Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

This would make a good double-feature with Cinemania. A compelling documentary about a Los Angeles cable channel from the 80's, and its film-obsessed program director. One odd and slightly disturbing thing about this movie: the film clips they selected include an alarmingly disproportionate number of nude scenes. No kidding, you see bush about eight or nine times.

Compelling documentary with Jerry Harvey as its main subject, rather than the groundbreaking channel. Paints a dark and slightly melancholy image of a man who clearly wanted to be a director but ended up changing the way many of us see films today.

I've seen this movie twice, and am still intrigued by it. The rise and fall of an upstart network (and how it affacted Hollywood) parrallel to the rise and fall of its creator. This movie MAKES you want to go watch more movies. If you like this website (Criticker) you'll like this movie.

Full of incisive commentary on Harvey's particular brand of madness and art/film in general -- I spent a good part of the movie running into things I'd like to write down, and actually did so the second time around.

An amazing, but little known story about a channel and it's amazing impact on the film industry and mostly the tragic figure who made it happen. Some of the clips they showed made me want to watch the real films!

An interesting documentary chronicling the rise and fall of a highly influential Los Angeles cable channel and its eclectic head of programming. If nothing else, you will come away from Z Channel with an excellent list of films to seek out.

Fascinating stuff. I definitely have a few more interesting titles to seek out.

Interesting subject material, but such a standard doco format.Actually, great film footage really pushes it above.

Excellent.

Who knew a dry documentary about an obscure cable television channel available in only one city would be so damn interesting?

Decent documentary about a time that I wish I could have grown up in.

The story of Z Channel and Jerry Harvey could have been very interesting if only there had been more material surviving documenting his life and work. As a parade of photographs interspersed with talking heads, this story seems very distant and anecdotal. Like most film buffs, I probably got more enjoyment from seeing the glut of classic film clips, and adding one or two of them to my watchlist. Pleasant enough to watch but more superficial than revelatory.

(Viewed on 08/15): The Z Channel was a significant film cultural institution that was responsible for resurrecting many forgotten or maligned films, often by showing director's cuts that improved their reputation. As a result, it served as film school for a whole generation of American film makers like Payne and Tarantino, among others. The documentary takes a standard talking heads approach and gets derailed when it delves too deeply into the personal troubles of its creator, Jerry Harvey.

Like a Reefer Madness-esque scare film about the thrilling but dangerous high of cinephilia. EXCEPT IT'S ALL TRUE ! ! !