The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast

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 charming teenagers, tater tots, rural Idaho, airborne food, fraudulent internet purchases, non-fraudulent internet dating, and yes, an election for class president!  After a conversation about the film's gentle, family-friendly humor and off-beat style that continues to win over audiences of all ages and generations, the trio dives deep into the specifics of presidential race of Summer Wheatley vs Pedro Sanchez.  Their campaigns, their platforms, the speeches, the outcome, the electorate of Preston High, other political comparisons - no stone is left unturned.  Stick around for a lively Unlikely Shared Universe, and for real time contributions from Dougie about the cast's love lives and an eBay purchase that influenced one of the movie's wackiest scenes.       

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To close out the "Musicians on Film" cycle, Julian, Madeline and Emilio dig into the work of ace songwriter Adam Schlesinger, focusing on catchy pop songs he penned for three films - 'That Thing You Do!' (1996), 'Josie and the Pussycats' (2001), and 'Music and Lyrics' (2007).  Emilio and Julian break out guitars to point out some of the little details from early 60s rock n'roll and beyond that made their way into "That Thing You Do!", the irrepressible hit single from the movie of the same name.  The trio gets into how 'Josie and the Pussycats', and by extension Schlesinger's contribution "Pretend to Be Nice", both sends up the early 2000s music pop landscape and predicts the female punk pop explosion that was around the corner.  And the group gets into what works, and what doesn't work as well, in the execution of "Way Back Into Love", the song at the center of 'Music and Lyrics'.  All the while, discussions about the movies themselves supplement a lively conversation about Schlesinger and his most enduring cinematic bangers.

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Madeline, Julian, and Emilio continue their "Musicians on Film" episode cycle with a "Two-Shot" entry on a pair of unforgettable cinematic portrayals of Bob Dylan, namely D. A. Pennebaker's trailblazing 1967 documentary "Dont Look Back" (apostrophe not included),  and Todd Haynes' kaleidoscopic 2007 film "I'm Not There." As two of many films out there which focus on the enigmatic musician, the group aims to distill from them whatever greater truths they can, both about Dylan himself and broader musical artistry and publicity. Starting with "Dont Look Back," they consider how the film's fly-on-the-wall look at Dylan's 1965 tour of England serves to dually build the legend and arguably demystify its young and newly famous subject. They then fast-forward forty years to "I'm Not There," which refracts Dylan's well-established mythos into a sprawling, non-linear ensemble drama that illuminates as much about the artist as it obscures. The two films also mark milestones for the podcast itself, the former being the first documentary which the trio cover in-depth, and the latter being the third Todd Haynes film they've discussed, making him the most-covered director on the show to date.

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For the Suggestion Box entry to the "Musicians on Film" cycle, Julian, Madeline and Emilio emerge from seed pods and go one louder for a conversation about 'This is Spinal Tap', Rob Reiner's hilarious and influential mockumentary from 1984 chronicling the US tour of England's loudest band.  The trio dig into the film's origins, the improvised acting, the ways in which the movie both lampoons and embraces the music industry, the things it borrowed from and what it foreshadowed about music history, as well as the film's absolutely essential commentary track.  It's a lively discussion that touches on the many things that  make 'This is Spinal Tap' such a fun film for musicians and non-musicians alike.

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Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are joined by writer, performer, cultural connoisseur, and Julian's longtime friend Michaela Brady, for a bonus episode on Emerald Fennell's recent shock-laden estate film "Saltburn." Aided by Michaela's regional expertise as an alum of Oxford University (and current resident in said city), the group dive into the workings of this anti-hero-centric film, praising such details as its visuals and soundtrack while devoting careful attention to its narrative details. Throughout this experience, they consider the film's treatment of themes such as shock value and social class in the UK, as well as its place in the broader "Estate" genre, and how it compares to other films of a similar sort... 

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Follow Michaela Brady on IG @mnbawriter or @jane_n_jeff, and check out her writing and blog at michaela-n-brady.com.

