#miller’s crossing (1990)

[vibe-stash]

Miller's Crossing (1990)

Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen DOP: Barry Sonnenfeld Production Design: Dennis Gassner Art Direction: Leslie McDonald

[jawbonejoe]

The real queer reading of Miller’s Crossing (1990) is to highlight how disgusting each of Tom’s ties are

[crownedstoat]

Miller's Crossing production design.

[letterboxd-loggd]

Miller's Crossing (1990) Joel Coen

July 29th 2023

[danu2203]

LAST NIGHT’S VIEWING...MILLER’S CROSSING...1990. BEST FILM OF THE NINETIES.

[zgm1125-blog]

[thezombiegeekinthehawaiianshirt]

[criterion-poll]

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

Best Albert Finney movies and performances:

1. Big Fish - Tim Burton (2003)

2. Miller's Crossing - Joel and Ethan Coen (1990)

[suckmyshlock]

THE COEN BROTHERS PT. 1

MILLER'S CROSSING (1990) AND CONSEQUENCE

I watched every Coen movie, so you don't have to! Here I discuss the recurrent themes and motifs that can be found throughout their filmography by analyzing Miller's Crossing.

[img source]

Standing in the back room at work, I ask one of my coworkers how she feels about the Coen brothers, because I've just finished watching their complete filmography. She tells me: "Too nihilistic."

I'm sitting in a cafe with my mentor from college. He gushes when he finds out about my watch project, telling me how much he loves the Coens, that he's seen almost all of their work. It's a little surprising, maybe. He's one of the most optimistic people I know.

There are two ways to answer the question, What is a film about? There's the discussion of plot points - the quick and easy answer, or we can go deeper, and talk about themes. On the surface, the Coen filmography contains films with vastly different plot summaries, films that vary widely in genre and tone, but when we go deeper, we see that each one of their films exists in conversation with the other. The filmography tells an ongoing narration; every story, underneath, is the same story. This is the only story. It's the story of our lives.

Joel and Ethan Coen have been household names since the 80s. Some of the biggest films of the last few decades can be attributed to these two brothers and their regular band of cohorts. You'd be hard pressed to find even a casual viewer that isn't familiar with their work. The Coens are a unique type of filmmaker, who sit at the crossroads between genre and art. Like Tarantino, for the Coens there isn't a strong separation between a popcorn flick and an arthouse film. They grew up watching movies and loving them, and so they make movies that are wholly and unapologetically about the experience of watching movies and loving them. Crime thrillers and romcoms, Oscar-bait dramas with silly musical numbers - whether your thing is surrealist horror or slapstick, the Coens have got something for you. The care and specificity with which they engage in genre tropes perhaps makes their sheer auteur-ness even more impressive. They've made just about every kind of movie there is, but no matter what, you can always tell it's made by the Coens.

All of us exist in a world where disaster can strike at any time. Most people choose to live in blissful ignorance of this fact, even when the disaster comes and strikes them right in the face. The Coens have had their finger on this fact for the entirety of their careers. This knowledge permeates the stories in their work. As Tommy says in Miller's Crossing, "Play with fire and you gotta deal with the consequences, even if you get knocked off."

Before I undertook the project of watching every Coen film, Miller's Crossing wasn't even on my radar. Despite critical acclaim and a generally high audience rating, it hasn't been well remembered through the years. It's a crime thriller, the genre the Coens appear to be most comfortable in, and it's not even their best (most people would place Fargo or No Country for Old Men at the top of the list). However, Miller's Crossing holds a special place in the Coen filmography, as their third wide-release feature film and, as such, their first movie with a truly tight script. Miller's Crossing is where the Coens really learned what they were doing and what it's all about. Because it symbolizes the moment in which the Coens hone their craft to a fine point (and because it's one of my favorites), I've chosen Miller's Crossing as a launching-off point for a larger discussion on the running themes and motifs that the Coens utilize across their filmography.

Miller's Crossing is a story about consequences. Something I love picking out when watching Coen movies is how often the characters will speak as if to us: telling us the themes of the story, giving us their character thesis statement. If there is a thesis statement for Miller's Crossing and our protagonist Tom, it's "play with fire, and you gotta deal with the consequences."

