Paul A
As "Channel Z: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004 release; 119 min) opens, multiple talking heads reveal which was the first film they saw on Channel Z, one of the first pay TV stations in the country, and based in LA. We then go back in time and are introduced to Jerry Harvey, a movie uber-fan who eventually became program director at Channel Z. As one of the talking heads reminds us: "This was before cassettes, before Blockbuster, there was nothing!" At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Xan Cassavetes (daughter of John). Here she looks back how a small pay TV channel was able to withstand (at least for a while) a burgeoning HBO and Showtime in the early 80s, by focusing on quality foreign, indie, documentary, "director's cuts" and other stuff that simply was never done by anyone else. In other words: it provided a much needed outlet as an alternative to the Hollywood studios. Perhaps the best example of all is Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate", which was brutally savaged upon its initial release by both critics and the public alike, only to find a new and much cherished life after Channel Z premiered the "director's cut" 2 years after its initial release. But there are many other such stories ("1900", "Das Boot", "Once Upon a Time in America", and on and on). If you are of a certain age, you will lick your fingers as you are watching this. (I was 20 when "Heaven's Gate" was originally released.) And yes, the movie also examines Jerry Harvey's personal and family demons. Bottom line: I couldn't get over the fact how much I enjoyed this documentary from start to finish.
This movie was recently suggested to me by Amazon Prime, based on my viewing habits. I had no idea as I was watching this that this is by no means a new release, and in fact this documentary is now approaching 20 years. No matter. If you LOVE movies, in particular those that are somewhat (or a whole lot) off-center and out of the mainstream, I'd readily suggest you check this put, and draw your own conclusion.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary, which is a twofold tale of the first real television network for cineastes (i.e. film geeks) of its kind, serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area from the mid '70s to the early '90s, and the visionary master programmer Jerry Harvey who elevated the network to documentary-worthy heights. Director Xan Cassavetes (daughter of the legendary independent and iconoclast filmmaker John Cassavetes) spun these stories with an engaging and fun style. She accomplished this in a number of ways. There are the great testimonials on the philosophy and workings of Z Channel from many of the key people who were there with Harvey for the station's epic-but-all-too-abbreviated glory days, along with the several featured artists, some of whom benefited from the existence of Z directly and some who were inspired by it before breaking into the business. Some of my favourite film people are in here -- Jim Jarmusch, Robert Altman, Henry Jaglom, and Quentin Tarantino, among them. Of course, what all of these people have in common is a genuine love for film as an art form and they convey it beautifully in the finished product here. Also effective and important to this story are the plethora of given examples of Z Channel's diverse programming - titles, titles, titles (I took note of some stuff I haven't seen yet, but want to, such as "The Leopard," "Images," and "Overlord") - which sumptuously show the sheer scope of what was served up for hungry film lover's consumption. I was most impressed by Z's dedication to airing the complete and uncut versions of such films as "Berlin Alexanderplatz" (15-and-a-half hours long) "Heaven's Gate," "1900," and "Das Boot," to name a few. Then there's the tragic story of Jerry Harvey, himself. I really liked how Cassavetes used segments of a radio interview of Harvey in the parts of the film that zoomed in closely on his life, which becomes more and more haunting because from the beginning we know how it's going to end. The whole thing is quite a saga and makes for some truly compelling stuff. The dvd set includes a mini-representation of an issue of Z Magazine and is a terrific added bonus. I quite like the writings and stylings of critic F.X. Feeney, who was a featured contributor in this film as well as serving as one of its producers. There's also an additional disc of extras. This dvd set is a true treasure indeed.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/28/23
Full Review
Audience Member
You probably have to be from Los Angeles to best appreciate this doco about a forerunner of movie cable TV channels that started out there. Apparently, it ran an eclectic mix of arthouse and cult movies, often organized into mini "film festivals" from the mid-1970s until the mid to late 1980s and fended off HBO and Showtime for that long. This film by Cassavetes' daughter Xan focuses on Z Channel programmer Jerry Harvey whose efforts led to wide acclaim but who was a tortured soul who eventually killed his wife and himself. So, half the movie focuses on Z Channel and its appeal (with talking heads such as Robert Altman, James Woods, and Theresa Russell singing its praises) and the other half focuses on Harvey and his problems (with an ex-wife, former girlfriend and many Z Channel colleagues chiming in). There are a heap of movie clips (a surprising number of which feature nudity, making films like Andrei Rublev seem a lot more sexy than they really are) and this keeps things interesting for the first half. But as the movie gets darker and longer, the heavier concentration of interview footage becomes a bit tiresome. Still, it's a fascinating slice of our cultural history.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/04/23
Full Review
Audience Member
An amazing story about movies and a tragic life story of an interesting yet deeply disturbed man.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/08/23
Full Review
Audience Member
The story of Z Channel, one of the first cable TV stations in the US that went on to inspire a whole generation of filmmakers and cinephiles. But it's also the story of the rise and fall of its mastermind and chief programmer Jerry Harvey, a deeply troubled man. Xan Cassavetes' documentary is a good tribute and an inspiring story about the power of cable television but also about cinephilia in general. Its dark undertones are tastefully never used to an excess and through the use of plenty of behind the scenes anecdotes as well as people who were directly influenced by Z Channel, this is quite an entertaining and insightful work.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
Full Review
Audience Member
If you're a movie enthusiast, this is a documentary for you.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
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