THRILLER, DOG DAY, and MUPPETS Among 2009 National Film Registry Entries

The classic music video/short film for Michael Jackson’s THRILLER (directed by John Landis) was among 25 films selected Wednesday to be forever preserved by the Library of Congress.   Every December, films that have attained a certain level of historical importance are selected to be entered into the National Film Registry, and the list of this year’s inductees offers a few classics, something never done before, and even the Muppets.

Here’s the list:

• DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975)
• THE EXILES (1961)
• HEROES ALL (1920)
• HOT DOGS FOR GAUGUIN (1972)
• THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957)
• JEZEBEL (1938)
• THE JUNGLE (1967)
• THE LEAD SHOES (1949)
• LITTLE NEMO (1911)
• MABEL’S BLUNDER (1914)
• THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940)
• MRS. MINIVER (1942)
• THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)
• ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968)
• PILLOW TALK (1959)
• PRECIOUS IMAGES (1986)
• QUASI AT THE QUACKADERO (1975)
• THE RED BOOK (1994)
• THE REVENGE OF PANCHO VILLA (1930-36)
• SCRATCH AND CROW (1995)
• STARK LOVE (1927)
• THE STORY OF G.I. JOE (1945)
• A STUDY IN REDS (1932)
• THRILLER (1983)
• UNDER WESTERN STARS (1938)

The entry of THRILLER, arguably the most famous music video of all time, is a milestone in the histor of the National Film Registry’s annual induction.   It marks the first music video chosen for preservation by the Libary of Congress.

Steve Leggett, coordinator of the National Film Preservation Board, had this to say to MSNBC about the choice to include THRILLER:

Because of the way the recording industry is evolving and changing, we thought it would be good to go back to the development of an earlier seismic shift, which was the development of the music video.

The Librarian urges the public to make nominations for next year’s registry at the Film Board’s website (www.loc.gov/film).