Kicking the Seat

Wildwood, the latest stop-motion animated feature from Travis Knight and Laika Studios, is a critical and audience darling.So why aren't people showing up for it?In this week's livestream, Ian and Jeff look at an offbeat modern-day fairy tale, in which a headstrong, lonely young girl in Oregon discovers a magical world full of bizarre creatures ruled by a cruel, sinister mother figure.If you think we've copy/pasted the synopsis for Laika's Coraline into our Wildwood description by mistake...well, you've scratched the surface of this movie's myriad problems.Join the guys as they saw through the hype to deliver a spoilerific review that'll be anything but wooden! We also take YOUR questions and comments in the chat!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Wildwood (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Bonus! Check out Ian and Jeff's appearance on The Spoiler Room earlier this year, where they discussed Laika's Coraline with Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk! Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1267: Wildwood (2026) Live Movie Review Kicking the Seat

Kicking the Seat winds down Spooky Season with its scariest, most controversial episode of the year! Recently, Ian was introduced to Blake Edwards' 1968 farce, The Party, in which Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor who inadvertently crashes a high-society Hollywood soiree. Last weekend, Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G: Who Iz I? debuted, plopping the pasty, British gangsta wannabe into more outrageous faux-reality scenarios--and facing allegations of cultural appropriation!Join Ian and Jeff as they unpack the sharp social satire of these "cancel-worthy" comedies to determine whether the fear of being offended is more harmful than the "problematic" art itself. We also take your questions and comments in the chat!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Ali G: Who Iz I? (2026) trailer.Watch the The Party (1968) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1266: Ali G: Who Iz I? (2026) and The Party (1968) - Live Charity Movie Reviews Kicking the Seat

Spooky Season may be drawing to a close, but Kicking the Seat is still Treating the Hungry with our second livestream of the week!In our first-ever live edition of "Castle Freaks", Ian and Jeff take on the 1961 Gothic thriller, Mr. Sardonicus! Guy Rolfe stars as the titular mysterious and cruel Baron, whose face has become frozen in a horrifying grin. He seeks out a prominent London physician, and demands that he use experimental treatments to restore his face.If that sounds an awful lot like Clayface, well, we noticed that, too! But how does this stack up to previous Castle productions? And how will Ian and Jeff vote in their very own "Punishment Poll"?Join the guys as we put on our happy faces to discuss this dramatically different Castle flick! We also take your questions and comments in the chat!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Mr. Sardonicus (1961) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1265: Castle Freaks: Mr. Sardonicus (1961) - Live Charity Movie Review Kicking the Seat

Talk about an October surprise!James Watkins' Clayface is a solid comic-book movie--leaps and bounds above the other floundering projects in the James Gunn-led DC Cinematic Universe!Tom Rhys Harries stars as Matt Hagen, a young Hollywood actor on the cusp of realizing his greatest dream. When he inadvertently crosses a mob boss (David Dencik), he winds up with a carved-up face and vanishing career. In his desperation, Matt turns to Caitlyn (Naomi Ackie), a down-on-her-luck nano-tech specialist, whose new invention can give Matt back his face. Things go horribly wrong, of course, as Matt transforms into the shapeshifting, vengeance-seeking golem of Gotham City: Clayface!Ian had no expectations heading into this film, but emerged from the press screening hailing Clayface as one of the best comic book films he's ever seen. On this week's episode, he defends that claim against all comers.Join the guys as we give form to a messy debate over Gunn, grit, and the greatness one can find when throwing prejudices into the kiln! We'll also take your questions and comments in the chat!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Clayface (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1264: Clayface (2026) - Live Charity Movie Review Kicking the Seat

This is the one you've been screaming for!After 17 years, horror fans finally have more Friday the 13th to enjoy--not counting that weird 2025 hard cider commercial or whatever it was!Last week's debut of the Peacock Original streaming series, Crystal Lake, split slasher fandom as firmly as an axe to the noggin. In this episode, Ian and Jeff put down stakes and dive deep into the choppy waters of this alternate-universe F13 prequel! Set in early-1970s New Jersey, Crystal Lake finds single mom Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini) pulling cook duties at a summer camp while caring for her bullied son, Jason (Callum Vinson).Following Jason's accidental drowning, Pamela's mysterious past catches up with her. The local police chief (William Catlett) begins to suspect something is stalking his peaceful woods as bodies begin piling up--in a manner that doesn’t suggest random bear attacks!Does Friday the 13th deserve the "prestige TV" treatment--or should it have been left alone as the trashy-fun 80s slasher franchise it is? And are Jason fanatics being too harsh on showrunner Brad Caleb Kane's bold creative direction?Join the guys as we dredge up all the carnage and continuity controversies splitting the F13 fandom!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Crystal Lake (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1262: Crystal Lake Season 1 (2026) - Live Charity Streaming Series Review Kicking the Seat

