Grindhouse Fans Gotta Check Out Missing Reel

Missing Reel

Hey, Quentin Tarantino, guess what? I found your new favorite web series. And it’s not just you who’s going to like it — any hardcore fan of classic exploitation movies will enjoy the detail-rich Missing Reel.

The nonfiction Blip.tv-hosted series, created by producer Kurt Lloyd and film historian David Walker, features the two men discussing films that fall under the category of “grindhouse” — 70s flicks with low budgets, loose morals and plenty of thrills. Each episode takes on a specific subgenre of the era; so far, they’ve tackled “rape revenge” films like I Spit on Your Grave and blaxploitation westerns like Buck and the Preacher. The topics are clearly sensitive, but the approach is academic yet approachable, making even offensive subjects palatable.

Each 10-minute installment uses old-timey film effects as well as vintage pre-film shorts to transition between shots, and the production values are solid (with some occasionally low sound levels). And the show’s focus on finding hidden treasures keeps it informative and intriguing.

The overall effect is more film history than celebration, with more talking head moments than actual clips, and while Lloyd and Walker clearly know their stuff, their tone is a bit formal. The biggest suggestion I would offer Missing Reel, frankly, is for them to seem actually excited about the films they’re discussing. They clearly have a fan’s passion for the topic — they shouldn’t be afraid to show it.

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