The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio welcome the prolific film curator and physical media bastion Justin LaLiberty for a "Close-Up" on the work of storied cinematographer and director Jan de Bont. To wrap up their episode cycle of Comfort Movies from the 1990s, the group sets the stage by discussing The Hunt for Red October, John McTiernan's adaptation of the submarine-based espionage thriller by Tom Clancy, with cinematography courtesy of Mr. de Bont. They then dig into de Bont's directorial debut with Speed, the iconic bomb-on-a-bus action movie from 1994, and how Graham Yost's economical script blends with de Bont's visual prowess...

This week, Madeline, Julian and Emilio continue discussing Comfort Movies of the 90s with a Two-Shot episode dedicated to a pair of workplace comedies: Jill Sprecher's debut film 'Clockwatchers' from 1997 and Mike Judge's iconic live action debut 'Office Space' from 1999.  Fellow podcaster and multi-hyphenate artist Sadie Dean joins the group to dig into why these films are special and have so much staying power all these years later.  The group discusses the sneaky fun directorial touches these films have, their spectacular casts and their shared "Friends" DNA, the light surreal touches in their otherwise very grounded depictions of workplace en...

This week, Emilio, Madeline and Julian continue discussing "Comfort Movies of the 90s" and welcome on world class vocalist/performer, 90s media enthusiast, and Titanique superfan Natalie Weiss to discuss one of the most successful and celebrated films of the 90s, or really any decade - James Cameron's 'Titanic', starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in a whirlwind romance on the doomed ocean liner.  It's the current cycle's Suggestion Box episode, with Julian coming to it for the first time after much off-mic anticipation.  The group discusses the ways the stranglehold this movie had on pop-culture in the months af...

Justice is coming! This week, Emilio, Madeline and Julian welcome back friend of the podcast and delightful social media cinephile Jamie Homs to discuss one of her comfort movie of the 90s, and a first time watch for the three main cohosts - 1993's 'Tombstone', directed (somewhat disputed) by George P. Cosmatos, featuring an all star cast including Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Powers Booth, Sam Elliott, Stephen Lang, and many others.  The group praises the cast and the many committed performances, notes how it presents and avoids certain tropes of typical Westerns, discusses the film's t...

Julian, Emilio and Madeline welcome back Brendan McDonald, former producer of the medium-defining podcast WTF with Marc Maron, to kick off a new episode cycle comprising Comfort Movies from the 1990s with a "View-nanimous" discussion on one of the decade's definitive films, The Big Lebowski. From the iconic brother team of Joel and Ethan Coen, this 90s classic focuses on a worldly, middle-aged Los Angeles slacker known as the Dude, who casually falls into the role of detective when a case of mistaken identity interrupts his unassuming existence, and sends him through a unique cascade of events and strange...

As our Twins and Doppelgängers cycle comes to a close, Julian, Madeline and Emilio discuss actors they think are over due to play a dual roles in a film.  They also share the portions of conversations with guests from this most recent cycle where they share their picks for actors they believe would be great playing multiple characters in the same narrative.   

A HUGE thank you to our guests this cycle for coming on to talk movies with us:

- Maria Elena Tostado

- Michaela Brady, on IG @leatrice_write or @jillnjeff11, and...

For the podcast's 100th episode, Madeline, Julian and Emilio fire up Nora Ephron's classic rom com from 1993 'Sleepless in Seattle', starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as strangers separated by thousands of miles who, if their subconsciouses and their curious companions have their way, may just have a date with destiny on Valentine's Day at the top of the Empire State Building.  The group explores the underrated meta qualities of the film when it comes to media-influenced romance, the nature of para-social relationships now and then, the way the film explores the themes of fate and love, the 'An A...

To wrap up their cycle dedicated to films featuring Twins and Doppelgängers, Emilio, Madeline, and Julian are joined by Emilio’s longtime friend Sarah Ungerleider as they hone in on an actor who has played dual, triple, and even quadruple roles: the great Tilda Swinton. They first discuss Sally Potter’s 1992 film ‘Orlando’, based on the Virginia Woolf novel from 1928. Although Swinton plays a single character in ‘Orlando’, the title character’s very nature is something of a dual role in itself. The group then jumps forward 25 years to 2017 for Bong Joon Ho’s ‘Okja’, which may have been something of a v...

