Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is a 2004 documentary film about Los Angeles pay cable channel Z Channel which was directed by Xan Cassavetes, daughter of Hollywood director and actor John Cassavetes. It was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.MUBI
The documentary is about Z Channel, which was one of the early pay cable TV stations in the United States. Z Channel became famous for showing an eclectic variety of films, including foreign language, silent, documentary, director's cut, forgotten, overlooked, under-appreciated, erotic as well as mainstream films, without commercials and uncut and letterboxed when possible.Summer Rental: 'Z Channel'|Commonweal MagazineNew Beverly Cinema
The film also tells the story of Z Channel's programming director Jerry Harvey who was a film lover, programming genius, and a man almost single-handedly responsible for getting many great films shown to the public. It gives insights into Harvey's constant battle with personal demons, which resulted in him ending his life and the life of his wife in a murder-suicide.Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession on AV/FilmUNCUT
Throughout the film a variety of footage featuring some of the films shown on the Z Channel is used. This serves to underline the diversity offered on the channel in particular its attempts to expose its American viewers to undubbed foreign language films.Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) - Trailer on YouTube
The films ends with a montage of scenes of such films with Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do?" theme being played over the top of them as performed by the actor William Atherton from the film The Great Gatsby (1974).Film Montage from "Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession" (2004) on YouTube
People interviewed for the film Robert Altman Alexander Payne Quentin Tarantino Jacqueline BissetJacqueline Bisset - Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession on YouTube Theresa Russell Jim Jarmusch Stuart CooperZ Channel: Overlord on YouTube F. X. Feeney Penelope Spheeris James Woods Henry Jaglom Vilmos Zsigmond James B. Harris
Selected films featured on Z Channel Heaven's Gate Once Upon a Time in America Overlord Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid McCabe and Mrs. Miller Das Boot The Wild Bunch The Leopard 1900 That Most Important Thing: LoveZ Channel: The Important Thing is to Love on YouTube Ride the High Country Salvador Black Orpheus Paths of Glory My Darling ClementineThe Death of Z Channel--What Now? : The History : Beset by troubles, quirky station will switch to all-sports
Reception Z Channel has an overall approval rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
On Metacritic, the film scored 85/100, based on 4 critics.
Home media The film was released to DVD in 2004 as a 2-disc special edition, which included numerous bonus features. A standard 1-disc edition followed in 2005.Amazon.com: Z Channel - A Magnificent Obsession
It was made available on Shout! Cult June 2022 and Criterion Channel in July 2024. New in June on Shout! Cult - Shout Factory on YouTubeThe Criterion Channel's July 2024 Lineup|Current|The Criterion Collection
See also Cinephilia 2004 in film The Snob's Dictionary - The channel mentioned in the Film Snob edition
References
External links
Promo on YouTube