Z/LCD & M.I.A./D.O.A.

• I owe Xan Cassavetes an apology. I was under the impression that she had made some boring doc about a community access cable show that specialized in esoteric crapola and the weird cult that ate it up. Oops. Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is an expertly (and lovingly) assembled look at the first pay cable channel in the Los Angeles area, which specialized in art house fare and esoteric crapola. It's like Boogie Night minus the porn and money and with lots of movie programming and cinephilia. There are, of course, other (darker) elements to it, but I'm hesitant to give anything away. The movie caught me completely off guard and if you know little to nothing about it, all the better. IFC's replaying it a couple times this week, make it a priority to catch it.
  
  
• I caught the LCD Soundsystem/M.I.A. show over the weekend and it made me feel very old. Who knew that every single high school student in Los Angeles county is way into Sri Lankan rappers and middle-aged disco-rockers? These kids must really be into those Interweb blogs and the Pitchfork. Whatever, it was a loud, sweaty, visceral blast. Oh and here's proof that I wasn't the oldest person at the show. (And is it me, or is her nose melting in this pic?)
  
  
• Has anyone seen Three Days of the Condor? If so, is it worth anymore of my time? I ask because I made it approximately 30 minutes in and I had to turn it off. Offense #1: one of the worst, most inappropriate scores I've ever heard. Offense #2: Robert Redford's unchecked preening. He's just the smartest, most dashing translator of foreign texts EVER and he just has such perfectly coiffed hair... you know, for a bookworm and all. It made me want to die. (Confession: I was trashed. Maybe I owe it a sober viewing. I somehow doubt it.)