Z Channel fondly remembered

Before HBO or Blockbuster came along, selected parts of Los Angeles could see movies that were no longer in theaters on the legendary Z Channel. In the 1970s and '80s, the pay TV service was where studios wanted their films shown during Oscar voting. It programmed film festivals, published Z magazine and presented top filmmakers in conversation with Charles Champlin, then the Times film critic. The April-May issue of V Life, Variety's glossy, has a long piece by Andrew Berg on the rise and fall of the Z Channel, which began in 1974 and shut down less than a year after programmer Jerry Harvey murdered his wife then shot himself in 1988. Also, the Hollywood Reporter's Gregg Kilday reports today from Cannes on a trio of former fans -- led by Xan Cassavetes, the daughter of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands -- who have a made a documentary for IFC called Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession.