‘Strange Frequency’ More Hit Than Miss

As a rule, anthology films are a mixed bag. For every decent vignette, there can be a couple of losers. In the case of “Strange Frequency,” a cable film consisting of four stories that meld music, suspense and the supernatural tonight on VH1, the good outweighs the mediocre.

Relying on a capable cast of veterans and young TV performers, “Frequency” starts solidly with “Disco Inferno,” an offbeat piece about two rockers (Erik Palladino of “ER” and Danny Masterson of “That ‘70s Show”) who, after wrecking their car, stumble into a ‘70s club filled with polyester and platform shoes. It’s a veritable downer for this hardened pair of headbangers, whose taste in tunes runs more toward Metallica than the Village People.

In the amusingly clever “My Generation,” Eric Roberts plays a sly serial killer with a passion for ‘60s songs (his vanity plate reads “Deadhead”) whose potential victim is a hitchhiker (Christopher Kennedy Masterson of “Malcolm in the Middle”) drawn to Radiohead, Tool and “music that matters.” Clashing over generational issues, these antagonists have unkind names for one another, as in “dinosaur” and “parasite.”

The least effective offering is “Rip This Joint,” a repetitive riff about the battle of wills between a raucous, destructive rocker (Duran Duran’s John Taylor) and the mellow maid (Holland Taylor) who calmly cleans his trashed VIP suite the mornings after wild parties. Marginally fun at the outset, the segment loses appeal as it shifts toward the supernatural.

“More Than a Feeling,” the final tale, centers on Marty (Judd Nelson), a seasoned talent scout with a Midas touch for finding “the next big thing.” When Marty spots the real deal, he instantly knows it because of the intense, knee-buckling pain in his gut. His latest discovery is Darcy (Marla Sokoloff of “The Practice”), a vulnerable singer-songwriter facing the pressure of creating a second album.

Playing out in the style of “The Twilight Zone,” each story ends with a twist, the first two being the most satisfactory. Performances are generally good, with Roberts and Masterson nicely matched as crafty companions.

As escapism goes, “Strange Frequency” is mostly on the right wavelength.

* “Strange Frequency” can be seen tonight at 9 on VH1. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).