Continuing their cycle dedicated to Twins and Doppelgängers, Julian, Madeline and Emilio welcome friend of the pod and always delightful guest Mariquita Reese for their "Two Shot" episode to discuss two recent horror-coded films rich with metaphors and themes pertaining to race in America, Jordan Peele's 2018 film 'Us' and Ryan Coogler's critical and commercial hit 'Sinners' from 2025.  Though genre conventions and mainstream thrills are at the heart of both of these films, there is A LOT there to discuss, and the group hones in on the ways dualities present themselves throughout these movies.  Dual roles, dichotomies, and conflicting cha...

July 29, 2026 was a heartbreaking day for music lovers, as we learned of the sudden and tragic death of Irish singer/songwriter Glen Hansard.  His breakthrough performances in the 2007 film 'Once' are always front of mind for movie lovers, but Emilio was fortunate enough to have a core musical memory care of Hansard himself.  That moment turned into a casual friendship for several years, where Hansard and his musician friends became a great source of encouragement to pursue a career in music.  Even this podcast has its roots in the presence Glen played in Emilio's life.  Though he is no long...

Julian, Emilio, and Madeline continue their episode cycle focusing on Twins and Doppelgängers with a "Suggestion Box" episode about "Dead Ringers," David Cronenberg's film from 1988 which stars Jeremy Irons in an iconic dual role as identical twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle. Loosely inspired by the true story of Stewart and Cyril Marcus, the film examines how a romantic entanglement disrupts the equilibrium of these two brothers in their shared profession as well as an illicit side exploit, giving way to a powerful meditation on brotherhood, addiction, and co-dependency in its many forms. The three co-hosts explore Cronenberg's p...

For the Twins and Doppelgängers cycle "Mise-Unseen", Madeline, Julian and Emilio strap in and tackle 'Cloud Atlas', the 2012 film directed by The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer, based on David Mitchell's novel.  It features a truly head spinning array of actors playing multiple different characters spanning several centuries, and with help of Emilio's sister Maria-Elena, the group digs into the many different stories, the parallel editing, the way reincarnation seems to return these souls to Earth in new and distinct ways, and the different journeys of these souls take us on.  It's a conversation that is critical of some of...

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio welcome back writer, performer, and Julian's longtime friend Michaela Brady to discuss the iconic meditation on the creative process that is "Adaptation" (2002), written by Charlie Kaufman, directed by Spike Jonze, and starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and Chris Cooper in an Oscar-winning role. As the "View-nanimous" entry in a new episode cycle focusing on Twins and Doppelgangers in film, the group members all re-watch this exceptionally meta movie to discuss its relationship to reality, both in the literary process and its specific characters, as well as how its fusion of sincerity and irony produces an...

We've spent the last several episodes discussing interesting existing Offbeat Musicals, but what about the ones that we'd love to see get made?  For a bonus episode, Madeline, Emilio, Julian, and all the guests from our most recent episode cycle share their picks for movies they'd love to see adapted and turned into "offbeat" musicals, for film or for the stage, or both. 

We want to thank our guests for this cycle who joined us to talk movies and share their perspectives and picks!

Will Reynolds - see where he is performing next at his we...

To wrap up our episode cycle featuring "Off-Beat Musicals", Madeline, Julian and Emilio close in on a prolific songwriter whose career has notably dovetailed with film over the years: Paul Williams.  An unconventional public figure with the gift of gab and an ear for making timeless music, Williams left his mark on the 1970s, penning memorable scores for some truly unique movie musicals.  First, we cover 'Phantom of the Paradise', Brian De Palma's 1974 rock musical featuring Williams in a lead role, the nefarious music producer Swan whose deal with the devil sets the stage for a WILD mix of ca...

Madeline, Julian, and Emilio continue their cycle of Offbeat Musicals with a "Two-Shot" on a pair of turn-of-the-millennium glam-rock extravaganzas: Todd Haynes' "Velvet Goldmine" (1998) and John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" (2001). Marking their fifth - yes, fifth - discussion on a Todd Haynes film, the trio begin by unpacking "Velvet Goldmine" and its refraction of the legacies of 1970s glam-rock icons such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, T. Rex, and Roxy Music. Presented in "Citizen Kane"-like fashion, the film conveys a distinct impression of a well-known popular music era without ever mentioning any of...

