Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession

Seen it?

2004 | 121 min | History, Documentary

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious and history buffs. If you loved The Look of Silence, start here.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 1 min.
What might put you off
Rated R: meant for adults.

A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 8K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Xan Cassavetes

  • Quentin TarantinoSelf
  • Robert AltmanSelf
  • Jim JarmuschSelf
  • Paul VerhoevenSelf
  • Alexander PayneSelf
  • James WoodsSelf
  • Henry JaglomSelf
  • Jacqueline BissetSelf
  • Kris KristoffersonSelf
  • Theresa RussellSelf