The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
Emilio, Madeline, and Julian love music, and spend their afternoons and evenings working for and teaching at a music school in midtown Manhattan. But they also really love movies. A lot. So when they're done teaching, they stay up late and discuss a movie, sometimes a few, that they've all agreed to see recently. Opinions, musings, personal stories, and sincere film enthusiasm ensue.
Episodes
61 episodes
'Jaws' (1975) at Fifty with Mike Duquette
This week, Emilio, Julian and Madeline set sail with pop culture writer and Spielberg aficionado Mike Duquette aboard to take on 'Jaws', the landmark film that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer. The group discuss what makes ...
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Episode 61
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1:51:32
'Licorice Pizza' (2021): Life Plans and Stick Shift Vans
To kick off a new cycle featuring musicians turned actors, Julian, Madeline and Emilio rewatch 'Licorice Pizza', Paul Thomas Anderson's 2021 film and love letter to the San Fernando Valley circa 1973. Populated with memorable turns from B...
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Episode 60
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1:38:08
Marriage Gory: 'Possession' (1981) with Sylvie Dranoff
Madeline, Emilio, and Julian are joined by Julian’s oft-mentioned cinephile cousin Sylvie for a standalone discussion about Andrzej Żuławski’s singular film “Possession” (1981). Distinctly mixing a drama of romantic turmoil with elements of bod...
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Episode 59
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1:57:51
Owen Roizman's New York Cinematography, with Special Guest Brendan McDonald: 'The French Connection' (1971), 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), and 'Network' (1976)
Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are joined by Brendan McDonald, the producer of 'WTF with Marc Maron,' to finish off their cycle of New York City movies with a "Close-Up" on the works of legendary cinematographer Owen Roizman. A versatile visual t...
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Episode 58
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2:23:29
Outer Borough Scrambles: 'Good Time' (2017) and 'Anora' (2024) with Mariquita Reese
For our "Two Shot" episode featuring New York City movies, Emilio, Julian and Madeline welcome on Mariquita Reese, fellow cinephile and cohost of Post Film Clarity, to talk two recent NYC based films about late night desperation that sends char...
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Episode 57
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2:00:59
A "Wedding Banquet" (1993) Companion with NYU Film Professor Zhen Zhang
For a bonus episode this week, Emilio goes solo for a (mostly) spoiler free talk about a film he really loves, Ang Lee's "The Wedding Banquet". It was a successful and critically acclaimed independent film back when it was released in 199...
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Episode 56
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1:00:15
FutureMakerPro: The Surreal Immigrant Experience of 'Problemista' (2024)
Madeline, Julian, and Emilio continue their cycle of New York City movies with a "Suggestion Box" entry covering "Problemista," the film debut of director, writer, and actor Julio Torres, known previously for his writing on Saturday Night Live,...
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Episode 55
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1:38:08
Giddy for Gitl: 'Hester Street' (1975) and its Timeless Charms with Sharyn Rothstein
For this cycle's "Mise-Unseen" entry, Julian, Emilio and Madeline fire up 'Hester Street', Joan Micklin Silver's overlooked and under-appreciated film from 1975 depicting the struggles one Jewish family, recently immigrants to the United States...
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Episode 54
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2:07:34
How Go The Dances?: ‘Frances Ha’ (2012) with Maggie Hill
Emilio, Madeline, and Julian are joined again by freshly-minted New Yorker Maggie Hill, who helps them kick off a new episode cycle focusing on New York City movies. They begin with a "View-nanimous" entry on “Frances Ha”, Noah Baumbach’s 2012 ...
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Episode 53
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1:44:00
Oscar-Winning Comic Roles, with Special Guest Rob McClure: 'A Fish Called Wanda' (1988), 'City Slickers' (1991), and 'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are graced by the enthusiastic presence of Tony-nominated actor Rob McClure to finish off their episode cycle on Oscar-Winning Supporting Performances with a "Close-Up" about three classic comedic roles, which each ...
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Episode 52
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2:36:31
Jess LeProtto on his 'West Side Story' Experience
This week, Emilio, Madeline, and Julian have the privilege of speaking to Jess LeProtto, an accomplished Broadway performer whose triple threat talents earned him the role of the thorny yet memorable Jet "A-Rab" in Steven Spielberg's 2021 remak...
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Episode 51
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56:30
West Side Story (1961 & 2021) with Ron Piretti
For our "Two Shot" episode of Best Supporting Acting Winners, Madeline, Julian and Emilio keep things local, and with the help of actor/teacher/fight director Ron Piretti, they dive into both film adaptations of the beloved musical 'West Side S...
