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The Empire Strikes Back Added To National Film Registry

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the what-no-phantom-menace dept.

aztec1430 writes "Airplane!, The Empire Strikes Back, The Exorcist, and All the President's Men, were among the 25 films named by the Library of Congress to the National Film Registry on Tuesday for their cultural, historical or aesthetic significance. Now, which version was added? And will each new Lucas-a-fied version need to be resubmitted every year? ;)"

129 comments

  1. Lots of old films by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 1

    I'm surprised they didn't include Birth Of A Nation.

    1. Re:Lots of old films by east+coast · · Score: 4, Informative

      Birth Of A Nation was added in 1992.

      --
      Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
    2. Re:Lots of old films by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 2

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_film_registry

      Thanks. I went and out and looked it up. Here ya'll go.

    3. Re:Lots of old films by TrisexualPuppy · · Score: 1

      Your posts already start at +2...

    4. Re:Lots of old films by martyb · · Score: 2

      Thanks for the link to wikipedia... but for those who would like to go to the actual National Film Registry (NFR) site:

      Also, if you'd like to make recommendations for next year's list, here are some ideas on possible films to nominate. You can nominate up to 50 titles per year by sending an email to: dross@loc.gov.

    5. Re:Lots of old films by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Everyone has the odd double up.

  2. Airplane!? by FrYGuY101 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Surely you can't be serious!

    --
    "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living."

    - Seneca
    1. Re:Airplane!? by Eevee · · Score: 4, Funny

      I am serious. And stop calling me Shirley.

    2. Re:Airplane!? by ciderbrew · · Score: 1

      That's up in my top ten of Leslie Nielsen lines. My favoritest line is "Nice Beaver!".

    3. Re:Airplane!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am, and don't call me names.

    4. Re:Airplane!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I am Shirly, and don't call me Sirius.

    5. Re:Airplane!? by thomasdz · · Score: 1

      I am Shirly, and don't call me Sirius.

      As an amateur astronomy buff, I would agree with you. Sirius certainly is a dog star. But, since dyslexics worship it, you might want to calm down.

      --
      Karma: Excellent. 15 moderator points expire sometime.
    6. Re:Airplane!? by Scarletdown · · Score: 1

      Didn't the "Don't call me Shirley" line get used in the 1978 Superman film as well? I may be misremembering, but I thought that that fellow who was the editor of the Daily Planet (can't remember his name) said "Don't call me Shirley" to either Lois, Clark, or Jimmy.

      --
      This space unintentionally left blank.
    7. Re:Airplane!? by LateArthurDent · · Score: 1

      Didn't the "Don't call me Shirley" line get used in the 1978 Superman film as well? I may be misremembering, but I thought that that fellow who was the editor of the Daily Planet (can't remember his name) said "Don't call me Shirley" to either Lois, Clark, or Jimmy.

      Perry White added "don't call me sugar" to his request for coffee from Jimmy Olsen. He was trying to say, "don't call me chief."

    8. Re:Airplane!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Perry White, the editor of the Daily Planet would say, "Don't call me chief!"

    9. Re:Airplane!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think it wasn't "Shirley"...it was "Sugar" in some reference to the coffee being served. ...but I could be wrong

  3. That would be pretty funny.. by phrackwulf · · Score: 2, Funny

    If a government archive ends up being the only place the original un-sullied version of Empire ends up existing. LucasFAIL!

    "Hundreds of years from now, in the ruins of civilization, rumors reach the roving tribes of the over-nerd that a pure copy of the fabled 'Second War of the Stars' exists." A brave band of technomancers and their trusty and nubile amazons set out on a quest for this fabled item."

    --
    What would Richard Feynman do, if he were here right now? He'd do some math and he'd follow through!
    1. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by localman57 · · Score: 2

      Screw that. I've got the Holiday Special.

      My favorite part of Wierd Al's "White and Nerdy" video is when they trade a bootleg copy vhs with a cover drawn in crayon of that thing.

      It really is more horrible than you can imagine. I had to watch it in two sittings.

    2. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Dude. This is Slashdot. We've all got the Holiday Special.

    3. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Screw that. I've got the Holiday Special.

      Good for you. I actually watched the Holiday Special live.

    4. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Um, my DVDs of episodes IV-VI have both the borked and original versions. Check disk 2 for the theatrical version.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    5. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Lord+Byron+II · · Score: 1

      That's nice. I AM the Holiday Special.

    6. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The unmolested versions are noisy dumps off some ancient tape format. The originals deserve a restoration like Blade Runner.

    7. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by omnichad · · Score: 1

      That's not film. It's actually not even a very good transfer. When creating the screwed up versions, they restored the film from all the copies they could get their hands on, not in high def, and then made all their edits and unnecessary CG filler. Then, they ordered the original film destroyed, I believe. The "originals" on there are from an older scan of the film and don't even use the better film copy they used for the "special" edition.

    8. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Star Wars Holiday Special. I've always said that it's something you should force all your friends to suffer through at least once. If they're still your friends after you make them watch it, you can probably trust them with your life. (Either that or they'll be actively plotting to kill you.)

      Besides, it's better than the Droids cartoons, at least with regards to canon.

    9. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by bipbop · · Score: 1

      I think it's funny that all the responses are trying to one-up watching the Holiday Special, when this clearly can't be done. Instead, I'll offer my condolences, as a fellow victim :-(

    10. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by istartedi · · Score: 1

      I had to watch it in two sittings

      You. You. Watched? (blinks) The whole thing? (stares in disbelief). No. Not possible. (walks away).

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    11. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by ocdscouter · · Score: 1

      Besides, it's better than the Droids cartoons, at least with regards to canon.

      I've never seen the Droids cartoons myself, but the Ewoks ones were reasonably entertaining. I was never quite certain why they actually made them in the first place, though...

    12. Re:That would be pretty funny.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Make that movie ffs dude! It would have to be better than Eps 1-3 combined.

  4. Poor poor by santax · · Score: 2

    Kenny, Eric, Stan and Kyle. They fought so hard.

    1. Re:Poor poor by Pharmboy · · Score: 2

      Too soon to tell if they have actually contributed (or detracted from) our culture, although it might in time. The movie Bigger, Longer and Uncut was considered to be one of the most important musicals when it was released, as that genre has been slowing fading away. The music score is actually quite impressive.

      Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein would be worthwhile examples of our culture and the best works of Mel Brooks, who is arguably one of the more influential film creators in the late 20th century.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    2. Re:Poor poor by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      most important musicals when it was released, as that genre has been slowing fading away

      Musical-genre dying out ? That would be the largest improvement in human civilisation in hundreds of years !

    3. Re:Poor poor by santax · · Score: 1

      That wasn't what I was meaning to say :D I was referring to the 2 episodes where Lucas was the subject.

    4. Re:Poor poor by camperdave · · Score: 2

      Both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein are in the registry.

      --
      When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
    5. Re:Poor poor by Pharmboy · · Score: 1

      Ah, good link, and actually a pretty good list of flicks for movie night. None you would expect to see on MST3K.

      --
      Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
    6. Re:Poor poor by snooz_crash · · Score: 1

      Kenny, Eric, Stan and Kyle. They fought so hard.

      Blame Canada.

      --
      ceci n'est pas un sig
    7. Re:Poor poor by natehoy · · Score: 1

      Young Frankenstein was added in 2003, Blazing Saddles in 2006. "The Producers" was added in 1996, as well. I thought "To Be or Not To Be" (also added in 1996) was one of his, but it's the 1942 Ernst Lubitsch version, not Brooks' remake.

      So Brooks has at least three movies in the registry.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Film_Registry

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    8. Re:Poor poor by mcneely.mike · · Score: 1

      Kenny, Eric, Stan and Kyle. They fought so hard.

      Blame Canada.

      NO, NO, NO!!!
      Blame Celine Dion and Bryan Adams. WE'VE already apologized, it's their turn.

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      soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
    9. Re:Poor poor by Shakrai · · Score: 0

      And that bitch Anne Murray too....

      --
      I want peace on earth and goodwill toward man.
      We are the United States Government! We don't do that sort of thing.
    10. Re:Poor poor by mcneely.mike · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but luckily we don't hear much from her anymore... i think she's dead or crawled under a rock or something.
      Wish John Candy was still alive, though. HE could eat her.

      --
      soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
  5. Which Version? by A.+B3ttik · · Score: 2

    Now which version was added?

    This is version 4.38.11.9, the one where Lucas replaced Boba Fett with Jar-Jar Binks.

    1. Re:Which Version? by dunezone · · Score: 1

      Now which version was added?

      This is version 4.38.11.9, the one where Lucas replaced Boba Fett with Jar-Jar Binks.

      Wrong. Its version 4.39.12.8, where they replaced the millennium falcon with a taco. Please hand over your nerd card and report to your local deportation office.

    2. Re:Which Version? by GoNINzo · · Score: 1

      Heesa nosa goodsa to meesa dead!

      --
      Gonzo Granzeau
      "Nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for.." -Roy Batty
    3. Re:Which Version? by sharkey · · Score: 1

      No, it's 5.110.1645.2300998.a, where Meow Skywalker gets the Bob Barker treatment from Dearth Nadir when battling to save Elora Danan from being chilled in a Jello brick.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    4. Re:Which Version? by natehoy · · Score: 1

      Why do I want to mod you funny and kill you at the same time? Is that a sign of good humor, or bad? :)

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    5. Re:Which version? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is no 'first', there is 'only'. Han fired, nobody else.

    6. Re:Which Version? by kaizokuace · · Score: 1

      i think its time to break out the old video recorder!

      --
      Balderdash!
    7. Re:Which version? by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Wrong movie.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  6. Timing by michaelmalak · · Score: 1

    Leslie Nielsen died at a time conducive to his legacy. Timing is everything.

    1. Re:Timing by JustOK · · Score: 0

      I hope he was buried with a fart machine.

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
    2. Re:Timing by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      Now if Lucas could do the same and stop killing our childhood movies the timing could had been better, in fact, could had happened before the cristal skull movie.

    3. Re:Timing by mcgrew · · Score: 2

      Now if Lucas could do the same and stop killing our childhood movies

      In another generation, Jar Jar will be "our childhood movies"; I was in my twenties when I saw EPIV in the theater when it first came out, and rather than "the last three were high art but the prequels killed my childhood movies", I enjoyed EPs1-3, but absolutely HATED EPVI. Jar Jar? Pshaw, those goddamned Ewoks spoiled the end of the fucking story!

      I'm finally starting to realise that all the people who hate EPs1-3 saw EPs4-6 as children.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    4. Re:Timing by Radres · · Score: 1

      No, they really were bad, incoherent movies. You owe it to yourself to watch RedLetterMedia's reviews on YouTube:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxKtZmQgxrI

    5. Re:Timing by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Why would I want to see a review of a movie I've already seen? I don't need a movie critic to make my mind up for me. But if you want critical reviews, there's wikipedia; 62-80% positive reviews for the prequels.

      How old were you when you saw EPs IV-VI?

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
  7. Lucas got two films added by sacremon · · Score: 1

    Electronic Labryrinth: THX 1138 4EB was also added. That was a student film of Lucas' in 1967 while he was at USC.

    --
    If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
    1. Re:Lucas got two films added by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This year.

      American Graffiti was added in 1995 and Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1999.

    2. Re:Lucas got two films added by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Star Wars in 1989

    3. Re:Lucas got two films added by sacremon · · Score: 1

      Which means that Lucas and Spielberg are tied at five each for films included in the Registry (unless I have overlooked some).

      Lucas: Star Wars, American Graffiti, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, THX 1138
      Spielberg: Jaws, ET, Raiders, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Schindler's List

      Oddly enough, neither Wikipedia entry for Lucas nor Spielberg makes mention of the inclusion of their films in the National Film Registry.

      --
      If you can't beat them, embrace and extend them.
    4. Re:Lucas got two films added by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ridley Scott has two: Alien and Blade Runner
      Stanley Kubrick has three: Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, and 2001.
      Francis Coppola has four: Patton, The Godfather, Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now
      Alfred Hitchcock has six: Shadow of a Doubt, Notorious, Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho

    5. Re:Lucas got two films added by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's your criteria for claiming a film as theirs? Lucas didn't direct Raiders or ESB. Spielberg didn't executive produce, produce or write all of those you listed either.

    6. Re:Lucas got two films added by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      It's sortof strange that THX 1138:4EB (note the colon, sir) would be included on the registry when his actual feature film version of THX 1138 was declined. The second was much longer and had an actual plot; the original film school version was rather plotless and hard to follow, and as an avant-garde art film there are much more interesting works from that period-- Lucas was just one voice in a chorus of experimental filmmakers from that period. On the other hand, the web informs me that Jonas Mekas's Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania and Andy Warhol's Empire are both on the register as well, so I guess this vaguely in line. I had to watch the film when I went to USC for film in the 90s, and at the time it seemed really out-there but nothing terribly special, a very dated piece of the 60s counterculture.

      What people don't always realize is that Lucas got much of the funding for the student THX from the US Navy and used primarily US Navy personnel as extras -- he was in USC as a grad student as wad TA'ing a class in documentary filmmaking that the navy was sending enlisted men into, and he drafted them and somehow got the documentary lab fees to pay the expenses. After he graduated he got out of the draft 4F (this was how he got diagnosed with diabetes), and his contacts got him a job with the US Information Agency as an editor for pro-ARVN propaganda films (Marcia was another editor there and that's how they met). Most people attribute Lucas's fascination with technology and military subjects to his work on these years.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    7. Re:Lucas got two films added by niktemadur · · Score: 1

      Patton? That wasn't Coppola, that was some dude named Franklin Schaffner.
      Coppola did participate in the screenplay, but that hardly counts as a Coppola movie.
      Because if it did, in that case you'd have to count The Godfather as a Lucas film too, because he was a second unit director.

      Without hesitation, I would count Raiders as a Spielberg AND Lucas film, it was very much a joint collaboration, Lucas came up with the idea and was intimately involved down to the very end.

      In regards to Kubrick (and I haven't checked the NFR list), where's The Shining? I'd also add The Killing (1956), his first great film and one of the best heist movies of all time; you can trace a direct line from The Killing to Reservoir Dogs, with the storyline jumping back and forth in time and even down to the black suits with skinny ties.

      --
      Lil' Thindime, lilting a lacrimose lament, krashes the kwaint konfines of Kokonino Kounty
    8. Re:Lucas got two films added by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fair enough, I didn't read far enough into the paragraph about Patton.

      As for Kubrick, neither The Shining nor The Killing are in the NFR -- you should have checked and answered your own question. :-P

      And James Cameron has a whopping ONE. Ha ha.

      Oh, John Huston, seven: Maltese Falcon, Battle of Pietro, Let There Be Light, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Asphalt Jungle, African Queen, Unforgiven

    9. Re:Lucas got two films added by readin · · Score: 1

      Which means that Lucas and Spielberg are tied at five each for films included in the Registry (unless I have overlooked some).

      How many for John Ford? I saw The Searchers and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance on the list. Anyone recognize any others?

      --
      I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
    10. Re:Lucas got two films added by readin · · Score: 1

      I just noticed Stagecoach and How the West was Won are on there. Red River is there which makes 5 for John Wayne. How Green Was My Valley is there which makes 5 for John Ford too.

      If The Longest Day and The Quiet Man were on the list, and they certainly should be, that would make 6 for both John Ford and 7 for John Wayne.

      Obviously the people making the selections have some catching up to do. Until then, and unless I've missed some, Wayne and Ford are tied with Lucas and Spielberg.

      --
      I often don't like the choices people make, but I like the fact that people make choices. That's why I'm a conservative.
  8. Ahem, the other 24... by arielCo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Y'know, there's a lot more to movies than Star Wars:

    1. Airplane (1980)
    2. All the President’s Men (1976)
    3. The Bargain (1914)
    4. Cry of Jazz (1959)
    5. Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)
    6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    7. The Exorcist (1973)
    8. The Front Page (1931)
    9. Grey Gardens (1976)
    10. I Am Joaquin (1969)
    11. It’s a Gift (1934)
    12. Let There Be Light (1946)
    13. Lonesome (1928)
    14. Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)
    15. Malcolm X (1992)
    16. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
    17. Newark Athlete (1891)
    18. Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)
    19. The Pink Panther (1964)
    20. Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)
    21. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
    22. Study of a River (1996)
    23. Tarantella (1940)
    24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
    25. A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

    --
    This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
    1. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Gunkerty+Jeb · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty unimpressed by this list. I can't speak to a lot of the old stuff, but Saturday Night Fever was awful and, despite popular belief and the flack I'll likely receive for saying this, Airplane is not funny. To be fair, Empire Strikes Back and Malcolm X rule.

    2. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A lot more to film than just Star Wars. In some ways it makes me wonder why I have to see greats like The Exorcist listed along side of crap like Saturday Night Fever.

    3. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by gmuslera · · Score: 5, Informative

      Maybe arent there because they were great movies, but how they helped to build (for good or bad) the culture of the country. And if probably in that sense Saturday Night Fever had more impact than Empire Strikes Back.

    4. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Lectoid · · Score: 1

      "And if probably in that sense Saturday Night Fever had more impact than Empire Strikes Back." I don't know about that. Saturday Night Fever was made after the disco era started. Has had no spoofs (Family Guy, Robot Chicken). And I doubt you'd find anyone who can recite more than one quote in that movie. The same can't be said about the Empire Strikes back, where any number of people could probably remember any given scene or quote from that movie.

      --
      Is it just me, or do you hate it when people say "Is it just me..."?
    5. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by natehoy · · Score: 1

      Well, to be fair to them, the list has been added to since 1989, at the rate of 25 movies a year. Also, the selection has little to do with the quality of the films, but more with their lasting effects on American culture. "Airplane" and "Saturday Night Fever" both introduced of lines and memes that have come into common usage.

      As far as flack for "Airplane!", comedy is a matter of taste. Personally, I run the risk of hurting myself laughing each time I see it, and it's one of the fewer than 20 movies in my personal library. There are absolutely no redeeming qualities to it whatsoever, it's a "check your brain at the door and pour a good glass of whiskey" movie. (just don't get out the really good stuff in case you decide to re-enact the drinking problem skit!)

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    6. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by sootman · · Score: 2

      > Y'know, there's a lot more to movies than Star Wars:

      Yeah, and if the charter of this site weren't ``Linux, Open Source Software, Legos, Games, Star Wars, Science, Technology and pretty much anything else that falls into the "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters" umbrella'' they might have been mentioned. For example, if this were a site run by dance fans, the headline might have been "Saturday Night Fever Added To National Film Registry."

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    7. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by algaeman · · Score: 3, Funny

      Disco Stu says untrue to you!

    8. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by gmuslera · · Score: 1

      Had no spoofs? Even in Airplane! was done a great one, you can see a few in imdb. But i give that Empire strikes back could had more. But regarding culture, sometimes acts are stronger than words, you may not remember any quote of SNF, but for some generations saturday nights got a very specific meaning, and not just in the US.

    9. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by thetoadwarrior · · Score: 1

      Agreed. It's not supposed to be a just a list of the absolutely best movies ever because that's subjective anyway and it's more about their impact on culture and society.

    10. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 1

      Saturday Night Fever was awful...

      The song Staying Alive can be used to time CPR.

      That partially makes up for Travolta's hair.

    11. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by mcneely.mike · · Score: 1

      Everytime i see that movie, i laugh so hard a big banana falls from my mouth....
      Ooooohhh... did that sound gay to you?

      And no, i've never seen a gladiator movie........... recently.

