Every year the Library of Congress chooses 25 historically significant and culturally popular films for the National Film Registry, all of which must have existed at least ten years. This week the latest batch was announced, including: MARDI GRAS CARNIVAL (1898) CAB CALLOWAY'S HOME MOVIES (1948-1951) CYRANO DE BERGERAC (1950)* CHARADE (1963)* SCORPIO RISING (1963) BEHIND EVERY GOOD MAN (1967) TITICUT FOLLIES (1967) MINGUS (1968) MANZANAR (1971) BETTY TELLS HER STORY (1972) SUPER FLY (1972)* ATTICA (1974) CARRIE (1976)* UNION MAIDS (1976) WORD IS OUT: STORIES OF SOME OF OUR LIVES (1977) BUSH MAMA (1979) THE BALLAD OF GREGORIO CORTEZ (1982)* ITAM HAKIM HOPLIT (1984) HAIRSPRAY (1988)* THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) TONGUES UNTIED (1989) WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (1989) HOUSE PARTY (1990) IRON MAN (2008)* PARIAH (2011) HOUSE PARTY was popular for the time, but I'm guessing its original inspiration ERASERHEAD is already on an earlier list. Some might ask what took HARRY & SALLY so long. Still no Jason Voorhees epics, thank God. I've only seen seven of the 25 (which I've asterisked), but hope some of you might surpass that. (With apologies to Calloway, I've only got Roddy McDowall's silent home movies.)
So much for the allegedly Hollywood-best year of 1939 (at least for this year's batch). The actual best year ever (1992) was equally passed over, however.
Charade, The Little Mermaid, and Iron Man are the ones I've seen, and I feel all three are worthy of inclusion.
Most of these lists are eclectic time-wise, but this may be the first not to include a single 1930s entry. IRON MAN was selected for major historical value. And since I was an AVENGERS fan who never believed we'd see such a film without Mrs. Peel, IRON MAN's actual ending still remains in my all-time grouping.