good article on comedy films that belong in the national film registry
04-11-04, 05:01 PM
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good article on comedy films that belong in the national film registry
...and YOU can submit nominations to the library of congress!
Library Film Selection Is No Laughing Matter
By Brooks Boliek
WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - This year is an election year, and it's high time we righted some of the wrongs done in this town and this country. Yes, it's time for the long-suffering masses to stand up and be counted. It's time to submit your vote for the films that will be named to the National Film Registry.
Each year the Librarian of Congress selects 25 films that will be preserved forever either by the library, another archive or the studios. With the advent of the VCR and the DVD, most of the major studios do a pretty good job of preserving their films. Selection for what is unofficially known as The Film List for pictures produced by the major studios is now more of an honor. It recognizes that they are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
The wrong that needs to be corrected this year is the tendency of the selection panel to pick dramas over comedies. It's a wrong that can be traced to the prejudice that makes comedies second-class citizens and the silence of the supporters of the high comedic arts.
Stephen C. Leggett, the National Film Preservation Board's staff coordinator, admits that comedies often get overlooked.
"I wouldn't deny that. A lot of the board members are also members of the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), and they tend to think that serious feature films are more eligible than comedy," he says. "Our list tends to lean a little bit to the serious or highfalutin."
That's a mistake that can be rectified this year. I am pushing a plan to nominate a pair of comedies that have been overlooked but meet the Library of Congress (news - web sites)' criteria. The Library did the right thing by selecting "National Lampoon's Animal House" in 2001. Now it's time to bestow that honor on "Blazing Saddles" and "Caddyshack," so the troika of modern slapstick can be made whole.
For those who scoff at including these films in this year's 25, I want to point out the cultural significance these films hold for a large segment of the nation -- the folks who can have entire conversations using only lines from "Animal House," "Caddyshack" and "Blazing Saddles." The conversations tend to go something like this:
Guy One: "Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you."
Guy Two: "My name is Jim. Most people call me . . . Jim."
Guy One: "My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."
Guy Two: "That's the worst-looking hat I've ever seen. Looks good on you though."
Guy One: "Excuse me while I whip this out."
Guy Two: "On (my) death bed (I'll) receive total consciousness. So I got that going for me, which is nice."
Guy One: "You f---ked up. You trusted us."
Guy Two: "It's trwue. It's trwue."
These conversations don't rise to the level of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. They're more on the level of a debate between President Bush (news - web sites) and former President Clinton (news - web sites). It's trwue that most of these conversations usually take place during sporting events such as golf games and happy hours, but that doesn't discount their importance. They made millions of people laugh really hard, and, for some of us, memories of them linger on.
>>>Leggett says that public support for a particular film often sways the board. I hope readers will heed the call and e-mail their nominations to [email protected]. Vote early and often.
Library Film Selection Is No Laughing Matter
By Brooks Boliek
WASHINGTON (Hollywood Reporter) - This year is an election year, and it's high time we righted some of the wrongs done in this town and this country. Yes, it's time for the long-suffering masses to stand up and be counted. It's time to submit your vote for the films that will be named to the National Film Registry.
Each year the Librarian of Congress selects 25 films that will be preserved forever either by the library, another archive or the studios. With the advent of the VCR and the DVD, most of the major studios do a pretty good job of preserving their films. Selection for what is unofficially known as The Film List for pictures produced by the major studios is now more of an honor. It recognizes that they are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
The wrong that needs to be corrected this year is the tendency of the selection panel to pick dramas over comedies. It's a wrong that can be traced to the prejudice that makes comedies second-class citizens and the silence of the supporters of the high comedic arts.
Stephen C. Leggett, the National Film Preservation Board's staff coordinator, admits that comedies often get overlooked.
"I wouldn't deny that. A lot of the board members are also members of the Academy (of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences), and they tend to think that serious feature films are more eligible than comedy," he says. "Our list tends to lean a little bit to the serious or highfalutin."
That's a mistake that can be rectified this year. I am pushing a plan to nominate a pair of comedies that have been overlooked but meet the Library of Congress (news - web sites)' criteria. The Library did the right thing by selecting "National Lampoon's Animal House" in 2001. Now it's time to bestow that honor on "Blazing Saddles" and "Caddyshack," so the troika of modern slapstick can be made whole.
For those who scoff at including these films in this year's 25, I want to point out the cultural significance these films hold for a large segment of the nation -- the folks who can have entire conversations using only lines from "Animal House," "Caddyshack" and "Blazing Saddles." The conversations tend to go something like this:
Guy One: "Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you."
Guy Two: "My name is Jim. Most people call me . . . Jim."
Guy One: "My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."
Guy Two: "That's the worst-looking hat I've ever seen. Looks good on you though."
Guy One: "Excuse me while I whip this out."
Guy Two: "On (my) death bed (I'll) receive total consciousness. So I got that going for me, which is nice."
Guy One: "You f---ked up. You trusted us."
Guy Two: "It's trwue. It's trwue."
These conversations don't rise to the level of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. They're more on the level of a debate between President Bush (news - web sites) and former President Clinton (news - web sites). It's trwue that most of these conversations usually take place during sporting events such as golf games and happy hours, but that doesn't discount their importance. They made millions of people laugh really hard, and, for some of us, memories of them linger on.
>>>Leggett says that public support for a particular film often sways the board. I hope readers will heed the call and e-mail their nominations to [email protected]. Vote early and often.