Continuing with the cycle theme of “Offbeat Musicals”, Julian and Madeline draw from the conception of their friendship with a joint suggestion - Leos Carax’s “Annette” (2021). Joining Emilio as a first-time viewer is actor and puppeteer Kelly Autry, a friend of Madeline’s since tweendom. Our two seasoned Sparks fans share their background with the musical duo, who write and compose the music for this film, and try their best to initiate those who are new to the band’s unique musical style. Although many may know “Annette” as “the Adam Driver puppet musical”, the group digs into themes of originality...

For the "Offbeat Musical" cycle's Mise-Unseen episode, Emilio and Julian come in brick cold (and Madeline a tad less frigid) to their selected film for discussion - 'The Happiness of The Katakuris', Takashi Miike's surreal horror/dramedy/musical from 2001' about a down-on-their-luck family banding together to run a struggling roadside inn, only to endure a string of unfortunate events.  They are joined by cinephile and film recommender extraordinaire Lexi Amoriello, who had seen this wacky film before, to get into their initial feelings on this film.  The group discusses the subjective role the musical numbers occupy in the st...

This week, Madeline, Julian and Emilio kick off a new cycle dedicated to "Offbeat Musicals" with perhaps the pre-eminent offbeat musical movie: 'Little Shop of Horrors', released in 1986, directed by Frank Oz, featuring standout performances from Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, and Levi Stubbs as Audrey II, anchored by the iconic score from Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.  It's a Viewnanimous pick, and they are joined by composer/performer/teacher/great human/"Little Shop" enthusiast Will Reynolds to break down what is weird and wonderful about the film and its music.  The group digs into the touching performances, the elite pu...

This week, Emilio, Madeline, and Julian welcome in fellow podcaster Christian Garcia for a bonus episode to discuss 'Written on the Wind', Douglas Sirk's seminal romantic melodrama from 1956 starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone in an Oscar-winning performance. This was a first watch for everyone involved, but a welcome initiation to the aesthetic and thematic paths on which Sirk often tread. The group digs into the reach and influence that this film had on modern filmmakers, how the film chooses to portray masculinity, the captivating performances, the blend of genres it manages to balance, and...

Madeline, Emilio, and Julian are rejoined by film editor and all-around great cinephile hang James Codoyannis to wrap up their cycle of Oscar-Worthy Rom-Coms with a "Close-Up" on three films written by the prolific Neil Simon. For the first "Close-Up" episode devoted to a screenwriter, the group bring their varied histories with Simon's body of work, on screen and on stage, to viewings of 1967's "Barefoot in the Park," directed by Gene Saks, 1972's "The Heartbreak Kid," directed by Elaine May, and 1977's "The Goodbye Girl," directed by Herbert Ross. Despite the common threads of Neil Simon's writing style...

We've been breaking down Oscar Worthy Rom Coms for several weeks now, but what about movies that didn't get nominations or wins but absolutely should have?  This week, Madeline, Julian and Emilio, along with their guests from our latest cycle, share their picks for romantic comedies that never got the Oscar love they deserved.   These selections range from obvious snubs to cult classics misunderstood upon initial release to unapologetic personal picks from the heart.  

A huge thanks to our guests this cycle who shared their picks: writer/director Anu Valia, Anna Stone of the film podcast Stone's Top...

This week, Julian, Emilio, and Madeline are joined by comedian Sydney Duncan to discuss two films that launched their leading ladies to superstardom - William Wyler’s “Roman Holiday” from 1953 and Garry Marshall’s “Pretty Woman” from 1990. The group draws comparisons both salient and subtle, and examines the aspects of Audrey Hepburn and Julia Roberts’ performances that solidify these roles as their breakouts. The group also discusses the role that class plays in each of these films and the relationships at their center. Among the many similarities, they also observe that one of the best-known scenes in each film features a kin...

2025 ended with a real gut punch for us film lovers - the sudden and shocking death of Rob Reiner, alongside his wife Michele Singer.  This week, Emilio, Julian and Madeline welcome back friend of the pod and musician extraordinaire Matt Friedman to the table to talk about Reiner and his legacy as one of the most beloved and important American filmmakers of the last forty years.  The group discusses some of the famous individual scenes he helmed, unforgettable performances, Reiner's standout moments as an actor, the films of his that are  most personally resonant, and much more.

You...

