Meg Shields

Based in the Pacific North West, Meg enjoys long scrambles on cliff faces and cozying up with a good piece of 1960s eurotrash. As a senior contributor at FSR, Meg's objective is to spread the good word about the best of sleaze, genre, and practical effects.
Blade Runner Eye and camera aperture

The Beginner’s Guide to Camera Aperture

By Meg Shields 

Here’s a look at how filmmakers weaponize camera apertures and what makes them such an essential storytelling tool.

The Dark Knight Christopher Nolan Crosscut

How Christopher Nolan Uses Crosscutting to Build Momentum

By Meg Shields 

One of Christopher Nolan’s trademark techniques is the crosscut. Here’s a look at why, via ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Inception,’ and ‘Interstellar.’

James Bond Opening Titles Collage

Every James Bond Opening Title Sequence, Ranked

By Anna Swanson, and Meg Shields 

Maurice Binder said it best: “Girls, guns, smoke, and steam.”

The Bay

‘The Bay’ and the Horror of Inaction During a Public Health Crisis

By Meg Shields 

Anyone else feel itchy?

Original Gunnery Sergeant Full Metal Jacket Tim Colceri

The Brutal Story Behind the Re-Casting of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman

By Meg Shields 

Tim Colceri losing the role of the foul-mouthed Gunnery Sergeant classifies him as one of the most tortured Kubrick actors of all time.

North By Northwest Editing

Lessons in Editing: When Not to Cut

By Meg Shields 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand…wait for it….cut!

Get Out Evil Rose

What ‘Get Out’ Can Teach Us About the Banality of Evil

By Meg Shields 

Hannah Arendt tells us evil comes from a failure to think. So here’s a video essay on how the philosophical theory manifests in ‘Get Out,’ to get you thinking.

Psycho Rear Projection Shot

How Does Rear Projection Work?

By Meg Shields 

Roll plate!

Wes Anderson Hitchcock homage

How Wes Anderson’s Nod to Hitchcock Exemplifies What an Homage Should Be

By Meg Shields 

What is the difference between a lazy rip-off and an artful homage?