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    12. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by ghrucla · · Score: 1

      Saturday Night Fever is an amazingly good movie if you realize that there's a lot more to it than disco and really ugly suits but rather there's lots of stuff about working class masculinity. Roger Ebert includes it in his 100 Greatest Movies http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990307/REVIEWS08/401010357/1023

    13. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by floatednerd · · Score: 1

      So can "Another One Bites The Dust". My EMT-P instructor had an interesting sense of humor the day I was taught CPR in EMT school.

    14. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Deathsoldier11 · · Score: 1

      All they need to add now is a good zombie movie.

    15. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      HERESY!!!!!

      Well, ok, there's Star Trek...

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    16. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      I hated disco, so of course I hated Saturday Night Fever, but despite my loathing it, it was a cultural phenomena that made it worthy of the list.

      You didn't think Airplane was funny? Surely you jest! You probably saw the "sanitized for TV" version; I refuse to watch a comedic movie on TV, because they usually excise the funniest parts. The old white woman translating jive for the stewardess, with subtitles, was a stroke of comedic genius. Black fellow: "Sheeeet." Subtitle: "Golly!" The part where the kid is calling Roger the pilot out as his actor (Jabar) until the basketball player has enough, likewise.

      "Sure picked a bad week to stop sniffing glue!"

      Empire Strikes Back was a good flick, but face it -- we're nerds, and predjudiced in its favor.

      As to the list, I never heard of any but a few of the movies on it.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    17. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      There are absolutely no redeeming qualities to it whatsoever, it's a "check your brain at the door and pour a good glass of whiskey"

      With Airplane (or any comedy with Leslie Nielson), a big fat doob works a lot better than that glass of whiskey.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    18. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by natehoy · · Score: 1

      Probably true.

      I've always worked for companies with random drug testing policies, however, so the potential enjoyment has been outweighed by ending a career I've put a large amount of money and effort into.

      Until I retire or it gets legalized, whiskey will have to do.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    19. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Well, alcohol is an almost good substitute.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    20. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by Nyder · · Score: 1

      Y'know, there's a lot more to movies than Star Wars:

      1. Airplane (1980)

      2. All the President’s Men (1976)

      3. The Bargain (1914)

      4. Cry of Jazz (1959)

      5. Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)

      6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

      7. The Exorcist (1973)

      8. The Front Page (1931)

      9. Grey Gardens (1976)

      10. I Am Joaquin (1969)

      11. It’s a Gift (1934)

      12. Let There Be Light (1946)

      13. Lonesome (1928)

      14. Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)

      15. Malcolm X (1992)

      16. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

      17. Newark Athlete (1891)

      18. Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)

      19. The Pink Panther (1964)

      20. Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)

      21. Saturday Night Fever (1977)

      22. Study of a River (1996)

      23. Tarantella (1940)

      24. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

      25. A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

      I haven't seen most of those. I guess I'll do the proper thing and download them via torrents.

      Wouldn't want the MIAA or whomever to get money they don't deserve.

      --
      Be seeing you...
    21. Re:Ahem, the other 24... by arielCo · · Score: 1

      Ditto, after proper consultation with My Friend Wikipedia. Be warned that these are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films". That's why Saturday Night Fever is on the list.

      --
      This post contains no rudeness or derision of any kind. All arguments are friendly. Terms and exclusions may apply.
  9. Which version? by slapout · · Score: 1

    Greedo shot first.

    Surely you can't be serious!

    --
    Coder's Stone: The programming language quick ref for iPad
  10. I know why by jhoegl · · Score: 1

    This was done so Cheney could get his theme song without having to pay royalties.

    1. Re:I know why by sharkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive?

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    2. Re:I know why by JargonScott · · Score: 1

      Ha

      Ha

      Ha

      Ha

      --
      Nuke Gay Whales for Jesus.
  11. National Film registry by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Film_Registry
    as far as i can see : they include a star wars film ... and not a star trek ? what exactly is the aesthetic, cultural or historic value of empire ?

    1. Re:National Film registry by natehoy · · Score: 1

      They probably thought about it in 2002, but had to make room for "Theodore Case Sound Test: Gus Visser and His Singing Duck" :)

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  12. Shouldn't this entail a suspension of copyright? by scorp1us · · Score: 1, Insightful

    If these are of our cultural significance, should we still be requiring people to spend money on them?