Send us an email at [email protected]

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats

This week, Emilio, Julian, and Madeline continue their cycle about “Musicians on Film” with an oft-overlooked Spike Lee Joint, “Mo’ Better Blues” (1990). While this film may be quite a shift from “Do the Right Thing” only a year before, our hosts discuss commonalities (and possible shared universes?) between the two films and the director’s filmography at large. They discuss the film’s exploration of the personal and romantic lives of musicians, a portrayal these three may have a vested interest in. And it seems they may agree that “Mo’ Better Blues” gives us Denzel Washington at the very height of his sex appeal…ya dig?

If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice.  This really helps us find new listeners and grow!

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On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats

For this bonus episode, Emilio, Madeline, and Julian power up a communicator and call on the presence of Mike Duquette, an out-of-this-world pop culture writer based in Astoria, NY, to discuss Steven Spielberg's evergreen classic 'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'.  Mike brings his encyclopedic knowledge of all things 'E.T.' for a panoramic look at the film and its legacy.  The group covers the film's personal and inauspicious origins, its unusual (at the time of its release) foregrounding of children and childhood, the best-selling film novelization (and its authorized sequel?!), its status as a rare box-office behemoth that's also a stand alone movie, the Oscar-winning score by John Williams, and the little details that make 'E.T.' a film for the ages.   

Mike Duquette has worked for Legacy Recordings, Rhino Records, Allmusic, Ultimate Classic Rock, Discogs, Observer, uDiscover Music and Mondo Records, where he penned the liner notes to their 40th anniversary vinyl release of John Williams’ score to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. He founded The Second Disc, a website devoted to music reissues and box sets, in 2010, and writes about other music, movies and film novelizations at Duque’s Delight.

If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice.  This really helps us find new listeners and grow!

Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at [email protected]

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

Kicking off a new episode cycle about "Musicians on Film", Julian, Emilio and Madeline hop on a three-wheeled motorcycle and revisit a movie they've previously seen and admired: Robert Altman's 1975 epic 'Nashville', a five-day, criss-crossing journey through the country music capital.  The trio do their best to make sense of the many disparate things that take place in its unusual narrative, and discuss scenes and characters that have outsized importance in their own personal experiences watching the film.  They discuss at length the film's many musician/actors, the songs they sing (many they wrote themselves), and the respect to the work Altman demonstrates in showing most of these musical performances in full.  With three down and only two best picture nominees from 1975 left to discuss, might there be plans to discuss all of them before long?  

DISCLAIMER: While they are current events related to our discussion of 'Nashville', the passing of actress Shelley Duvall and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump are not discussed here because this conversation was recorded before either incident took place.  R.I.P. Shelley Duvall 

If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice.  This really helps us find new listeners and grow!

Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at [email protected]

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

For this bonus episode, Julian, Madeline and Emilio reflect on the high school based films that were discussed over the last few months.  Are there any shared characteristics between them?  What about a high school setting makes for interesting, relatable stories?  Lastly, the trio assigns superlatives to several of the memorable characters from the nine films they watched.  Cutest Couple?  Life of the Party?  Best Athlete?  Best Dressed?  Friendliest?  Arguments are made for these categories and several more!

If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. It really helps us find new listeners and can help us grow!

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On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

Emilio, Madeline, and Julian finish off their cycle on High School Movies with a "Close-Up" on the great director Amy Heckerling, and a selection of her school-based films. The trio kick it off with 1982's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Heckerling's directorial debut and an unforgettable ensemble comedy/drama with a Cameron Crowe-penned script and career-defining performances from many of its stars. To follow, they then take a look at 1995's "Clueless," Heckerling's mid-90s, Beverly Hills-set adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma," and a trendsetting masterpiece influential to many later movies set in high school and beyond. And to finish off, the trio shed some light on 2000's "Loser," a college film to punctuate the episode cycle, and one that may have done better critically and at the box office had Amy Heckerling been allowed more autonomy in its production. 

If you enjoy our podcast, please consider writing us a positive review on your podcast platform of choice. It really helps us find new listeners!

Send us an email at [email protected], and follow us on IG and TikTok @sleeplesscinematicpod

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats