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 the many subversive touches Sirk sneaks into the film that give it so much staying power.

Christian Garcia is a co-host of the podcast That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema. Along with co-host Luke Delmar, the podcast takes a loving look back at classic films from Hollywood's Golden Age through a queer lens. You can listen and follow @thatolgayclassiccinema

Programming Note: This conversation was recorded in 2025.

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats

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 (such as speedy couplings of main characters, eccentric supporting roles, and impromptu moments of singing), these films make for an eclectic mix; whereas "Barefoot in the Park" channels an of-its-time comedy of errors from stage to screen, "The Heartbreak Kid" thrives on friction between Simon's romanticism and Elaine May's offbeat directorial style, and "The Goodbye Girl" goes back to matching Simon's vision while reflecting a newfound wisdom that comes with age.

All of these films received Oscar nominations or wins in their respective years, most prominently in the acting categories, but awarded or not, they give us memorable performances from Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Mildred Natwick, and Charles Boyer in "Barefoot in the Park," Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, Cybill Shepard, and Eddie Albert in "The Heartbreak Kid," and Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, and Quinn Cummings in "The Goodbye Girl," all of whom helped bring Neil Simon's evolving screenplays to life.

Follow James on his socials:

INSTAGRAM: @codboyannis

LETTERBOXD: jcodoyannis

BLUESKY: @codboyannis.bsky.social

WE STRANGERS now available on rent & buy at AMAZON, APPLE TV, and other places

Follow @westrangersthefilm on INSTAGRAM

SEAWEED STORIES now available to watch on Leo DiCaprio's YouTube Channel

Rent/Purchase RON DELSENER PRESENTS at: https://linktr.ee/rondelsenerpresents

Watch BOB OF THE PARK on NYT's Op-Docs Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQUC7_wtFg

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 sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 Tens, writer and film programmer David Schwartz, and filmmaker/editor James Codoyannis.

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats

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 kindred improvisatory moment.

You can follow Sydney Duncan on Instagram and TikTok @sydneyduncanonem, and catch her on the Maude and Betty house teams at UCB NY.

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 sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian @julian_barthold and Madeline @patronessofcats

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 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 @stilettobandnyc

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 this enthusiastic discussion about one of the great films of the 1980s.

David Schwartz is a New York-based film curator and writer who is currently the Director of Film Programming at The Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee. You can read his work and see where and what he is programming next at his website www.david-schwartz.net

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 I.A.L. Diamond clearly relished in, suffix-wise...

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats

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 it's 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 historical "fan" fiction conceit of the story, speculate as to why this movie was so well-received when it was first released, turn to an oft-consulted non-fiction book to provide context for its controversial Oscars awards campaign, discuss the many engaging performances, enjoy the film's many nods to modernity, and much more. Anna leaves with some new additions to her watchlist, and everyone leaves with some appreciation for one of the more decorated romantic comedies of the last thirty years.

Anna Stone is the host of the always enjoyable movie podcast Stone's Top Tens. You can follow her and keep up with the podcast on the socials @stonestoptens

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 YouTube, IG and TikTok: @sleeplesscinematicpod

Send us an email at sleeplesscinematicpod@gmail.com

On Letterboxd? Follow Julian at julian_barthold and Madeline at patronessofcats