Miller's Crossing is also a film about relationships, and just how consequential our dealings with others can be.

Tom is chief advisor to mob boss, Leo. Together, they run the town. That is, until a small timer named Caspar threatens to off Leo's girlfriend's, Verna's, brother, Bernie. Tom is insistent that Leo give Bernie up, because otherwise he has too much to lose. But Leo refuses, not wanting to risk his relationship with Verna. This would be hard enough for Leo as it is, but to make matters more difficult, Tom and Verna have been fucking around behind his back. If this sounds convoluted, it is. This relationship square is the driving force of Miller's Crossing, a recipe for disaster that only the Coens could cook.

Tom is played by Gabriel Byrne, who began his career in theatre. This casting choice is excellent, as Miller's Crossing is very like a stage play. In sets, dialogue, and cinematography, the film is a throwback to the theatrical filmmaking style of the postwar era. This allows us to feel even closer to the characters, as though we are right there in the room. We follow Tommy like we're right beside him. His experiences are our experiences, his consequences are our consequences. Like all Coen protagonists, Tom is a bit of an everyman. He's a closed-mouthed blank slate who speaks carefully and gives little about himself away, allowing the audience to project onto him whatever we like. By making their protagonists fairly average people, the Coens increase audience relatability, and this is necessary when discussing the big themes that we see most commonly represented in their work: not just consequence, but also the domino effect, chance and serendipity, improbability, and the indifferent universe. Who among us has not experienced a string of events so unlikely that it seems like a sign from God? Who in this world has not cursed their past decisions which seemed so inconsequential at the time, only to realize the consequences are inescapable?

Tom never shies from consequence. He drifts through the story accepting everything that comes to him. When he tells Caspar off, he accepts that he'll be beaten for it. When he comes clean with Leo about sleeping with Verna, he accepts that their friendship is over. When he goes deeper into debt, he accepts that his bookie will come after him. Regardless, Tom makes his decisions without fear; it's rare that he even hesitates.

Miller's Crossing gets its name from Miller's Crossing, a spot in the woods where Tom experiences his own personal crossroads. When his working relationship with Leo ends and he joints up with Caspar instead, Tom is asked to kill Bernie, as a sign of his changed loyalties. He takes Bernie out to Miller's Crossing, where he decides in the final moment not to kill him, instead popping off in the air and telling him to get lost. Of course, Bernie doesn't get lost. Instead he soon returns to make Tom's life hell, hanging his existence over him and threatening to tell Caspar of his actions.

In addition to the Coens usual themes, they also utilize repeating motifs - often, these are used in such a way that they inform on the themes and the characters. One of the most common motifs throughout the Coen filmography is my personal favorite - the man behind the desk. In film, the conversation with the man on the other side of the desk is a power play. It's a demonstration of the dynamic between two characters - we can tell a lot about these people based on who is on what side of the desk and how they behave in that setting. In Miller's Crossing, the man behind the desk trope is perfectly illustrated in our villainous character, Caspar.

Caspar is a small-timer until he lashes out at Leo for his refusal to deliver Bernie. Then, following a series of attacks on Leo and his men, he quickly rises through the ranks. When we first see Caspar on his own turf, Tom is still working with Leo, and is summoned by Caspar for a conversation where Caspar tries to win him over. In this scene, we see Caspar seated, not behind a desk, but behind a table. The table is not in an office, but in a wide open warehouse with little other furnishings. When Tom sits across from him, it is more like they are on equal ground. Tom does not defer to Caspar in this scene, but mouths off to him instead, taking the resulting beating in stride as usual.

The second time Tom sits across from Caspar, we're now in Caspar's office, and he sits behind a real desk. The room is small, but it's obvious that Caspar is more comfortable here. We are on his turf. Tommy switches sides in this scene, asking to join up with Caspar.

Finally, at the height of his power, Caspar has knocked Leo off his throne. While in a meeting with the mayor, Caspar becomes so enraged and egotistical that he kicks the mayor out of his own office, taking the seat at his desk. He kicks his feet up on the desk, looking at home in his opulent surroundings.

Tom drifts from event to event in such a way where he appears to be at the mercy of his surroundings. He is constantly beaten on (figuratively and literally) and yet he commands the respect of those around him, allowing him to always walk away intact. The ending of the film casts this into a new light. Tom, pulling strings behind the scenes, has orchestrated a final climactic moment that gets both Bernie and Caspar killed, erasing his problems as well as Leo's. As the advisor character, the one who whispers in the powerful man's ear, the twist is perfectly in character for Tom.

"Do you always know why you do things, Leo?" Tom asks at the end of the film. "Sure," Leo says. Tom, who by the end of the story, gives the illusion that he's known how it would turn out all along, tells us instead that he's been making it up.

With Caspar dead and Tom's gun staring him down, Bernie cries out: "You can't just shoot me like that! I mean, Jesus Christ, it don't make sense!" Death is senseless. Life is senseless. All of us are just along for the ride.

Finally, Leo asks Tom to come and work with him again. He tells Tom he forgives him for sleeping with Verna. Tom's response is: "I didn't ask for that and I don't want it." You gotta deal with the consequences, even if you get knocked off.

Come back soon for part two, in which I discuss how the Coens play with self-awareness and twist their typical tropes in knots in their 2009 comedy A Serious Man.

[vibe-stash]

Miller's Crossing (1990)

Directors: Joel Coen & Ethan Coen DOP: Barry Sonnenfeld Production Design: Dennis Gassner Art Direction: Leslie McDonald

[usafphantom2]

50 years ago today.

On Sep. 1, 1974, Maj. James V. Sullivan and Maj. Noel Widdifield set a new world speed record from New York to London, as our friend Linda Sheffield Miller (Col Richard (Butch) Sheffield’s daughter, Col. Sheffield was an SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Officer) on her Facebook Page Habubrats. It took less than two hours.

This mission might’ve been the ‘gateway plan’ to have SR-71 stationed in England. The United States was fortunate to be able to house two SR-71s at RAF Mildenhall years later. This was a huge help to have SR-71 in Europe [SR-71 Reconnaissance Operations at RAF Mildenhall was from April 1976 to 1990. Prior to Det 4 being established, UK permission was required for each sortie flown. According to the SR-71 Blackbirds website, the SR-71’s stay would be no longer than 20 days for each visit.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher announced that Det 4 would be a permanent SR-71 Detachment with two aircraft assigned. The UK remained in control of the more sensitive missions. The two aircraft Detachments ceased operations on Nov. 22, 1989. The last aircraft departed the UK on Jan. 18, 1990.

The US Government has given the United Kingdom an SR-71 #962 for public display at Duxford Imperial War Museum for its contribution to ending the Cold War.]. Blackbirds based at Mildenhall could fly around the Baltic Sea and take pictures of potential targets in the Soviet Union using their side-looking cameras [without crossing the Soviet border].

On September 1, 1974 Major James V. Sullivan, 37 (pilot) and Noel F. Widdifield, 33 (reconnaissance systems officer) flashed across the starting line (radar gates in New York) at approximately 80,000 feet and speed in excess of 2,000 miles per hour. Exactly 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds later, they had set a new world speed record from New York to London England.

The average speed was 1,807 statute mph over the 3,461 statute mile course, slowing to refuel one time from a specially modified KC-135 refueling tanker. The aircraft was placed on static display at Farnborough Air Show for 1 week. It marked the first time the secret plane had been on public display outside of the United States. ”Kelly” Johnson, the aircraft designer, was on hand for the event. He remarked, “It (the SR-71) has exceeded all my expectations.”

Another historic speed record was set on the return trip to the United States. Captain Harold B. Adams, 31 (pilot), and Major William Machorek, 32 (reconnaissance systems operator), set a speed record from London to Los Angeles. They returned the Blackbird 5,447 statute miles in 3 hours 47 minutes and 39 seconds for an average speed of 1,435 miles per hour. The difference in the two speed records was due to refueling requirements and having to slow over major US cities.’

Even so a large number of people in Los Angeles reported broken windows due to the sonic boom. One of those people was actress, Zaza’s Gabor, who complained bitterly about her broken windows. To appease her Captain Adams and Major Machorek went to Zazas Home to apologize. They brought their wives with them. Zaza only allowed the SR-71 Crew to come into her home! The wives had to sit in the car. Very bad manners on the movie stars part.

