2009 Additions to National Film Registry Announced

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

Each year the United States Nation Film Preservation Board selects up to 25 films that they deem "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." These selected films are then placed into preservation at the Library of Congress. It is one of the highest honors a film can receive, and the 17 additions the board selected this year have been announced.



The list of the 17 films (alphabetical, all feature films unless noted otherwise):

"Dog Day Afternoon" (1975)
"The Exiles" (1961)
"Heroes All" (1920, 1931) - compilation documentary film
"The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957)
"Jezebel" (1938)
"The Jungle" (1967)
"The Lead Shoes" (1949) - avant-garde film
"Little Nemo" (1911) - animated silent short subject
"Mabel's Blunder" (1914) - silent short subject
"The Mark of Zorro" (1940)
"Mrs. Miniver" (1942)
"The Muppet Movie" (1979)
"Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968)
"Pillow Talk" (1959)
"Precious Images" (1986) - compilation short subject
"Quasi at the Quackadero" (1975) - animated short subject
"Thriller" (1983) - music video

Many of these films exist with very few prints, and preservation prevents the possibility of any of them becoming lost like so many films released before the 1950s.

I've haven't had the pleasure of viewing a lot of the selections, but the ones I have seen are definitely fantastic. "Dog Day Afternoon," directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino, is one of the greatest heist films of all time and its bold minimalist style combined with risky social content definitely earn it its preservation. "The Muppet Movie" is obviously a family favorite, and it marks the first film featuring Jim Henson's classic puppetry chosen for preservation. "Thriller" seems an appropriate choice considering the loss of Michael Jackson this year. "Precious Images," a collection of classic movie moments made for the Oscars in 1986, is absolutely wonderful. Sergio Leone's epic masterpiece "Once Upon a Time in the West" is undoubtedly the best selection that I've seen, and I've always held it in higher regard than his more widely-praised Man With No Name films starring Clint Eastwood.

What do you think of the list? Any additions you disagree with?