The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast

The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
  • 5.0 (16)
  • Film History

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.    

  1. 5d ago

    Actors Who Should Play Dual Roles

    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 check out her writing and blog at leatrice-author.com. - Sarah Ungerlieder, on IG @sarahdelapu  - Mariquita Reese, on IG, Tik Tok and Letterboxd at keeta_babe - and check out Post Film Clarity, her podcast with cohost Lindsey Strickland, at postfilmclaritypod 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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  2. Aug 26

    Our 100th Episode! Staying Up For 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)

    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 Affair To Remember' of it all, the ubiquity of Bill Pullman and his undisputed status as the "Baxter" of the 90s, favorite little details, and much more. The group then reflects on what moments and films have stuck with them the most from the last 100 episodes and shouts out several of the people who have made this podcast possible!     We want to thank our guests over these last 100 episodes: Anthony Hollock, Matt Friedman, Lily Desmond, Jamie Homs, Mike Duquette, Michaela Brady, Idris Goodwin, Maggie Hill, Sydney Duncan, Madeline’s dad Richard, Tara and Emily from Down the Yellow Brick Pod, Courtney Iventosch, Rob Mitzner, Ron Piretti, Jess LeProtto, Rob McClure, Sharyn Rothstein, Prof Zhen Zhang, Mariquita Reese, Brendan McDonald, Julian’s cousin Sylvie, Emilio's sister Maria-Elena, Prof Michael Cramer, Shaun Seneviratne, James Codoyannis, Edo Choi, Anu Valia, Anna Stone, David Schwartz,  Christian Garcia, Will Reynolds, Lexi Amoriello, Kelly Autry, and Sarah Ungerleider.  Getting to have you join us to talk movies has been a true pleasure! A HUGE thanks go out to our families, friends, and our listeners and subscribers - your love and support has made this podcast journey so far so very worth it! To check out Julian's representative past episode moment when we talked 'Dazed and Confused', listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2269866/episodes/14983408 To check out Madeline's representative past episode moment when we talked 'That Thing We Do!' and the music of Adam Schlesinger, listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2269866/episodes/15769063 To check out Emilio's representative past episode moment when we talked 'Amelie' with Anu Valia, listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2269866/episodes/18469464 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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  3. Aug 19

    The Many Faces of Tilda Swinton: 'Orlando' (1992), 'Okja' (2017), and 'Suspiria' (2018) with Sarah Ungerleider

    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 vegetarian awakening for Madeline. They discuss how this film balances its bleak subject matter with an incredible amount of heart, and how Tilda’s characters have a clear handoff from one to another. To round off the evening, they jump ahead just one year to Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Suspiria’, which credits Tilda not only under her own name, but also under the pseudonym Lutz Ebersdorf. The group discusses Tilda's approach to her three contrasting roles in this film, and how her mastery of multiple characters has solidified her as a frequent collaborator of many trusted directors. 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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  4. Aug 5

    "We're Americans" - 'Us' (2019) and 'Sinners' (2025) with Mariquita Reese

    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 characteristics are abound throughout 'Us' and 'Sinners', and the group finds comparisons between the films regarding how characters process religion, notable scenes that feature music, and antagonists that are there to induce more than just scares.  It's a lively discussion about two of the more well regarded films from recent years, and milestone entries from their respective auteur's filmographies.   Follow Mariquita on IG, Tik Tok and Letterboxd at keeta_babe - and check out Post Film Clarity, her podcast with cohost Lindsey Strickland, at postfilmclaritypod 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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  5. Jul 30

    RIP Glen Hansard

    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 longer with us, Hansard's music and his huge heart live on, and will continue humbling and inspiring us for years to come.   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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  6. Jul 22

    'Dead Ringers' (1988): Brothers' Keepers and Irons Men

    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 portrayal of twindom by digging into the film's evocative and technically savvy visuals, the often intentionally confusing tableaus which carry the story forward, and the technical and emotional mastery of Jeremy Irons in a career-defining role that, despite not winning an Oscar, certainly paved the way for accolades and great roles to come.   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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  7. Jul 8

    Many Lives To Live: 'Cloud Atlas' (2012) with Emilio's Sister!

    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 the choices made in the film, but also very much along for the ride these filmmakers constructed.   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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

  8. Jun 24

    When Life Gives You Orchids: 'Adaptation' (2002) with Michaela Brady

    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 inimitable outcome, and how having a dual performance at the center actualizes the film's messages. And while the main four participants generally praise "Adaptation," they also consider a hot take from friend of the pod Idris Goodwin, for whom the distinct qualities of this film landed a little differently compared to many others.    Follow Michaela Brady on IG @leatrice_write or @jillnjeff11, and check out her writing and blog at leatrice-author.com. Follow Idris Goodwin on IG at idrisgoodwin, and learn more about his latest book "King of the Neuro Verse"  as well as 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! We have a monthly newsletter!  Subscribe at sleeplesscinematicpod.substack.com Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

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.    

Information

  • Creator
    The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    103
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast

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