This week, Madeline, Emilio and Julian continue making their way through Oscar Worthy Rom Coms and tune into 'Broadcast News', James L. Brooks' beloved 1987 film starring Holly Hunter, William Hurt and Albert Brooks.  The group is joined by accomplished NYC-based film programmer David Schwartz to discuss at length what is special about this romantic comedy, and the ways in which it is both conventionaly satisfying and also subverting genre expectations.  The strong lead performances, Brooks' extensive research of the media and news, the clever writing, the layered characterizations, the "non-ending" ending... the group covers these topics and much more in...

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio continue their cycle of Oscar-Worthy Rom-Coms with a Suggestion Box episode focusing on "The Apartment," Billy Wilder's unforgettable multi-Oscar-winning film from 1960. The trio dig into this classic tale of work-related romance by discussing its iconic performances from Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray, the dynamics of the love triangle it portrays, and how the film's transgressive qualities stand the test of time. Anchoring the conversation are a slew of favorable comparisons to other films, new and old, along with appreciations of film's fine-tuned aesthetic details and a tally of a word Wilder and co-writer...

If podcasting be the food of love, record on!  Continuing with their cycle of "Oscar Worthy Rom Coms", Madeline, Emilio and Julian fire up 1998's Best Picture winning 'Shakespeare In Love', directed by John Madden, starring the likes of Joseph Fiennes, Colin Firth, and Geoffrey Rush, with performances by Gwyneth Paltrow and Dame Judi Dench that also won them Oscars.  It's a Mise-Unseen episode, so this is the main hosts' first time seeing this movie, but it's a rewatch for their guest Anna Stone, she of the delightful movie podcast Stone's Top Tens.  Together the group digs into the his...

It's a new year, and Emilio, Madeline, and Julian kick off a new episode cycle of "Oscar Worthy Rom Coms" with 'Amelie', Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 2001 film starring Audrey Tautou that is as well-crafted as it is refreshing and life-affirming.  They are joined by a guest that, like the film itself, blends meaningful personal connection with great insight and sincerity - Anu Valia, film/TV writer and director extraordinaire, and a dear friend of Emilio's through high school and college.  The group discusses this film's reputation and influence on film students in the 2000s, its delightful focus on small personal quirks an...

Madeline, Emilio, and Julian wrap up their cycle of Unorthodox Holiday Movies with a film befitting of a Christmas Eve episode - Sean Baker’s “Tangerine”, released in 2015. Joining Emilio as a first-time-watcher is Edo Choi, Film Programmer at the beloved NYC independent theater, Metrograph. The group reflects on the way this film catapulted Sean Baker to prominence in the cinematic world, and discusses the unique style that comes through via Baker’s use of iPhone cameras. They also take time to appreciate the variety of performances in this film, from newcomers to Baker regulars to social media stars. And, of...

This week, Emilio, Madeline and Julian make good on something that has been in works for over two years - a conversation about the movies they gifted each other back in 2023!  To be specific, these were discs from The Criterion Collection, acquired during Barnes and Nobles summer 50% Criterion sale.  Madeline gifted Emilio 'House', Nobuhiko Obayashi's wild inventive horror/comedy from 1977.  Julian gifted Madeline 'Being John Malkovich', Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's breakout film from 1999.  Emilio gifted Julian 'Ikiru' from 1952, Akira Kurosawa's influential meditation on life and imminent mortality.  The group gets a chance to ta...

Bangarang!  Emilio, Madeline, and Julian fly, fight, and crow their way through this next "Unorthodox Holiday Movie" suggestion, and this is a special one, a movie suggested to them by multiple guests - "Hook", Steven Spielberg's take on the story of Peter Pan, released in 1991 starring Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts and more.  The group welcomes back Tony-nominated performer, teacher, father, and "Hook" enthusiast and suggester Rob McClure to discuss this film from all angles.  How do you square your experiences with the film as a kid versus revisiting it as an adult?  Does Spielberg have good reason to d...

This week, Madeline, Emilio and Julian discuss the recently released 'Wicked For Good', the second part of a pair of films that together have brought the beloved Broadway musical to the big screen.  After chatting a bit themselves, the co-hosts  invite back their guests from last year’s conversation about 'Wicked Part 1' - EmKay and Tara from the popular Oz-themed podcast Down The Yellow Brick Pod, and Courtney Iventosch, a Broadway performer with years of experience in the cast of the stage musical of 'Wicked'.  How does this film stack up against Part 1?   What do we make of the ne...

