Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004) Xan Cassavetes, Robert Altman, Vera Carlisle Anderson, C.l. Batten, Documentary, History

In Magnificent Obsession: The Outrageous History of Film Buffs, Collectors, Scholars, and Fanatics, author Anthony Slide looks at the way film has dominated the minds and lives of film buffs, film collectors, film academics, and just plain fans of past movies.

Throughout American history, from the Revolution to San Juan Hill and to the sands of Iraq, black soldiers have fought and died under the Stars and Stripes. Long before they were recognized as citizens, much less equals, African-Americans sacrificed their lives for a society from which they were largely excluded. Through period accounts, first-person recollections, and rare photos and footage, the difficult journey of the African-American men and women who fought to secure their rightful place in the U.S. Military is followed.

This digital release is a companion to “John Boyden: A Celebration” and presents a new recording of Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 (“Die Forelle/The Trout”), performed by Jonathan Higgins and the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. John Boyden, a luminary in the British music industry, is honored with this tribute, marking his exceptional contributions to classical music.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 changed the world forever. Almost overnight, an entire society was destroyed and replaced with one of the biggest and most radical social experiments ever seen. Within a generation, millions would be killed and almost one third of the world’s population would be living in the shadow of communism. The programme make use of dramatised recreations, written witness acounts, interviews with experts and colourised archival footage to tell how this extraordinary event happened.

In Magnificent Obsession: The Outrageous History of Film Buffs, Collectors, Scholars, and Fanatics, author Anthony Slide looks at the way film has dominated the minds and lives of film buffs, film collectors, film academics, and just plain fans of past movies.