By 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
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The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.
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 Ashby). Though differing on surface level, the two films bear striking similarities in their portrayals of apathy to politics in the face of the 1968 presidential election, focusing on egotistical male protagonists more invested in their jobs and tumultuous love lives than the far-reaching events occurring around them. The group begins by discussing the ingenious commentary that "Medium Cool" offers on media and class, with its Chicago-set blend of fiction and documentary and fortuitous backdrop of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Shifting gears to "Shampoo," they then discuss that film's seeming juxtaposition of its characters' sexual promiscuity and their political context over roughly thirty-six hours in Los Angeles during the aforementioned election, along with the film's status as a self-ordained vehicle for star/co-writer/co-producer Warren Beatty. Aided by numerous piercing insights from Sydney and loads of fun trivia and personal stories, the group dives deep into these oddly similar films while finding many notable zeitgeist connections (in film and otherwise) along the way.
Follow Sydney Duncan on IG @syndeyduncanonem, and get tickets to her one-woman show, "ACAB: Angry, Crazy, and Black," at Brooklyn Art Haus on Sat 11/16 @7pm! https://www.stellartickets.com/o/brooklyn-art-haus--2/events/angry-crazy-and-black-sydney-duncan-live-at-bah/occurrences/482afbbd-3b3f-45d3-a26b-8645025eb5ea
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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 television, mass persuasion, and political ambition seem more relevant today than ever. Emilio starts the discussion with how the filmmakers' personal and professional experiences with the Hollywood blacklist most likely influenced this cynical look at American institutions. Madeline notes how the film's central figure Lonesome Rhodes is wildly different than the wholesome persona the actor who plays him, Andy Griffith, would eventually cultivate on his beloved eponymous TV show. Julian sees the ripples of this film in several other films about fame and personal connection. Maggie sees the film's female lead Marcia and her ambition as the skeleton key to a deeper understanding of the film. These, and many other observations, ground a discussion about 'A Face In The Crowd' and its place among the more interesting and enduring films to emerge from the 1950s Hollywood.
Maggie Hill is a writer/director/producer whose thoughtful content about media can be found on the socials: @themaggiehill
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
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 film that have made far-reaching ripples in the Horror genre and Zombie subgenre ever since, aided by Madeline's comprehensive walkthrough of the history of zombies in film and television. They discuss the admirable markers of the film's limited budget, the human elements that make it relatable, and its likely unintentional resemblance to fellow films of the then-burgeoning New Hollywood Era, with numerous fun facts and personal revelations along the way.
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
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 significant role model from Emilio's Chicago upbringing. The group get into the movie by discussing its place in the canon of mid-budget 90s studio films, as well as in the greater careers of its heavy-hitting stars, Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. Looking more broadly, they also consider the category of satire that "Wag the Dog" falls into, and of course its famously prescient view on the handling of political scandals, and eerily good timing in doing so.
Idris Goodwin is currently the Artistic Director at the Seattle Children's Theatre, and Board President of TYAUSA, a member organization committed to live theater in the lives of children everywhere. You can follow him and find his plays, music, published works, and varied artistic endeavors at http://www.idrisgoodwin.com/
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
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.
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
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On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats
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.
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
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.
If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. This can really help us find new listeners and continue to 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 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.
If you enjoy our podcast, please rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice. This can really help us find new listeners and continue to 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
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...
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
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!
Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod
Send us an email at [email protected]
On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats
The podcast currently has 41 episodes available.
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