The Sleepless Cinematic Podcast

For a bonus episode this week, Emilio goes solo to 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 1993, but has mostly stayed relevant as its esteemed director's international breakthrough.  Yet it's a timeless film full of humor, compassion,  and reflections on what we sacrifice of ourselves due to societal forces and the expectations of our families.  Its enduring place in cinema history is evidenced by it being reimagined by writer/director Andrew Ahn - this remake can currently be seen in theaters nationwide.   Emilio gets into what he enjoys so much about the original, shares his thoughts on the remake and how it is distinct from the original, and speaks with Professor Zhen Zhang, an NYU film professor who shared this film with him in an undergraduate seminar, about the original film.     Professor Zhen Zhang is a film professor at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and the Director of the Tisch's Asian Film and Media Initiative.  She has a decades long, decorated career in academia that also includes guest-curating film programs for the Film Society at Lincoln Center of Performing Arts, Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Women Make Waves Film Festival in Taipei.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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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, HBO special "My Favorite Shapes," and co-creating and starring in the supernatural comedy "Los Espookys." Like other films the group have discussed in this cycle, "Problemista" depicts a recent immigrant's struggle to get by in New York City, but through a distinctly contemporary lens that stands out for its surrealism and vivacious humor. In discussing Alejandro "Ale" Martinez's journey towards steady employment and a work visa, the group look in depth at the magical realism throughout (with emphasis on "Craigslist" and "Bureaucratic Limbo"), how people with power use or abuse their privilege, and the enigma that is Elizabeth, Alejandro's erratic presumed employer played by a tour-de-force Tilda Swinton. And perhaps they'll match some databases in FileMakerPro in the process...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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats  

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, face while assimilating to life in their new homeland at the turn of the century.  The trio comment on the film's unique depiction of New York City (particularly in relation to when it was first released), the unusual complexity that most characters are given, how centering Gitl's journey gives the film a strong emotional core, the film's unexpected humor, its portrayal of the working class Jewish immigrant experience class, and why this movie and its story feel so unique.  They then have a great chat with Sharyn Rothstein, an accomplished writer who recently adapted 'Hester Street' for the stage, and discuss what was meaningful to her about this story, what details from the film spoke to her, and what the stage production does to modernize and reshape the story for today's audiences.  It's a deep dive into an unsung 1970s NYC film you won't want to miss!  Sharyn Rothstein is an award winning playwright, teacher, and writer for television.  Her play "Bad Books" is currently running at Roundhouse Theater in Bethesda, Maryland through April 27th.  Follow her and her work at www.sharynrothstein.netIf 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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 film co-written by him and the film’s star, Greta Gerwig. The four New York residents praise the many accuracies of the film and share their own NYC-specific stories about living as artists, navigating complex social situations, and searching for an ATM with no fee. They also discuss the other “coming-of-age in NYC” media from the zeitgeist of the 2010s, and consider what has changed in the 13 years since this film was released.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 Maggie Hill on IG, TikTok, YouTube, and more @themaggiehillFollow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats.

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 garnered their performers the coveted trophies. The first of these would be Kevin Kline's role in "A Fish Called Wanda" (1988), the British-American, Monty Python-adjacent caper where Kline plays the audaciously stubborn diamond thief Otto West. Next is that of Jack Palance in "City Slickers" (1991), the story of three New Yorkers on a cattle-herding vacation in the American West, in which Palance plays their rugged-yet-warm-hearted trail boss, Curly. And rounding out this trio is Marisa Tomei in "My Cousin Vinny," the courtroom dramedy where the titular Brooklyn lawyer is enlisted to represent his wrongfully-accused cousin and best friend in Alabama, depending on crucial contributions from his brash and mechanically-astute fiancée Mona Lisa Vito to work towards their exoneration. Though all of these films were released in nearby years, the group discusses why these performances stand the test of time, be it due to laugh-out-loud physical gags, the contrast between locals and fish-out-of-water, or the resonant truths at each role's foundation. Aided by Rob McClure's inimitable experience and expert insight about the "actually, actually" that defines a great comic performance, they trace the vast range of humor among these characters and the greater stories in which they appear, making notable stops along the way at unforgettable facial expressions, one-armed push-ups, and scathing instruction-manual retorts. Rob McClure has earned Tony nominations for his roles in the Broadway productions of Mrs. Doubtfire and Chaplin, and has also appeared in Something Rotten!, Mary Poppins, Hello Dolly, Beetlejuice, and many more productions On- and Off-Broadway. You can follow him on Instagram @mcclurerobIf 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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 remake of 'West Side Story'.  Jess talks about his unusual first exposure to the music of West Side Story, the development and audition process, receiving character backstory from the film's Pulitzer Prize winning writer Tony Kushner, and the new historical context specific to the remake.  He also talks about performing in the film's immersive sets, working with Rita Moreno, what it's like to take direction from Steven Spielberg, and the unexpected ways his skill set proved quite useful on set.  It's a deep dive into all things 'West Side Story' you won't want to miss!In addition to his work in the film, Jess LeProtto has performed on Broadway in Cats, Hello Dolly!, A Beautiful Noise, Carousel, On The Town, Newsies, Bye Bye Birdie, and more.  You can follow him on IG at the_jess_leprottoIf 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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats   

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 Story'.  Both the Jerome Robbins original and the Steven Spielberg remake have the distinction of earning the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in their respective years for their portrayals of the same character, Anita, by Rita Moreno in 1961 and Ariana DeBose in 2021.  In addition to exploring what makes Anita such an indelible and celebrated character, the group explores the ways in which the remake expands the world its characters inhabit, discuss which character portrayals they enjoyed the most, how the climactic "Rumble" is depicted on stage vs on film, the effect that differences in the order of musical numbers has on the greater narrative, and much more! Ron Piretti is a teaching artist for The Barrow Group in NYC, and you can find him and his work at ronpiretti.netIf 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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats       

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 Kim Basinger in an Oscar-winning supporting role.  The group discusses how this movie hits differently if you knew who Crowe and Pearce were upon first watch, how depictions of corrupt police from the 1950s read in 2025, how the film satisfyingly affirms and upends cop archetypes, whether or not Kim Basinger's performance as Lynn Bracken is truly Oscar worthy, and much more!You can check out Matt's incredible band, and see where he is playing next, by visiting their website: https://stilettobandnyc.com/You can also follow Matt and the band on Instagram @stilettobandnycIf 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: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Anika Noni Rose, Danny Glover, and Jennifer Hudson, whose portrayal of Effie White earned her an Academy Award in her film debut.  The group gets into its status as a "film a clef" with many references to Motown history and associated artists, the unstable foundation (narratively speaking) upon which "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" sits, as well as that song's undeniable power.  They dig into the 2007 Oscars win (and snub) that is a huge part of this film's legacy, Beyonce's irrepressible voice, the distracting brief appearance of John Krasinski (looking way too much like Jim Halpert), other possible directors who could have brought this musical to the screen, and so much more!  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 (yes, it's apparently still a thing): @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 film, "Whiplash." Starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, the latter of whom won the requisite Oscar, the film memorably portrays student drummer Andrew Neiman's struggle to impress his autocratic band instructor, Terence Fletcher, and the group filter their own experiences as musicians through their aptitude for cinematic detail to assess the film's spectrum of musical and emotional realism. While "Whiplash" was a hit upon release and highly lauded during awards season, it has always been polarizing among musicians, and some of those differing views are articulated in this very conversation. Plus, did anyone in the group ever have a teacher like Fletcher? Is Miles Teller's drumming accurate? And how do we interpret that unforgettable ending? 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 Rob Mitzner on IG @robmitznerdrums, and visit his website, robmitzner.com, to keep up with his live performances and purchase a copy of his book, "Drumming in a Band: Stuff You Can Use."Follow us on IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpodSend us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.comOn Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats.