Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Got an acceptance today. Always liked the story, but the ending is incongruously bleak for a Christmas piece, so I wasn’t sure if there was a print market for it. I’ll let the publisher announce the details, but with a little torque the anthology should fit nicely in a stocking... 4240
Reposted by Frank VatelKevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026A perfect pretext for impeachment does not exis— 621722690
Reposted by Frank VatelThe Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 01/10/2026NEXT WED at #TheNoirCollective: one of the first American films hailed as “noir” – and the most honored. 4 Oscars, incl. Best Picture. @tommykrasker.bsky.social & @ctmillion.bsky.social host THE LOST WEEKEND (1945). What happens when you hunger for the American Dream – but can’t quench your thirst? 14814
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Ever watch a movie that feels exactly like the work of a certain filmmaker but isn’t? Not a pale imitation, either, but a truly great film… I know Billy Wilder did not write or direct THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, but every cell in my body forgets that when I’m viewing it. 080
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Letting other people control your self-worth is a cornerstone of mental illness. It’s also a cornerstone of modern life, which tells you what we’re up against. 061
Reposted by Frank VatelShotgun Honey @shotgunhoney.com · 29/09/2026Book Release: Daydream Believers: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees! edited by Lawrence Allan and Michelle Kubitz, with foreword by Tod Goldberg. shotgunhoney.com/announcement...shotgunhoney.comBook Release: Daydream Believers Edited by Lawrence Allan and Michelle KubitzShotgun Honey is pleased to release DAYDREAM BELIEVERS: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of The Monkees! edited by Lawrence Allan and Michelle Kubitz. This thrilling collection of stories that e… 087
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Little-known fact: There’s a factory located halfway between Guangzhou and Vatican City that churns out the flavorless cardboard used in both fortune cookies and Holy Communion wafers. 150
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Listen close, dummards. Noir is tragedy. Predetermination and heavy foreshadowing are part of tragedy. “I saw that ending coming” isn’t the burn you think it is. 4161
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 29/09/2026My wife claims all conversations in Philadelphia sound like arguments, regardless of whether anyone is angry. We’re currently in a pub surrounded by visiting Eagles fans, and I must say she’s on to something. 130
Reposted by Frank VatelRock and a Hard Place @rhppress.bsky.social · 22/09/2026SUBS OPEN OCT 1: For November, we’re looking for stories of revolutionaries, rebels, agitators, and terrorists. Show us what happens when their good plans go bad, or their bad plans go worse. Subs close Oct 4. Send us your <2k flash story: bit.ly/4fQLeGx 042
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 22/09/2026“Europe is being colonized!” shout the right-wing parties. That *plink* you hear is the sound of six continents shedding a tear. 060
Reposted by Frank VatelRock and a Hard Place @rhppress.bsky.social · 20/09/2026NEW ON PATREON: Roger and Rob talk to author Colin Brightwell about his stories, their inspiration, and the overall writing process. Patreon memberships start at $5/month. Your support helps us pay our authors and keep the magazine going: bit.ly/4wLXH5V 096
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Sounds like a joke. Would bet money it’s not a joke. 052
Reposted by Frank VatelShotgun Honey @shotgunhoney.com · 20/09/2026If we had a 25% or free shipping sale, would you be interested. Need to get rid of back stock. 1139
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Over first-date coffee, your Chris Walken sexbot opens up to you: “Can I confess something? Sometimes when I’m driving at night, I have this sudden impulse to turn the wheel quickly, head-on into the oncoming car. I can anticipate the explosion, the sound of shattering glass...” 2133
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 18/09/2026WILD AT HEART, a lovers-on-the-run novella adapted to film by David Lynch, is one of those books that reads less like a taut narrative than a collection of quirky conversations. Sounds annoying, I know. But good writing washes away all sins, and Gifford’s characters won me over. Recommended. 0130
