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Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession review
:. Director: Xan Cassavetes
:. Genre: Documentary
:. Running Time: 2:00
:. Year: 2004
:. Country: USA
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I didn't grow up in Los Angeles and never got the chance to watch the Z channel, a local cable channel that championed obscure art house films and forgotten masterpieces. But I certainly can understand the importance of such a channel, coming from a country that cherishes movies, keeps commercial interruptions at a minimum and, most importantly, doesn't edit them for content or time.
While she never met Jerry Harvey, Z's main programmer and central figure of this documentary, director Xan Cassavetes did get to watch Z when she was little and, most importantly, she certainly understands what great cinema is, thanks to her own genetic heritage.
Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession focuses on Harvey, the emblematic programmer of the channel who, following the beginning of Z's downfall, killed himself after killing his wife. Harvey, a disturbed and psychotic film geek, was invited to work for Z, after sending a string of angry letters complaining about the channel's poor programming. Thanks to his passion and knowledge for world cinema as well as the access to studios' catalog, he fashioned out of Z a cult avant-garde channel, that not only would give back life to some forgotten or unknown works but would also (re)launch the careers of some major actors—James Woods—filmmakers—Michael Cimino—and restore some films to their original cut glory—Heaven's Gate, The Wild Bunch, Das Boot.
Ultimately influencing the industry as most of Z's subscribers were working in Hollywood, Harvey became close to some of the very directors he adored, including Sam Peckinpah, and he slowly became a major but discreet player in this town. The film is co-produced by Harvey's close friend and Z film critic F.X. Feeney and includes interviews with Quentin Tarantino, Robert Altman and Jim Jarmush, among others, all acknowledging Z's undeniable influence.
But what makes this film more than just a basic biographical documentary is that Xan, through the story of Harvey and Z, shows the evolution of cinema from the early 70's, quoting various film clips, world cinema from Fellini to Altman, without forgetting some less important entries such as skin flicks: Z's late night erotic program was highly popular. Some things don't change.
Cassavetes not only channels Harvey's love of cinema in her own work, but she perfectly balances the different tones of the film, from the contaminating rush of these great years of cinema to Harvey's dark side. Z's end coincided with the rise of HBO & Showtime, which pretty much copied its formula backed by more cash, but while the channel has been off the air for a while, its influence is still present, having provided some major filmmakers with new sources of inspiration, years before DVDs started to democratize cinephilia.
Cassavetes even had the decency not to include her dad at all cost here—at a Q&A at the L.A Film Festival, she said he always refused to have his work featured for a tribute to Z, claiming that retrospectives are only for dead people. When the end credits start rolling, one has the urge to (re)discover most of the films mentioned here, which attest to the success of Cassavetes' work, way beyond the limited borders of this "local" documentary and Harvey's legacy.
Fred Thom
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