Madeline, Emilio, and Julian continue their seasonal cycle of Unorthodox Holiday Movies with a discussion about "Eyes Wide Shut," Stanley Kubrick's enigmatic final feature from 1999. Marking their first discussion about a Kubrick film, the trio take an appropriately late-at-night stroll journey through the many layers of EWS, including its touches of dream logic, commentary on class and wealth, and what the film has to say about observation and participation in potential acts of transgression, romantic and otherwise. Also along the way are nods to the film's admirable fake New York City, musician-specific considerations about gigs akin to one taken...

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are rejoined by Brendan McDonald, former producer of the iconic podcast WTF with Marc Maron, for a bonus episode about Paul Thomas Anderson's latest masterpiece, One Battle After Another. Kicking off with a check-in on Brendan's life following WTF's end this past October, the group roll through the many hills of PTA's new film, including its roots in Thomas Pynchon's novel Vineland, numerous thematic and aesthetic connections to his greater filmography, and its balancing of political commentary and the personal struggles that coincide. Much time is also spent praising of the film's phenomenal cast, be...

To kick off the latest cycle of "Unorthodox Holiday Suggestions", Emilio brings the original 'Black Christmas', Bob Clark's other holiday themed masterpiece from 1974, to the group just in time for spooky season.  Joining the usual three cohosts is James Codoyannis, fellow cinephile and editor for film/TV who worked on the well-received, recently released indie film "We Strangers".  The group digs into this proto-slasher classic, highlighting the way this movie is in such great control of its tone and atmosphere, the changing nature of the POV shots, at iconic atonal piano sound design/score, the amazing voice acting work by...

For their Audience Interrogation cycle  "Close Up" episode, Emilio, Julian and Madeline hit record and explore a genre that they are, admittedly, not as familiar with: Found Footage Films.  They are joined by writer/director/teacher/musician Shaun Seneviratne, a fellow cinephile whose been historically lukewarm on Found Footage films, but enthusiastic to dive in and open minded to the ways this filmmaking style can tell unique, cinematic stories.  The group selects three representative films from different eras.  First, they unpack 1999's 'The Blair Witch Project', considered the codifier of the genre, and note how the film balances a grow...

If you're a lover of movies, there is, without a doubt, a disturbing movie (or several) that you saw when you were too young to process it.  With imagery and scenes that have lodged themselves in your brain.  And since the memory of the discomfort that movie brought you is still there somewhere, it changed us in a small but meaningful way.  

For this bonus episode, Julian, Madeline and Emilio decide to spend some time digging into those movies, and what kind of relationship we have with them now.  What movie, ostensibly OK for kids, did not sit...

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio continue their episode cycle on Audience Interrogation with a "Two-Shot" on Dan Gilroy's "Nightcrawler" (2014) and Alex Garland's "Civil War" (2024), and are joined for the conversation by Michael Cramer, professor of Film History at Julian's alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College. Looking at this surprisingly fitting pair of movies, the group begin by zooming in on "Nightcrawler" and discussing how Jake Gyllenhaal's unforgettable portrayal of a wide-eyed sociopath cements the film's parable about the ethics of procuring and propagating "newsworthy" footage. Then, jumping forward a decade, the group consider the similar questions posed by "Civil War" in...

As a bonus this week, Julian, Emilio, and Madeline gear up for Spinal Tap’s reunion in the new release “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues”. Released 41 years after the previously discussed “This Is Spinal Tap” (1984), this legasequel catches up with our hosts’ favorite semi-fictional heavy metal band. The group points out the impossibly high bar of the first film, and discusses whether or not the sequel is able to successfully callback to the original’s best moments without triggering Emilio’s fan service allergy. The conversation also leads the hosts to theorize about how Christopher Guest spends his downtime - is he...

For the "Audience Interrogation" cycle's Suggestion Box episode, Emilio, Julian and Madeline go with a pick that's been a long time coming: 'Bamboozled', Spike Lee's unapologetically confrontational satire from 2000 about racial stereotypes and the media.  The group welcomes back multi-disciplinary artist, professor, and fellow appreciator of satire Idris Goodwin to the discussion, and consider why, now a quarter of a century after it was initially released, 'Bamboozled' continues to captivate audiences and grow in esteem.  They discuss the film as a time capsule of the year 2000, how the mini DV format it's shot on creates a feeling of discomfort, ho...