The trip from New York to London 50 years ago became a beautiful friendship between allies, the United States and Great Britain .

We both worked hard to win the Cold War.

This article was originally in the aviationgeek club written by Linda Sheffield. published by Dario Leone

Artwork by Force Graham

@Habubrats71 via X

[brokehorrorfan]

Scream Factory has revealed the specs for its Tales from the Darkside: The Movie 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray. Based on the TV series of the same name, the 1990 horror anthology will be released on November 28.

John Harrison (Dune) directs from a script by George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead) and Michael McDowell (Beetlejuice), including adaptations of Stephen King and Arthur Conan Doyle. Debbie Harry, Christian Slater, David Johansen, William Hickey, James Remar, Rae Dawn Chong, and Matthew Lawrence star.

Tales from the Darkside: The Movie has been newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative. It's presented with Dolby Vision as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 audio. Special features are listed below.

Disc 1 - 4K UHD:

Audio commentary by director John Harrison and co-writer George A. Romero

Audio commentary by co-producer David R. Kappes

Audio commentary by film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham (new)

Disc 2 - Blu-ray:

Audio commentary by director John Harrison and co-writer George A. Romero

Audio commentary by co-producer David R. Kappes

Audio commentary by film critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham (new)

Tales Behind the Darkside – Feature-length documentary with director John Harrison, actors James Remar and Rae Dawn Chong, producer Mitchell Galin, director of photography Robert Draper, production designer Ruth Ammon, special effects artists Robert Kurtzman, Greg Nicotero, and Howard Berger, creature performer Michael Deak, and editor Harry B. Miller

Behind-the-scenes footage 

Theatrical trailer

TV spots

Radio spots

Behind-the-scenes gallery

Stills gallery

To keep from being eaten by a modern-day witch (Deborah Harry), a young paperboy weaves three twisted stories to distract her. In “Lot 249,” a vengeful college student (Steve Buscemi) resuscitates an evil mummy to teach unsuspecting student bodies (Julianne Moore, Christian Slater) a lesson in terror. Then, “Cat From Hell” is a furry black feline who cannot be killed… he may have nine lives, but those who cross his path are not so lucky. Finally, in “Lover’s Vow,” a stone gargoyle comes to life to commit murder.

Pre-order Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.

[romanceyourdemons]

i absolutely adored the coen brothers’ miller’s crossing (1990). the period piece neo-noir is an entry in a trend of such films at the end of the twentieth century, and yet it distinguishes itself from those films through its narrative and tone. many contemporary films noir set in the 1930s, though ranging in tone from chinatown (1974) to dead again (1991) to who framed roger rabbit (1988), clone the narratives of dashiell hammett and raymond chandler in their densely layered and labyrinthine twists and turns. this choice is certainly appropriate for the genre they pay homage to, but it is not the choice the coen brothers make. this film’s cast is tightly woven and its plot is simple, almost minimalistic. rather than an ever-darkening whodunnit, the film’s overwhelming emphasis is on atmosphere and tone. the gorgeous cinematography and directing put huge emphasis on negative space. rooms are shown in longer shots than are typical for the 3/4 shot-dominated noir genre; silence drags out longer than the hollywood standard prefers; dialogues are far from evenly balanced, with one character contributing far more than the other in virtually every case. these attributes draw from the third man (1949) and the french new wave, and have the same effect: presenting silence, emptiness, heartlessness, and loneliness as vitally important to survival, and utterly incompatible with well-being. with spot-on performances from all actors and absolutely gorgeous visuals throughout, this film is an absolute treat to watch. although an entry in a crowded genre, miller’s crossing (1990) is one of my favorites, and i would highly recommend it

[tightjeansjavi]

That Girl is a Problem

Part 2: “Angel Baby”

(AU street racing! Joel x f! tattoo artist reader)

A/N: I don’t know jack shit about cars but @pedgeitopascal knows I did research just for this chapter alone LOL 🤠 I went back and forth on what kinda car I wanted Joel to race in and this is what I came up with. Thank you so much for the feedback on chapter 1! This story is already sooo much fun for me to write xx

~word count: 1.9k~

Summary: Joel Miller & Tommy Miller left their Texas homestead seeking new thrills. They find themselves working at an auto body shop on Hollywood Blvd. Joel meets you, a self taught tattoo artist working on the strip. You might be just the adrenaline rush that he was searching for. Or, his ultimate heartbreak.

