FromMark's Sci-Fi / Fantasy BlogTwo classic sci-fi films, Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Steven Spielberg, 1977), are among the 25 films selected this year to be preserved by the Library of Congress National Film Registry, with the intent that they are available for future generations to enjoy. The announcement by the Librarian of Congress notes that "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant films from many eras and genres are selected in the annual effort to choose specific films to be guarded against deterioration. Up to half the films produced in this country before 1950, and as much as 90 percent of those made before 1920, are lost forever. Early film stock was recycled for the silver nitrate content, and any film will break down in mere decades. Previous genre selections include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982 [but which version?]), Cat People (1942), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Flash Gordon serial (1936), Frankenstein (1931), Groundhog Day (1993), Invasion of the Body-Snatchers (1951), Planet of the Apes (1968), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Star Wars (1977), The Thing from Another World (1951), and The Wizard of Oz (1939).
4 comments:
Wait...let me get this straight...
"Up to half the films produced in this country before 1950, and as much as 90 percent of those made before 1920, are lost forever."
So, the Library of Congress' National Film Registry is protecting films from the 1970s and 1980s? There must be, at minimum, 100's of thousands of digital copies of Back to the Future and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. What's to protect?
Well meaning by the Library of Congress (I was there last week, reading & copying documents from 1791 that then-Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson wrote about pitting England and France against each other to get the best deals for American whale oil) but shouldn't they be focusing on preserving those vanishing pre-1920 films?
No, if you read the complete article you will see that they have already saved over 900 film of varying genre and eras. They are not focusing on the later part of the 20th century but have added films from later years to those already or in the process of conservation. As for copies yes, your correct, some of the later movies are well protected from loss however those copies are just that. Very few are full frame high resolution. As I understand the effort is to restore or preserve the films in as close to the same quality as when they were first viewed.
I hope they have a copy of Forbidden Planet!
I think I saw that film already being preserved as of several years ago. There was a hefty list.
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