A CRITICAL LOOK AT CABLE’S FILM CHANNELS

Movies may not be better than ever but, through the last decade, TV movie watching definitely is. Cable and the proliferation of new channels have shattered the old norms, turned the average TV set into a potential home cinematheque.

For a plucky movie buff, with a cable guide and a VCR, there’s almost no end to the cinematic riches available. Following: a critical guide to the best cable channels for the movie specialist. NO. 1

The Rainbow Service: Bravo and American Movie Classics. Bravo and AMC are not uniformly accessible on all cable systems. But they should be. This is the premier service for movie buffs.

Together, they show a broad variety of classics, uncut, uninterrupted by commercials. AMC specializes in what’s usually called “the Golden Age”--the Hollywood Studio period from the early sound era through the late ‘40s-with a liberal sampling of post-’40s movies as well.

AMC movies are usually introduced by a charming host, Bob Dorian, whose intimate, avuncular manner and witty backstage anecdotes provide a perfect, relaxed background for the movies, both the good and mediocre.

Bravo serves an even more vital function. It’s often the only major outlet for foreign language film classics-or was until recently, when the station made an unfortunate experiment: temporarily downplaying foreign movies in favor of the kind of American or British medium-budget film often described as “quirky” or “offbeat.”

Perhaps Bravo was bowing to current trends; perhaps it felt it was recycling too many films. In any case, it is back to a solid foreign and American independent lineup with movies by Mizoguchi, Bunel, Herzog, Pagnol, Kurosawa, Eisenstein and Jim Jarmusch-and that, one hopes, is where they will stay.

Of the remaining options, here are the best. PREMIUM CHANNELS

Cinemax. This choice may seem surprising, but Cinemax is far superior to its sister channel, HBO, and the other HBO clones such as Showtime. As much as AMC, Cinemax is a station for movie lovers. Its policy: Try to annex everyone else’s territory-except, unfortunately, foreign films, which it tends to ignore.

Cinemax shows Hollywood classics, usually from the post-’50s era, a variety of genres, recent Hollywood hits and, in the late evening, even a little soft-core porno to steal some of the blue thunder from the Playboy Channel. (Parents with tireless children should be aware of this.)

In addition, Cinemax regularly screens film noirs, and it has a monthly “director’s chair” series that will appeal to incipient auteurists: William Wyler, Don Siegel and Frank Tashlin have been recent retrospective subjects.

The Disney Channel. Obviously, the premium channel for families who want a wide variety of good children’s programming. But a cavil: I have never understood why a network that owes its entire existence and heritage to animation would program cartoons so sparingly-and not only Disney’s own. For the Fleischer, Warners, MGM or Paramount backlog one has to go to other cable channels; recent or classic foreign animation is generally unavailable everywhere.

Of the other premium channels, there’s little to say. The Movie Channel has much more variety and adventurous spirit, but Showtime and HBO spend too much energy and strategy trying to beat each other to the latest over-hyped smash hit. The Playboy Channel seems fairly hapless right now: a flavorless stew of breasts, thighs and soft-core gravy. BASIC CHANNELS

TNT. Nothing is black and white-and wonders never cease. Ted Turner, film buff bete noir for his colorizing antics and cavalier attitude, partially has vindicated himself by establishing TNT: a haven for all the great old black and white movies we thought colorization would destroy. TNT books classics or curios from every era of American film-concentrating on the MGM-Warners films from Turner’s hard-bought catalogue-and juxtaposes them imaginatively.

There is even, on Sunday, an excellent foreign classic series, hosted by Roddy MacDowall, which shows crisp new prints in the proper format: letterbox for wide-screen. TNT, even more than AMC, also ferrets out that rich, neglected part of our heritage, silent movies-though usually only on rare occasions or wee-morning hours. So what’s the story on Ted Turner? Is this guy Jekyll and Hyde or what? If he’s paying obeisance for his sins, TNT is a splendid act of contrition.

Arts & Entertainment. Along with Bravo, Arts & Entertainment is the bulwark for foreign film devotees. And, in recent months, while Bravo was trying to awaken us to the delights of “Crazy Moon” or “Julia and Julia,” A&E;, still booking films like “Death in Venice,” “Danton” and “La Nuit De Varennes,” seemed to be carrying the torch almost alone. Happily, it’s now part of a general group-including Bravo and the non-cable channel KCET. In addition to its small monthly foreign language complement, A&E; also offers a diverse range of generally sophisticated films: from British comedies to Hollywood cult movies.

Another Turner station, TBS, is only a step behind these two: it’s particularly strong on Westerns and comedies. The other basic channels-including Lifetime, Family, WOR, WGN and USA-have their moments.