Margo's life to seize her crown. All About Eve

: The film’s brilliance lies in its layering of performance; Eve Harrington is an actress playing a role both on and off the stage. Her "plain-Jane" facade is a calculated construction designed to exploit the protective instincts of Margo’s inner circle. All About Eve: Upstage, Downstage - The Criterion

The film candidly explores the "quiet panic" of the aging actress in a patriarchal world. All About Eve: Upstage