I have to admit that I generally like what films get selected for preservation via the National Film Registry. I don’t know if you saw the latest list of what got selected for 2008, but you can look at it here. They add twenty five titles a year.
But what I bet you didn’t know you vote for what is to be added. Or so t
heir website says. All you need to do is send your nominations in to:
sleg@loc.gov
You can only nominate 50 films a year. They have a handy dandy list of suggestions too. They generally do
a pretty great job. There are a few areas though that need greater emphasis.
Indie films definitely need help. Without the studio support, they tend to be a little less organized and being held under worst conditions. The studios aren’t going to let a moneymaker fall into disrepair. A filmmaker who may own their negative but not the house they live in might just be a little different story from the one owned by the mega corp.
I have suggested they add in 2009:
Melvin Van Peebles’ SWEET SWEETBACK’S BADASSSS SONG (1971)
Susan Seidelman’s SMITHEREENS (1982)
Bette Gordon’s VARIETY (1983)
Alex Cox’s SID AND NANCY (1986)
Spike Lee’s SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT (1986 )
Whit Stillman’s METROPOLITAN (1990)
John McNaughton’s HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1990)
Todd Hayne’s POISON (1991)
Hal Hartley’s TRUST (1991)
Gregg Araki’s THE LIVING END (1992)
Allison Anders’ MI VIDA LOCA (1993)
Ang Lee’s THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993)
Tom Noonan’s WHAT HAPPENED WAS… (1993)
Terry Zwigoff’s CRUMB (1994)
Todd Solondz’s HAPPINESS (1998)
Not bad for an initial fifteen. Granted quite a few serve my self interest, but… Let me know what I should suggest for the next 35.
Recently Jon Brooks at KQED wrote up a very nice piece on Tom Noonan’s WHAT HAPPENED WAS (1994). That film won multiple awards at Sundance but barely go seen. Unfortunately it does not sleep alone in my bed of barely seen almost-masterpieces. As strong as my track record may be, it still holds some flops, misfires, and damn bad luck experiences. It’s great that Tom’s flick may get some of the love it so richly deserves, albeit twenty years after it’s debut.