    Maybe adding them to a list and requiring people to pay money to view them is even more telling about our culture.

    Seems like late, but free advertising to me...

    --
    Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
  13. ESB is Star Wars 5. by tepples · · Score: 1

    rumors reach the roving tribes of the over-nerd that a pure copy of the fabled 'Second War of the Stars' exists.

    You mean Attack of the Clowns?

    Ocean's started at 11, Apollo started at 13, and Zombi started at 2. Star Wars started at 4, just like The Fantastic. Get it right :p

    1. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by natehoy · · Score: 2

      Part of me wants to agree with you, because you are technically correct. However, the other part doesn't want to acknowledge the truth in your assertion because that leads to a risk that Lucas might actually make I, II, and III someday. And that's a horror on a scale too large to contemplate. It took years of therapy to get rid of that bad dream I had a while back that Lucas had actually done such a thing, and I still scream sometimes at night when I think of that nightmarish monstrosity that can only be a figment of my badly twisted imagination saying "meesa thinksa youusa..."

      Whoops, it's back. Time to call my therapist again. His name is Jack, and he comes in 750ml sessions.

      --
      "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    2. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by mcgrew · · Score: 1

      Since Star Wars started at IV, the second one was indeed V.

      And "Apollo" didn't start at 13, 13 was the only movie made about the Apollo program, and it was about the most suspenseful spaceflight that ever launched anywhere. Nobody expected those astronauts to live, but they and the engineers on the ground pulled off some of the greatest hacks in history.

      Yes, I was alive then.

      --
      Free Martian Whores!
    3. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by PCM2 · · Score: 1

      Correction: Star Wars started at nothing -- no sequels, no episode number.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    4. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      You forgot Leonard starting at part 6.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    5. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      And "Apollo" didn't start at 13, 13 was the only movie made about the Apollo program, and it was about the most suspenseful spaceflight that ever launched anywhere.

      Sigh. Nobody talks about The Right Stuff anymore.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
    6. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by Mr.+Slippery · · Score: 1

      Nobody talks about The Right Stuff anymore.

      Not in a thread about the Apollo program, no, since that was about Mercury. And Mercury broke no new ground, the USSR had already put Gagarin in orbit.

      --
      Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
      You cannot wash away blood with blood
    7. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by drcheap · · Score: 1

      Sigh. Nobody talks about The Right Stuff anymore.

      Not true, The New Kids On The Block made a comeback, and apparently still sing that lame ass song to all their fans (who are now in their 30s, because they haven't stopped drooling over them since 8th grade).

    8. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn straight!

    9. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Classic! I knew the dark side (aka Hollywood) had won when the first Ewok appeared on the screen. Bleh.

    10. Re:ESB is Star Wars 5. by iluvcapra · · Score: 1

      This thread was about movies. It had nothing to do with space exploration per se.

      --
      Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
  14. Airplane? by aressa · · Score: 1, Funny

    Surely you can't be serious.

  15. Re:Shouldn't this entail a suspension of copyright by natehoy · · Score: 1

    In a sane world, most of these works would have fallen out of copyright protection years ago anyway, rendering the point moot.

    In fact, I'd say that only movies that have fallen out of copyright protection should be eligible for this list, since "cultural significance" takes a while to develop anyway. We just need to go back to the 20-year copyright and we're good.

    --
    "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
  16. How many... by Tuan121 · · Score: 1

    How many Libraries of Congress does it take to store those movies in the Library of Congresses database?

    1. Re:How many... by mcneely.mike · · Score: 1

      The same amount of nerds it takes to kill Jar Jar...
      Just one, my man. Just one.
      One named Shirley. (I'm serious)

      --
      soylentnews.org Go there to enjoy the people!
  17. What?? Gigli didn't make it?? I'm so upset... by mswhippingboy · · Score: 1

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigli

    --
    Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train.
  18. Apparently it represents US culture by fantomas · · Score: 1

    Apparently it's there because it represents US culture. Make your own conclusions.