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 16/09/2026George: It’s a lie. Harry Bailey went to war. He saved the lives of every man on that transport. Clarence: Every man on that transport died... 191
Reposted by Frank VatelJack Badelaire @jbadelaire.bsky.social · 16/09/2026The vehicle of choice for "the divorce came outta nowhere" guys. 271
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Pub day! Congrats to @cwblackwell.bsky.social on another great book. A killer read, folks. Very much worth your time. 183
Reposted by Frank VatelKeith Roysdon @keithroysdon.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Here's the ultimate crossover: Those bothersome teenage investigators the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and the late designer Bob Mackie! W/links and shout-outs to @crimereads.bsky.social @literarygarage.bsky.social @kmwriter01.bsky.social @frankvatel312.bsky.social keithroysdon.com/2026/09/15/n...keithroysdon.comNancy Drew and the Hardy Boys meet Bob MackieHow about a two-for-one today? Okay then, buckle up for quick items on my citation of the late fashion designer Bob Mackie in a new short story as well as the Mystery of Why Public Libraries Didn&#… 041
Reposted by Frank VatelAndrew Monge @muchadoaboutnil.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Well, lookee what we have here, @cwblackwell.bsky.social. Off to go start it, stat! 151
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Last year, @muchadoaboutnil.bsky.social gifted me this 1953 issue of Manhunt featuring PROFESSIONAL MAN, a David Goodis story about a hitman ordered to kill his girlfriend. Reprinted in various collections over the years, it’s possibly the bleakest thing Goodis ever wrote. A must-read for his fans. 3142
Reposted by Frank VatelAdam Van Winkle @vanwinkle.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I'll be reading my piece from Cowboy Jamboree's TEXAS WIND. 0115
Reposted by Frank VatelJoe R. Lansdale @joerlansdale.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Joe R. Lansdale Interview on writing, martial arts and East Texas youtube.com/watch?v=lKFh...youtube.comJoe Lansdale on Writing, Hollywood, Martial Arts & Finding His VoiceYouTube video by Made in Nacogdoches with Brad Maule 0175
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 11/09/2026If you believe this, I’ve got a 2K-mile wall along the Mexican border to sell you. 160
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 11/09/2026#NoirCityChicago is a wrap. My personal rating of this year’s films, on a ten-point scale: 1111
Reposted by Frank VatelRichie Narvaez @richienarvaez.bsky.social · 11/09/20269/11’s harmful legacy of Latino criminalization link.latimes.com/view/6520702...link.latimes.comLos Angeles Times 053
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 10/09/2026ROUND MIDNIGHT, the Tavernier film about jazz and addiction, played #NoirCity last night. At the end, the whole audience sat in solemn contemplation as “Chan’s Song” by Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder ran over the credits. Having attended this fest for years, I've never seen such an awed reaction. 2111
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Small popcorn, I say. Concessions guy says they only serve medium and large now. If you’ve reduced three sizes to two, I say, you should rename the medium “small” because there’s no medium between two choices. Then I stop, realizing we’re having the “this one goes to eleven” conversation. 050
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 09/09/2026The excellent film version of HANGOVER SQUARE screened last night at #NoirCityChicago. While I’ve never rated it a top-tier noir, the movie’s ending—quite different from the source novel’s—has few equals. 🔥 0100
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 09/09/2026My favorite Hollywood quote is from Robert Altman. Jerry Bruckheimer’s partner, Don Simpson, once tried to stop Altman from casting Shelley Duvall on grounds that she wasn’t “f**kable.” When he died after years of drug abuse, Altman said: “I only wish he could have lived longer and suffered more.” 060
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 08/09/2026First saw Altman’s KANSAS CITY in 1996, upon its release. I was only in high school then, but I dug the loose, rambling vibe of it, which feels analogous to jazz itself. The reviews sucked. #NoirCity screened it over the weekend. The critics look even dumber today. @noirfoundation.bsky.social 1132