Warnings: Early 1990’s Los Angeles violence/scandals. Drug use, drinking, smoking, mentions of tattooing and needles, street racing, infidelity, adrenaline junkies, Joel & reader have emotional baggage, reader is a badass, love triangle between reader, Joel, and readers boyfriend, flirting, teasing, banter, jealousy, rage, trauma, dark themes, domestic emotional/physical abuse from readers boyfriend, pining, unrequited feelings, excessive drinking/drug use, sustained injuries from street racing, bar fights, jealous! Joel, darkish! Joel, possessive! Joel, eventual smut, consent, eventual established relationship, no use of (y/n) readers nickname is Angel, (+18) minors dni!

That Girl is a Problem Playlist:

𝙄'𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚...

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢.

Los Angeles, California: Summer of 1993

“You’ll never guess where I just was.” Joel strode into the open garage area of the auto body shop with a deli sandwich and cold bottle of coke in his hand. He leaned back against the tool bench as he took a bite from the sandwich, crossing ankles over one another casually.

“The zoo?” Tommy, the younger Miller brother grumbled from underneath the car he was working on. It needed an oil change desperately and the stupid teen that dropped it off earlier was being a prick about the whole thing.

“No, you asshat. Not the fuckin’ zoo Tommy.” Joel spoke with a mouthful of turkey from his sandwich.

Tommy cursed under his breath as he rolled himself out from under the car. His hands and shirt were covered in grit and grease and he smelled of burnt oil. “So then go on and spit it out man. Where did you venture off to?” Tommy grabbed a rag to wipe his hands off, sitting up on the bench as he looked over at his older brother.

“Well, I found a tattoo shop just a few blocks from here. It’s called ‘Sinful Colors’ and a super cool chick owns the gig. That ain’t even the best part. I signed up for some street racing while I was there. Guess it's a thing folks around here do every Friday and Saturday on the Hollywood strip.” Joel took a refreshing sip of his ice cold coke. Bottled coke was always the best. Hands down, nothing compared to it.

“A tattoo shop owned by a super cool chick huh? Sounds like something right up your alley Joel. What the hell do ya mean you signed up for street racing? You don’t have a car.”

“She’s fucking gorgeous too Tommy. I’m talkin’ like drop dead fucking beautiful. She is completely tatted up too. The kicker is she’s got a boyfriend that honestly sounds like a total tool. Anyway, she said all you need to race is a car, or a bike. I got a bike so—”

“Drop dead fucking gorgeous huh? Well, of course she’s taken man. All the good ones are. She’s tatted up too? Joel, you’re not gonna fuckin’ race with your bike. You know how fuckin’ insane that sounds? I ain’t about to bring you back home in a fuckin’ body bag. I know you’re searching for a good thrill and all but I ain’t about to let you die out here just cause you wanna impress some chick you just met.”

“I don��t think her boyfriend is really gonna pose a problem for me. She seemed to forget all about him when I showed up. Okay, not entirely but she was 100% flirting with me Tommy. She called me handsome and a pretty boy. She was totally checkin’ me out too. What the hell else am I supposed to drive if I wanna race?”

“Joel, she’s taken. I’m all for you healing in your own way from—” Tommy was cut off by his brother talking over him.

“Alright. I’m gonna stop ya right there before you say her name. Don’t do it Tommy, please.” Joel stared his brother down threateningly. He raised his eyebrow in his direction as if to challenge him to continue.

Seeking thrills wasn’t the only reason why Joel and Tommy moved out to California. Joel had an ex back in Texas. Delaney, Joel’s highschool sweetheart. They were engaged and set to be married in the summer. She was the love of his life, or so he thought. He caught her fucking his best friend in their home. In his bed. Joel had a fun trip to jail for the night after beating the shit out of his ex-best friend. He deserved it after all. Especially after Joel found out that Delaney was having a fucking affair for 6 months. 6 fucking months. After Tommy bailed him out the following morning, the two brothers mutually decided it was time to get the hell out of dodge. Thus, landing them in the sunny City of Angels.