  19. You're kidding ? by viralMeme · · Score: 1

    Airplane, 'Empire Strikes Back', 'Pink Panther', "Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB", "The Exorcist", "McCabe and Mrs. Miller", "Saturday Night Fever"

  20. Pulled? by antdude · · Score: 1

    It was pulled? What?

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  21. A trip Down Market Street can be seen here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.archive.org/details/TripDown1905

    1. Re:A trip Down Market Street can be seen here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It may be the first movie in which the director has a cameo. (Or at least his automobile does).

      Interesting too to see the free-for-all nature of roads back then. And 4 digit license plates!

      Most of the people in the film were probably born in the mid to late 1800's.

  22. TV shows most watched by deodiaus2 · · Score: 1

    Even thought they were not movies,
    I think we should add
    I Love Lucy
    Star Trek

    1. Re:TV shows most watched by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even thought they were not movies,
      I think we should add
      I Love Lucy
      Star Trek

      Burma Shave

    2. Re:TV shows most watched by niktemadur · · Score: 1

      Oh yeah!

      Does your husband
      misbehave
      Grunt and grumble
      rant and rave
      Shoot the brute
      some Burma Shave

      Pa acted
      so tickled
      Ma thought
      he was pickled
      He'd just used
      Burma Shave

      --
      Lil' Thindime, lilting a lacrimose lament, krashes the kwaint konfines of Kokonino Kounty
  23. What, no Westerns by deodiaus2 · · Score: 1

    "I told you once Injune,"
    "I'm not going to tell you again,
    "Get off my land!"

    If that doesn't represent historical and cultural significance, what does?

  24. Seems Ironic by pugugly · · Score: 1

    Why should public monies be spent to preserve any film not in the public domain?

    Pug

    --
    An Invisible Entity of Vast Power whose existence must be taken on faith alone: Liberal Media
    1. Re:Seems Ironic by Scott+Wood · · Score: 1

      So they're still around by the time they become public domain -- and not locked away in rotted, obsolete, DRMed 95-year-old media.

  25. Re:but by mcgrew · · Score: 1

    Hmmm, you might want to work on that karma thing a little...

    --
    Free Martian Whores!
  26. Really? by KneelBeforeZod · · Score: 2

    I thought Reagan loved Star Wars. I would've assumed the SW trilogy was already in the registry

  27. Re:Shouldn't this entail a suspension of copyright by Azaril · · Score: 1

    Well obviously, we, the people, want George Lucas to be able to spend the money on more Star Wars films...

  28. Re:Shouldn't this entail a suspension of copyright by westlake · · Score: 1

    If these are of our cultural significance, should we still be requiring people to spend money on them?

    No one is "required" to spend any money on them.

    That is why master prints are lost or allowed to deteriorate.

    That is why films [and radio and television productions] disappear from broadcast and cable schedules.

    Government support for the arts in the United States is fragile.

    Corporate charitable support for the arts in the United States is fragile.

    The one reason why classics like Forbidden Planet remain in circulation is because people are willing to pay for them.

  29. Can Somebody Help me Hide Entertainment Section? by neonprimetime · · Score: 1

    I goto help & preferences -> classic index -> sections ... and i want to hide Entertainment stories from the home page ... but Entertainment is not listed as a section? Thanks

  30. ~100 BPM by KingAlanI · · Score: 1

    Any song with a tempo of about 100 BPM (that article specifies 103) can be used.
    Another One Bites The Dust, mentioned by the sibling post to mine, also is mentioned in that article.

    BTW:

    MC Lars, one of my favorite indies, did a song called "That's CPR" for the American Heart Association as a side project; he talked about how he set the tempo to an even 100 for exactly this reason. (Not bad as far as purposely educational songs go, but I like his regular stuff more. :P)

    --
    I listen to both RIAA and non-RIAA stuff if I like the music, tangential business/politics nonwithstanding.
  31. just my $0.02 by Magnum7385 · · Score: 1

    But .. pre-special-edition Laserdisc rips. Who's with me?