Z Channel - A Magnificent Obsession

USA 2004, 120 minutes
Dir. Xan Cassavetes
Rating: [Exempt]
Genres: Documentary / Film History

Aroview: Relevant to any movie buff, this documentary charts the 1970s rise of one of America's first cable TV stations - Channel Z - and its fascinating cinephile programmer Jerry Harvey, who was loved by filmmakers all over the world for his idiosyncratic tastes and promotion of the concept of 'the director's cut'.

Tragically, in 1988 Harvey shot himself in a murky murder-suicide which revealed a darker side to his obsessions, but his legacy lives on in cable-channels like Sundance, Rialto and Independent. Dir. Cassevetes (daughter of John), elicits a raft of interviews with filmmakers and actors - Robert Altman, Henry Jaglom, Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne, Alan Rudolph, Theresa Russell, Penelope Spheeris, Quentin Tarantino and James Woods - all of whom testify to the importance of Harvey's work.

Member Reviews

Average rating (Very Good). Showing 1-1 of 1 member reviews.

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4 stars (Very Good) There is a fair balance between the channel's main player Jerry Harvey and the eclectic range of the films shown (in their uncut versions where applicable). A very generous amount of film clips is complemented by a very respectable raft of interviewees. ~Tubbs