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Episode 50
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1:51:29
'L.A. Confidential' (1997): On the Record with Matt Friedman
This week, Madeline, Emilio and Julian welcome back piano man extraordinaire and film aficionado Matt Friedman to discuss 'L.A. Confidential', the 1997 Neo-noir directed by Curtis Hanson and starring Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and...
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Episode 49
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1:55:59
Talking 'Dreamgirls' (2006) for One Night Only!
Continuing their conversations about films featuring Best Supporting Acting Oscar winning performances, Madeline, Julian and Emilio dive into a film they had yet to see: 'Dreamgirls', the 2006 film adaptation of the Broadway musical, starring J...
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Episode 48
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1:45:26
Not Everyone's Tempo: ‘Whiplash’ (2014) with Rob Mitzner
Emilio, Madeline, and Julian are joined by drummer Rob Mitzner to begin a new episode cycle on films featuring winners of the Best Supporting Actor or Actress Oscars, with a "View-nanimous" entry on director Damien Chazelle's 2014 breakthrough ...
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Episode 47
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1:57:57
We Three ‘Tokyo Godfathers’ (2003)
Emilio, Julian, and Madeline wrap up their “Holiday Suggestion/Gift Box” mini-cycle with Satoshi Kon’s penultimate work, “Tokyo Godfathers” (2003). Rather than gold, frankincense, and myrrh, our three hosts come bearing different personal histo...
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Episode 46
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1:38:08
'Home Alone' (1990) for the Holidays... with Jamie Homs!
For Round 2 of our "Holiday Gift/Suggestion Box" mini-cycle, Emilio selects 'Home Alone', the 1990 Christmas holiday classic directed by Chris Columbus and starring Macaulay Culkin, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. It's a fir...
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Episode 45
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1:43:39
'Wicked' Reactions with Down the Yellow Brick Pod and Courtney Iventosch
For a bonus episode this week, Madeline, Emilio and Julian call on some buddies to help them process and deepen their initial appreciation of the highly anticipated, record breaking movie of the moment, 'Wicked'! After sharing their first...
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Episode 44
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1:16:12
'Carol' (2015): A Very Todd Haynes Christmas
Julian, Madeline, and Emilio kick off their "Holiday Suggestion Box" episode cycle by discussing "Carol" (2015), the great Christmastime-set queer romance directed by Todd Haynes, holding up his title as the most-covered director on the podcast...
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Episode 43
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1:48:30
Flicky Dick: 'Nixon' (1995), 'Dick' (1999) & 'Frost/Nixon' (2008) with Madeline's Dad!
To end their "Politics" cycle, Madeline, Julian and Emilio put a different spin on their Close Up episode format by looking at three different actors' portrayal of one real-life political figure, former President Richard M. Nixon. The gro...
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Episode 42
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2:00:52
Disengaged in '68: 'Medium Cool' (1969) & 'Shampoo' (1975) with Sydney Duncan
Madeline, Julian, and Emilio welcome NYC-based comedian, writer, and actress Sydney Duncan to continue their "Politics" episode cycle with a "Two-Shot" discussion on 1969's "Medium Cool" (dir. Haskell Wexler) and 1975's "Shampoo" (dir. Hal Ashb...
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Episode 41
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2:09:10
The Demagogue in Denim: 'A Face In the Crowd' (1957) with Maggie Hill
For their Politics-related "Suggestion Box", Madeline, Emilio, and Julian invite social media professional and film lover Maggie Hill to a conversation about Elia Kazan's 'A Face In The Crowd', a film from 1957 whose observations about televisi...
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Episode 40
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1:36:12
'Night of the Living Dead' (1968): Zombie Ground Zero
Madeline, Julian, and Emilio mark this year's Halloween season with a bonus conversation on George A. Romero's genre-defining 1968 Horror film "Night of the Living Dead." A first-time viewing for each of them, the group trace the details of the...
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Episode 39
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1:23:33
Spin Dog-tors: 'Wag the Dog' (1997) with Idris Goodwin
Emilio, Madeline, and Julian continue their "Politics" episode cycle with a "Mise-Unseen" entry on Barry Levinson's 1997 film "Wag the Dog," and are joined to do so by special guest Idris Goodwin - a playwright, educator, fellow cinephile, and ...
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Episode 38
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1:41:59
Voting for Pedro: The Simple Charms and Politics of 'Napoleon Dynamite' (2004)
To usher in a new cycle on "Politics", Julian, Emilio and Madeline soft pedal their way into the theme by way of discussing Jared Hess's 2004 debut feature film 'Napoleon Dynamite', a high school movie featuring socially maladjusted yet charmin...
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Episode 37
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1:39:53