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.
Whiplash Short Film

Why Do So Many Short Films Have That “Look”?

By Meg Shields 

Moral of the story: color grading is a storytelling device.

Jaws Axial Cut

The Axial Cut Explained and Why Filmmakers Use It

By Meg Shields 

And … [axial] cut!

Network Monologue

The Ballad of Howard Beale: Why We Keep Misreading ‘Network’

By Meg Shields 

“Good morning, Mr. Beale. They tell me you’re a madman.”

The Godfather Squibs

A Brief, Bloody History of How Gunshot Squibs Work

By Meg Shields 

Small, but mighty: here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about squibs.

Tenet Train Tracks

Plot ≠ Story: What We Mean When We Say A Movie is “Just Vibes”

By Meg Shields 

Say it with me: plot is not the same thing as story!

Barbie

12 Movies to Watch if You Like ‘Barbie’

By Meg Shields 

She’s everything. Including these twelve movies.

1999 Movies

Why Were There So Many Iconic Movies in 1999?

By Meg Shields 

Tonight I’m gonna [watch movies] like it’s 1999

Fire Within Fire Of Love

‘The Fire Within’ vs ‘Fire of Love’ and the Hunt for Adequate Images

By Meg Shields 

Two volcano movies from 2022 enter … one movie leaves (it’s the one directed by Werner Herzog).

Oppenheimer Black And White

Why You Should Care About Oppenheimer’s B&W IMAX Film Stock

By Meg Shields 

Nolan is going back to black (and white).