The truth was, Joel was heartbroken. He loved Delaney and he thought that she was his endgame. The woman he was gonna marry and have kids with one day. Fuck her. He didn’t want to waste his breath over her any longer. He gave her everything, his all and how did she repay him? Oh, right. Having an affair with his best friend for 6 fucking months. So yes, Joel’s heart was pretty much fucking smashed into tiny little pieces but he refused to let his past rule him. Los Angeles was fresh, new, exciting, and he fully was ready to take life by horns again.

“Alright, I’m sorry. I won’t say her name, okay? I just think you should be careful with this chick. Don’t go and get yourself caught up in this Joel. I don’t want to see you hurt again is all. You’ve been through enough as it is. The last thing you need is some pretty thing playin’ with your heart. That’s all I’m sayin’ as your brother.” Tommy spoke sincerely.

Joel let out a grumble of annoyance. He knew Tommy was probably right about you. You were a bright red fucking flag in his books. The only problem was that Joel was a creature of habit, like most human beings were. A fatal flaw to possess. You were off limits, sure. That wasn’t going to stop him from seeing you. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame. A really hot, scalding, touch it and you will shrivel up and die on the spot, flame. Fuck it. He had nothing to lose, other than his pride and ego.

“I’ll be careful, okay Tommy? I ain’t goin’ and gettin’ my heart invested in nothin’. She’s just real easy on the eyes. I can just admire her from a distance and not cause any problems. Kay?”

Tommy let out a sigh as he looked at his brother, shaking his head. “Yeah, alright Joel. Whatever you say. Now about this race, you’re not entering with your bike man. I will 100% be putting my foot down about that bullshit.”

“What’s this you kids talkin’ about a race?” Wilson, the old man that owned the auto body shop, leaned against the opened garage door, cigarette dangling from his lips. “Your brother is right Joel. You can’t enter your bike into a street race. She’s fast, sure. You will end up getting yourself killed out there though.”

“With all due respect sir—” Joel was cut off by the old man sending a glare in his direction.

“Did I say you could talk, boy? You didn’t let me finish. You can’t race on your bike but I got just the thing you can race in. She’s a real beauty too.” The old man flicked his cigarette to the side before gesturing to the two Miller brothers to follow him.

Joel gave his brother a slight shrug of his shoulders before they followed the old man to another part of the shop. One that was seemingly off limits, till now. The car was covered with a thick tan tarp that was covered in dust and debris from sitting in the garage for so long. “So she might need a bit of work. Nothing major and mostly just cosmetic. Paint touch ups here and there but she runs fast, and smooth.”

“Are you really offering me a car right now Wilson?” Joel asked in disbelief.

“I sure as hell am, sonny. This baby hasn’t seen the light of day in a long time. You’ll love her, I can promise you that.” The old man pulled the tarp down, revealing a cherry red, 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.

Joel and Tommy’s eyes bugged out of their fucking skulls when they realized just what make and model of car this was. “Sir, you do realize what the fuck you have here, right? Holy fucking shit.” Both the miller boys said in unison.

“A 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.” Wilson deadpanned to the younger men.

“You seriously want me to race in this? Holy fuck. Wait, aren’t these kinds of races usually done with more modern sports cars? Not that she ain’t fast or anythin.’”

“The hell else are you gonna race in, kid? The races around here don’t use any of those crapshoot fancy modern sports cars. Only vintage sports cars and motorcycles can race. Didn’t Angel tell you the rules son?”

Joel was already running his fingers across the untouched red and white leather seats. Feeling how smooth they were against his skin. His head snapped in the old man’s direction, looking at him like he had suddenly grown 5 heads. “Hold on just a second there. You know Angel?”

“Do I look like I was just born yesterday? Course I know Angel. Her boyfriend is one of my local clients here and her dad endorsed my shop here.”

Joel grumbled under his breath, shaking his head a little. So, you really were that well known around here huh? “So you’re just gonna hand this beauty over to me? Sir, this car is worth a fucking fortune.”

“Well, like I said, she needs a little work. Nothing you two boys can’t handle. I know how much she’s worth. Could easily sell her off to one of those fancy smancy celebs around here for 3 times the amount I paid for her. If I do that, she just sits around like a collectors item and never sees the light of day. She deserves so much better than that.”

