Walsh, Coens, Mamoulian And Soderbergh Added To US National Film Registry

A list of this year's 25 additions to the National Film Registry (of America, that is) has been run in Variety, and it is a mixed bunch. Of course.

sex, lies and videotape and Fargo are the two higher-profile, recently-made additions, and I love them both dearly (though not as much as the same directors' Solaris and The Man Who Wasn't There, say). A couple of my favourite directors from the first 50 years of cinema scored a film each, too - Rouben Mamoulian's debut Applause taking a seat alongside Raoul Walsh's The Big Trail. I suspect John Wayne's inclusion secured Big Trail a slot, while Applause probably got the nod because of an overall affection for the whole backstage-musical subgenre.

The obligatory Hitchcock was Notorious. Hurrah!

Note that Halloween was also included - and rightly so, it's an A+ graded, bonafide masterpiece of the highest order. I wonder if Rob Zombie's remake will ever be so honoured...

Well, actually, no, I don't wonder that at all. If I'm being honest, I'm sure it won't be.

The Library of Congress are now charged with ensuring these films remain well preserved for all future generations. Hopefully the folk at Criterion Eclipse will take the hint and know where to find some decent prints that won't suffer from their skimping on the remastering.