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Spent two hours yesterday looking at tuxedos, art-deco nightclubs, and Rita Hayworth through the eyes of Rudolph Maté. My question is: How did color cinematography survive GILDA’s release? Just about the sexiest film ever made in Hollywood. #NoirCityChicago @noirfoundation.bsky.social 1302
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 06/09/2026As Eddie said yesterday, it wouldn’t be a #NoirCity fest without Cornell Woolrich. Favorite exchange from BLACK ANGEL: Peter Lorre: Tell her to come over. Goon: Mr. Marko, I don’t think— Lorre: I don’t slug and you don't think. Is that a deal? @noirfoundation.bsky.social @eddiemuller.bsky.social 2404
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Hate to admit this as a Chicagoan, but I like Preminger’s MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, which screened yesterday at #NoirCity, more than Nelson Algren’s exhausting source novel. The cast is great—Sinatra, in particular—and Elmer Bernstein’s score is obviously a thing of brilliance. 4284
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Just shot this photo. It’s everyone’s favorite arsenic cookie, Eddie Muller, introducing SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS on opening night of Noir City: Chicago. @noirfoundation.bsky.social 0100
Reposted by Frank VatelThe Noir Collective @thenoircollective.bsky.social · 02/09/2026IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT about #TheNoirCollective watch party of THE LOST WEEKEND. As many have observed, Bluesky has been glitching all day. Now Internet Archive is glitching. We’re going to POSTPONE today’s watch party until October 7. Please repost this, to help us get the word out. Thank you!!! 34123
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 02/09/2026TCM salutes Susan Sarandon tonight, starting with her best film. ATLANTIC CITY is so wise about the mentality of petty crooks that their delusions, mirroring those of the titular city, become the stuff of poignant tragedy. Burt Lancaster, perfectly cast, is also magnificent. #TCMParty 1140
Reposted by Frank VatelCasey Stegman @caseystegman.com · 02/09/2026Okay, but Christopher Nolan gets to write the first review 812630
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 28/08/2026Dolly Parton is the new George Orwell. Now that she can’t disavow them, all political sides claim her as their own. 162
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Him: Lana, is the hay truck in Cain’s first sentence a metaphor for Frank’s sobriety? Or the indifference of society as a whole? Her: I’m done working with New York actors. 170
Reposted by Frank VatelC.W. Blackwell @cwblackwell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Huge thanks to @frankvatel312.bsky.social for his support of THE COLD DARK FOREVER! There’s a scene here that became a much darker shade of noir after his beta read. PREORDER is live! 🔗 in bio #noir #crimefiction #newrelease 293
Reposted by Frank VatelAndrija Popovic @andrian6.bsky.social · 24/08/2026Hey #NoirAlley and #TCMParty crew - I'll be hosting #TheNoirCollective along of Fritz Lang's #TheBlueGardinia this Wednesday at 8PM Eastern time. Open "Eddie Muller's Noir Bar" and make a Pearl Diver or three. Here's the official watch-along link: archive.org/details/... 1/2archive.orgThe Blue Gardenia (1953), 1080p : Fritz Lang : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveStarring Anne Baxter, Richard Conte, and Ann Sothern. 1174
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Book lovers view mortality differently. It’s not how many years we have left, but how many books. This is why, in middle age, DNFs have become more common for me. Every dud I stubbornly finish has come to represent a great book I won’t have time to start. 1113312
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 22/08/2026When a noir author makes me laugh too often, I mentally relocate him from gloomy Noir City to the neighboring town, where crime is still rampant but monthly laser-tag tournaments keep the citizens happy. Willeford was the first resident. Scott Phillips—based on this novel and others—is the newest. 1101
Frank Vatel @frankvatel312.bsky.social · 21/08/2026Sgt. Forbes: What about this dame? Brown: A dish. Forbes: What kind of dish? Brown: Sixty-cent special. Cheap, flashy, and strictly poison under the gravy. Don’t forget, noiristas—it’s Marie Windsor day on TCM. #TCMParty 0120