LOS ANGELES (AP) – This year’s National Film Register entries include female directors and color producers and a new crop of films ranging from a quiet short thriller, to classic musical instruments and the acclaimed Batman film.
The Library of Congress announced Monday that “The Dark Knight,” “Suspense,” musicians “Greece” and “The Blues Brothers” and Sydney Poitier’s Oscar-winning films “Lily of the Field” are up for grabs this year.
The National Library has recorded nine films directed by women and color producers in this year’s exams.
“By adding different filmmakers, we are not trying to set records, but rather to try to set the record straight by highlighting the amazing contributions that women and people of color have made to American cinema, despite the frequent major setbacks,” said Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress.
Hayden and film historian Jacqueline Stewart will discuss new choices in a TV special on Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Since its inception in 1988, the library has selected films for preservation due to their cultural, historical and artistic significance. This year’s selections bring the total number of films on record to 800.
This year’s selection featured music, including adaptations of the 1943 Broadway musicians ‘Cabin in the Sky’ and the 1978 film “Greece” starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
John Landis, director of “The Blue Brothers”, called the film’s selection a “happy surprise” on the record.
“The film is the result of Dan Aigroyd and John Bellucci’s genuine interest in rhythm and blues and our mutual love for these great African American artists and the city of Chicago,” said Landis, who has two projects on record, including “Animal House.” And Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
The library chose a few more memorable titles, such as Katherine Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker”, the animated film “Shrek” and “The Joy Luck Club”, a film based on Amy Don’s bestselling book, which tells the story of two generations of Asian Americans. The 2010 documentary “Freedom Riders” entered the register and told an inspiring story about civil rights activists who fought against racism on buses and trains in the 1960s.
Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman movie “The Dark Knight” was a blockbuster and a popular hit.
Other films directed by women include Lois Weber’s “Suspense,” Ida May Park’s “Bread,” Aloka Wanderwell’s “Car and Camera Around the World,” Ida Lupino’s “Fury,” Kathleen Collins’ “Losing the Ground,” Julie Dashin’s “Illusions,” by John Launderlin. “The Devil Never Sleeps” and “Mona Key: The Siege Under the Temple”.
Additional films on the list include “Kid Auto Race at Venice” (1914), “The Battle of the Century” (1927), “The Man with the Golden Arm” (1955), “A Clockwork Orange” (1971), and Sweet Sweetback. Podosus Song “(1971),” Watstacks “(1973),” Funa Vista Social Club “(1999) and” The Ground “(1993-2001).
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31