The Queue

The Queue is an oft-recurring column in which Meg Shields provides you with a distraction of curated video content sourced from across the web.

If you’re new to The Queue, start here:

Explore the full archives for The Queue below

Only God Forgives film lighting gaffer

An (Illuminating) Beginner’s Guide to What a Gaffer Does on a Film Set

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Ever wondered what, or who, a “gaffer” is? Well, let’s … shed some light on the subject.

The Rocketeer

Warmth, Wonder, and the Wild Cinematic Shelf Life of ‘The Rocketeer’

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Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s one of the most earnest and bizarre superhero movies ever made!

The Shining And Lost Highway and auteur theory

A Tale of Two Auteurs: the Myth of Bad Behavior as Artistic Process

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Hear us out: treating actors poorly = bad.

Dr Strangelove Pablo Ferro

A Beginner’s Guide to Pablo Ferro: A Titan of Movie Title Design

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There are giants of movie title design…and then there’s Pablo Ferro.

Mandy Nic Cage Overacting Smile

The Art of Overacting: How Going Big Can Make a Scene Better

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Sometimes overacting is good, actually.

Ghost World

What Makes ‘Ghost World’ Such a Successful Comic Book Adaptation

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“Well, I have to admit that things are really starting to look up for me since my life turned to shit.”

Bad Education

Class, Color-Coding, and the Brilliant Costume Design of ‘Bad Education’

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What’s red, white, and embezzled public school funds?

Soviet Animation History

From Agitprop to Artistic Rebellion: A Brief History of Soviet Animation

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Art is always political. But especially when you’re an animator in the Soviet Union.

My Own Private Idaho

How ‘My Own Private Idaho’ Broke Boundaries for Queer Cinema

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“I love you, and you don’t pay me.”