TCM really seriously sux tonight.

[trof]

Pather Panchall?
Really?
Starring Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, AND Subir Bannerjee!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048473/

[pinboy3niner]

1. High ratings, multiple awards, Best Film nominee

Is this just your perverse way of calling attention to it?

[ailsagirl]

2. You know what gets me about TCM??

The movies it shows are, at least, known (except perhaps the one you mentioned), but there are COMMERCIALS on that damn station. What the ....????

[kentauros]

4. Huh?

I watch TCM quite often, but the only "commercials" I can think of are their own, selling things from their website. And those only get aired between movies.

As you sure you aren't thinking of AMC? (a former channel that started out like TCM and then went full-on commercial.)

[ailsagirl]

5. Right-- AMC has been showing commercials for ages

Maybe I'm wrong. I recorded "The Importance of Being Earnest" on TCM and I swear there were commercials.

I'll check again but I remember thinking what a rip-off. Maybe I'm losing it.

[kentauros]

6. That's okay.

Like I posted, TCM does have commercials for their own products, be it DVDs or their on-demand service (which I discovered still requires a cable or satellite service; it's not a replacement for either.)

I stopped watching AMC when they started commercials, and moved over to TCM. Of course, AMC is now quite popular again due to the series they air. I do lament the loss of the Independent Film Channel, though. They used to do Samurai Saturdays when I could watch all of the Zatoichi movies ...

[DawgHouse]

39. They are really pushing that Wine Club lately!

[CBGLuthier]

3. A true great classic.

Satyajit Ray was the first great Indian filmmaker.

[HeiressofBickworth]

7. This trilogy was in the Seattle International Film Festival this year

I saw the first film (Pather Panchall) and I knew I was not engaged in the movie when the little girl dies and I never shed a tear. In other movies, lesser events have caused tears, but not this movie. I skipped seeing the other two.

[Paladin]

11. Give it another try. All three movies are very worthwhile.

Gotta love the Ravi Shankar soundtrack, and the astonishingly beautiful black-and-white cinematography of the restored versions.

[DawgHouse]

40. Oops, spoiler alert! Ha!

[Tipperary]

8. I am not familiar with that movie.

But I usually like TCM.

[TuxedoKat]

9. Actually

I have been wanting to see this trilogy for years when I first saw it mentioned on TV in London years ago. Just saw that they were going to play it and happily recorded it to watch later. I like Indian movies anyway though.

[Paladin]

13. I first saw them over forty years ago, while attending college.

A professor informed us that the movies were being shown on campus, and strongly advised us to see them. Good advice, then and now.

[TuxedoKat]

15. Yes

At the time I saw them mentioned on that UK TV program, I thought they sounded so interesting but I didn't catch the names of the movies at the time, just knew the films were by S. Ray. With the help of Google, I was able to get the names years later and just last week out of curiosity looked to see if the films were available for purchase on amazon, which, happily they were, so I put them down on my wish list. Guess I can remove that now since I can now watch them on TCM. Glad to see TCM broadening their horizons a bit movie-wise.

[Paladin]

10. Catch a clue. The Apu Trilogy movies are well-known, highly-influential cinema classics.

Hope you found an Adam Sandler flick on another channel to keep you satisfied.

[narnian60]

12. Hee hee.

Snarky and funny.

[Paladin]

14. Probably a bit over the top, but I stand by the comment. (nt)

[trof]

19. 1. Well known where, exactly?

I'm fairly well read and a bit of a film buff and I never heard of any of it.
I've asked friends and they've never heard of him or his films.

2. I don't watch Sandler movies. I tried once and found him juvenile, childish, and annoying. And not funny.

Oh yeah, thanks SO much for the snarky condescension.
Really enjoyed that.

[Paladin]

21. You have something to look forward to, getting acquainted with the Apu films.

Nobody's been hiding them from you. Like I said up-thread, I first heard about them over 40 years ago, in a college classroom. And you initiated the snarky tone of this thread, by slagging some genuinely classic films, which happen to be from India, feature Indian actors, and---brace yourself---subtitles. You and your friends may never have heard of them, but I can assure you that Spielberg, Lucas and Scorsese have. I stand by my prior comments.

[trof]

27. Catch a clue yourself. 94% of those polled never heard of it either.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027403537

[Paladin]

29. Pretty sad response on your part.

And once again, I stand by my prior comments on this unfortunate thread you chose to initiate.

[trof]

30. You are the sad one.

Too bad you have nothing better to do than get your knickers all twisted about a comment I made about a movie and then attack me about it.
Piss. Off.
Bye

[Paladin]

31. Enjoy the Apu movies. You're welcome. (nt)

[Populist_Prole]

16. Sometimes TCM can be like that

Mostly they have a really good disparate mix of classic movies, but sometimes they'll have nearly an entire day's programming based on a theme of some sort: It might be a specific actor/actress, genre, issue being highlighted. If you happens to have interest in the theme of the day, then you're in hog heaven; if not, then the whole channel sux for that day. Happens sometimes.

For example, my favoroites are film noir, sleeper "B" movies, gritty dramas of the 60's and 70's, and most foreign films. But if the theme of the day is westerns or science fiction; I know TCM will be unwatchable for that day.

[Blue_Tires]

17. Well Mr. Trof, every night on TCM ain't gonna be Christmas...

Luckily, you can watch Penguins-Sharks tonight at 2130 CST...

[trof]

20. If it ain't SEC football, it ain't sports.

[valerief]

26. Security Exchange Commission football? Gee, I'm not a sports fan, but now I know

I'm really out of touch.

[jmowreader]

18. Go for it, troop; it's apparently one of the best movies ever made

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pather_Panchali

BTW the three Bannerjees aren't related to each other - come on, it's not the casting director's fault he accidentally went to the West Bengali Rock Ridge to find actors.

[edbermac]

22. They had 4 Ma and Pa Kettle movies on last night!

And you're criticizing a world class film maker like Satyajit Ray?

[trof]

23. Boy, I sure managed to twist a lot of knickers with 3 lines.

Y'all are sure a sensitive bunch.
REALLY sensitive.

[Facility Inspector]

32. just effete movie snob rubbish

give me some good old Smokey and the Bandit any day.

[trof]

33. I dunno. I guess.

[Facility Inspector]

34. i was supersizing with you

since you were complaining about people being overly sensitive.

sheesh.

[YOHABLO]

36. Well, we forgive you. Well since you're from Alabama. Sorry.

[trof]

37. Well, merci. Well that's French. Well it means "Thank you."

[femmocrat]

24. I never heard of them either, trof.

They are pretty obscure, IMO. They are from the 1950s. All I remember from that decade was Davy Crockett and Old Yeller.

[trof]

25. There ya go!

[valerief]

28. I didn't watch TCM, but the title sounded familiar.

I'd heard it mentioned in a documentary series on Netflix (or amazon prime) called The Story of Film. Fascinating look at the history of film around the world. The narrator's voice is so soothing he almost put me to sleep a couple times, but the documentary excerpts (many or most of which I'd never heard of) kept me rapt.

The film in your OP is in the documentary.

Here's a list of the films.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Film:_An_Odyssey

[YOHABLO]

35. I think TCM should get recognition showing Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali".

It's the first of three of what is called 'The Apu Trilogy'. I don't mean to be a film snob, but Satyajit Ray's films do require a sophisticated film school intellect. There is no film school in this country and elsewhere, that doesn't require students to see it. Thanks TCM !!

[trof]

38. My favorite movies are anything with The Three Stooges.

These guys were comic geniuses.