“So what is she gonna cost me? I don’t have much to offer unfortunately so I don’t even know if I can afford her—”

“She ain’t costin’ you a pretty penny, Joel. She’s all yours. Just take good care of her and then we won’t have any issues. Got it?”

“You got yourself a deal, Wilson. I promise I’ll take extra good care of her.”

“I know you will. Keys are in the glovebox. Why don’t you boys go take her out for a spin? See how she purrs.” The old man shot the two Miller brothers a wink before he headed back to his office.

“Holy fucking shit, Tommy! Did that seriously just happen? I must be dreaming. This is fucking insane.”

“Shut up and get the keys Joel! You heard the old man, let’s see how this babe purrs!” Tommy was already hopping in the passenger seat while Joel climbed into the driver's seat. Both brothers looked like two giddy kids in a candy shop as Joel inserted the key into the ignition as the engine purred to life. He couldn’t help but rev the engine a bit, just to see what she was capable of.

He backed the car out onto Hollywood blvd and drove right past your shop. You were working on Joel’s sketch for his knuckle tats when a blur of bright, cherry red zoomed past the shop's window. You had no idea who the hell was driving the car, but the one thing you did know was that the driver had to be undeniably hot.

After taking her for a joy ride through the Hollywood Hills, the Miller brothers returned to the shop, pumped full of adrenaline. After a few paint touch ups, and an engine check, she was good to go. Joel, however, wanted to add just a bit of flare. While Tommy was on his break, his older brother had taken it upon himself to add a decal on one of the wings on the back of the car. Angel Baby. How perfectly fitting.

Tag List:@chaotic-mystery @peterhollandkait @lovers-liability @korynnekorynne @loquaciousferret @cutesyscreenname @atinylittlepain @yazsos @kirsteng42 @777-wonders @last-girl @pedgeitopascalreads @tinygarbage @wonder-harley @casa-boiardi @alwaysdjarin @bellaramseygfsblog

[mrhaitch]

I sent this similar question to Haitch…and you can answer this whenever you’re free…no rush..hope the Haitch household is doing well ^^

Oh god. Okay, I'll do this from left to right (start top left, finish bottom right)

1. Cyrano De Bergerac (1990) - I watch it once a year, usually when I'm struggling.

2. The Death of Staling ("unhand me you rude fucking pies, my father will have you saddled and ridden to Siberia" always cracks me up)

3. Any of the original Indiana Jones trilogy.

4. Casablanca

5. The Act of Killing - seeing a former member of the Indonesian death squads forced to make a film about his own actions stare down the camera, eyes brimming with tears, asking "am I evil?"

6. I can't put Cyrano De Bergerac twice, so probably The Fellowship of the Ring (extended cut)

7. Probably The Producers (the musical remake with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane)

8. American Hustle

9. Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl doesn't get talked about enough.

10. Almost anything with Leonardo Di bloody Caprio in it.

11. Robin Hood Men in Tights (I know why, it's Mel Brooks. I love Mel Brooks)

12. Hunchback of Notre Dame (the Disney animated one, shut up)

13. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

14. The Grand Budapest Hotel OR Life Itself (the Roger Ebert documentary)

15. This is a hard one - I have a deep affection for Ray from In Bruges (redemption arc, genuine remorse), Greg from Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl (very close to who I was as a teenager), and Tom from Miller's Crossing.

16. The Guillermo Del Toro Hellboy films (the second was the best)

17. Too many to list - a lot of Paul Bettany's back catalogue comes to mind (looking at you Priest)

18. Hereditary - I consider myself a Horror film veteran, but this one caught me off guard. It lives up to the hype, as did Midsommar.

19. Shanghai Knights (loved it as a kid)

20. Burn After Reading (I love a farce, but it tends to be a footnote when people list Coen Brothers films)

21. Pan's Labyrinth

22. Probably The Hunchback of Notre Dame (again)

23. Guillermo Del Toro

24. Stranger than Fiction

I've tried to avoid repeating films as best I can but it's unavoidable, and I am positive I'm missing some of my favourites here but they're just not popping into my head.

And if anyone, anyone at all, wants to fight me on the Hunchback of Notre Dame there won't be enough of you left to bury.