Monday, July 26, 2010

Z CHANNEL: A MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (HART SHARP)

For those of us privileged enough to see this spectacular channel, this documentary really touches a nerve. This channel started in 1974 and was instrumental in starting the trend of showing movies uncut and commercial free, which in 1974 was unheard of.
In 1980 a creative genius named Jerry harvey took over as programmer of the Z Channel and history was made. Jerry was a cinephile who LOVED film and wanted people to see movies as they were meant to be shown.
Harvey's vision brought many movies to the small screen that had been neglected or abused by the movie critics and gave the fans what they wanted. Such neglected films as Belin Alexanderplatz, Heaven's Gate, Salvador and many others.
In this wonderful documentary you'll hear from gorgeous Jacqueline Bisset, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Altman and many others who's films were shown on the Z Channel.
Harvey was a tragic figure who finally surrendered to inner deamons and killed his wife and himself in 1987.
Harvey's great friendship with Sam Peckinpah is spotlighted as well as his love for Michael Cimino and Heaven's Gate.
This is a 2 disc set that any film fan must see. If you think crap like HBO, Showtime and the Movie Channel were the first, you are wrong...it was the Z Channel, and thank god for it.
I fondly remember seeing the totally uncut version of Sex Kittens Go To College with Mamie Van Doran on that channel.

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