Amazon Prime's new Carrie miniseries premieres this week, and Kicking the Seat will break down all the bloody details of the 8-episode premiere!Executive Producer Mike Flanagan brings us a modern update of horror master Stephen King's debut novel, in the most accurate recreation of its grounbreaking structure ever captured on film. But with a rock storm's worth of plot and character changes, can this truly be considered an adaptation?Find out as Ian and Jeff break look at the good, the bad, and the downright head-scratching elements--as well as how it stacks up to the book, Brian DePalma's iconic 1976 film, and the myriad other remakes, sequels, etc. This'll be a big one, friends, so don't laugh it off!Join the guys as we fill our critical buckets to the brim --and take your questions and comments in the chat!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Carrie (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1259: Carrie Season 1 (2026) - Live Charity Streaming Series Review Kicking the Seat

Scary Season is upon us once more, and this year Kicking the Seat has partnered with Feeding America to fight the horrors of nationwide hunger!In our first installment of "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry", Ian and Jeff take on Alejandro Iñárritu's Digger, starring Tom Cruise! From the director of Birdman and The Revenant comes a genre-shattering social satire that some have compared to Dr. Strangelove.Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a billionaire oil tycoon whose carelessness accidentally sparks an extinction-level event. The story gets weird from here!Join the guys as we drill down into this divisive film--and answer YOUR questions and comments in the chat!Note: "Kicking the Seat Treats the Hungry 2026" has ended, but we encourage you to keep supporting the awesome efforts of the folks at Feeding America. To everyone who donated, watched, or just cared enough to click a link to learn more, thank you!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Digger (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at Jeff York Caricatures, The Establishing Shot, and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1258: Digger (2026) - Live Charity Movie Review Kicking the Seat

For decades, movie studios have struggled to translate Capcom's Resident Evil video games into a consistent and compelling franchise.Sadly, the quest continues.Zach Cregger, hot off of Weapons, has lent his...erm, unique horror/comedy sensibilities to this Great Value version of the T-Virus outbreak--wherein a blood-borne infection turns humans into mutants, zombies, and all manner of Stranger Things knock-off monsters.*Brian (Austin Abrams) is a hapless medical courier tasked with delivering a Top Secret package to Raccoon City. In pure fetch-quest fashion, he's sidetracked by undead dogs, rabid pedestrians, shady scientists, and his own mathematically improbable ineptitude at just about everything.Resident Evil is a horror game; Cregger's movie is a 90-minute episode of "Ow! My Balls!" wrapped in CGI tentacles.On this week's show, Ian and Jeff will review this latest "adaptation", as well as Paul W.S. Anderson's 2002 film, which launched too many sequels and too many imitators.Who did it better?And how the hell did we get here?Join us as we take control of the video game discourse and answer your questions and comments in the chat!*Don't worry: we also talk about the chicken-and-the-egg questions surrounding Resident Evil's relationship to horror media past and present.Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Resident Evil (2026) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-cWatch the Resident Evil (2002) trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhBAIDHvRTcKeep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1254: Here We Go Again! Resident Evil (2002 / 2026) - Movie Reviews Kicking the Seat

Ian welcomes back Guido and Lucas Henkel, the father/son powerhouse behind Celluloid Dreams, to talk about their latest 4K release, The Black Belly of the Tarantula!Continuing our insider's look at what it takes to restore half-century-old gialli and create a comprehensive package that will have genre fans drooling--the guys dig deep into the production of the Limited Edition Black Belly 4K.They also marvel at the audacious filmmaking and layered storytelling of Paolo Cavara's landmark thriller! Check the links below to learn where you can pick up your copy, and follow Celluloid Dreams!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) trailer.Pick up Celluloid Dreams' new Limited Edition 4K of The Black Belly of the Tarantula (standard edition available for pre-order, and available 12/15/26)!Follow Celluloid Dreams on:Their websiteInstagramXFacebookFlash back to our Accademia Giallo roundtable review of Black Belly of the Tarantula!Continue your education with our "Accademia Giallo" Playlist!Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1253: Accademia Giallo: Credito Extra: Celluloid Dreams and the Black Belly of the Tarantula Kicking the Seat

This week's livestream is brought to you by the letter "D", for "Derivative"!Yes, there's another indie horror movie in theaters with audience buzz, killer marketing, and very little else to recommend it beyond some truly remarkable aesthetics.Casper Kelly's Buddy centers on a titular late-90s children's program modeled off of Barney the Dinosaur. In this case, our chuckling, anthropomorphic host is an orange unicorn who may also be a demon. In the real world, an overworked mom named Grace (Cristin Milioti) begins hallucinating about a child who's "missing" from her family.How do these things tie together? Does it matter?Join Ian and Jeff as we talk Hollywood's newfound love of Child Endangerment Horror (Is it really that new?); elevator-pitch screenwriting; and why Buddy would've been better in the hands of another indie creator who blew up this summer ! We'll also take your questions and comments in the chat!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboxdInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Buddy (2026) trailer.Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Note: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are those of the individual hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Kicking the Seat or any organization, employer, or company. Ep1252: Buddy (2026) - Live Movie Review Kicking the Seat