Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

Has anyone seen this documentary? Or watched "Z Channel" when it transmitted? I'd never heard of it before today's WMFU blog, but wow:


Seeing Xan Cassavettes' recent documentary Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession I became somewhat jealous that I didn't grow up in LA and have the access to this amazing independent pay-TV service that programmed the most eclectic films imaginable. Z Channel, started in 1974, was freeform defined, broadcasting everything from never-seen-on-TV foreign films to celebrated Golden Turkeys to kitschy softcore, often showcasing single directors or actors for a given week. They were unafraid to air the epic 15 hour Berlin Alexanderplatz. Ratings were not an issue, quality was. And it worked; Z Channel reigned supreme (kicking both HBO and Cinemax's collective asses in the LA area), influencing many minds and breathing life into many overlooked films that the promo machine just didn't work correctly the first time around.

It was all programmed by Jerry Harvey, an obsessive (and self-admittedly crazy) personality who lived and breathed cinema, often aided by young kids he'd pluck out of video stores whom he felt were kindred spirits. Though he was relatively small in stature vocation-wise on entertainment biz terms, Harvey commanded total respect in the industry and was closely followed for his insight to the finer facets of movie programming, clearly laid out for the viewer by the channel's monthly guide/magazine. He was the first person to hype many unknown directors who passed through the Hollywood machine unnoticed (Robert Altman became a friend, as did a forgotten-by-the-industry Sam Peckinpah). After Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate was ruled a disaster and killed United Artists by being the biggest commercial flop in Hollywood history, Harvey's posthumous focus on the film's uncut version (something he also did with Leone's Once Upon a Time In America, a film that in its first go-around got edited "by some guy who did Police Academy 2") actually swayed some influential critics to do a complete 180. It was that kind of nurturing and passion that made Harvey one of the industry's most valued commodities in the 1970's and 80's.

But, like many driven artists, Harvey himself was completely riddled with many demons in his life. This coupled with the pressures of trying to remain pure to a vision amidst the naggings of a commercial network leaning on him eventually manifested itself in the murder of his wife, and suicide. It's a sad, yet fascinating story worth checking out as I think it would appeal to many WFMU listeners, if only for the montage of great films excerpted and name-checked that can easily go on one's to-rent list. There are some interesting interviews as well with people who were close to Harvey, plus Hollywood luminaries like Jackie Bissett, James Woods, Quentin Tarantino, and Jim Jarmusch all giving testimony.

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2005/11/z_channels_free.html

The documentary is directed by John Cassavetes daughter, Alexandra. Here's a Guardian piece about it:

http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2004/story/0,14498,1219259,00.html

I think this page from IMDB has a sample of the films played on Z Channel (it certainly lists those mentioned in the documentary):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405496/movieconnections

And finally a link to Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AQKV0I/

I've also read that it is available through Netflix. Sadly for me, it doesn't seem as if a UK release is coming any time soon (so provides yet another reason why I need a multi-region DVD player!)

[esvhicl]

1. This Angeleno watched it

I was nineteen in 1974 and remember it well. Since I was busy with college and partying--normal activities for 19 year old, I didn't spend hours in front of the television.

But my mom loved Z vhannel and recorded many VHS tapes off of their programming. She still has them as she has the largest library of home-recorded VHS tapes, that I've ever seen! What will we do with them when the day comes you can no longer buy a VCR? And by the by, they haven't disintegrated over time. It's be interesting to see how long the tapes remain stable.

[kwassa]

2. I had Z Channel, too.

In a way it replaced the art film houses like the Aero up on Santa Monica.

The girlfriend and I had it from about 1979 to about 1983. We split up, I moved and went to basic cable after that. In the early days of cable in LA, it was a commonly known that the cable company put mechanical scramblers in the line, which anyone could unscrew, and did, to get free pay channels. We did it, too. When I moved, the system had changed to boxes on the TV that they controlled. So, no more free movie channels.

Thanks for the story, though, as I didn't know any of the history.