National Film Registry Adds Rosemary’s Baby and House of Wax
John Squires
|
It’s always exciting when horror films are embraced by mainstream outlets and treated like something more than cinema’s bastard children. It’s for this reason that we look forward to the Library of Congress’ annual additions to the National Film Registry, and this year two more horror classics have received the honor!
Per the LA Times, both House of Wax (1953) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968) have joined the National Film Registry this year, officially being recognized as “cultural, historical or aesthetic cinematic treasures.” They take their rightful place alongside previous horror inductees The Exorcist and The Silence of the Lambs.
“The National Film Registry showcases the extraordinary diversity of America’s film heritage and the disparate strands making it so vibrant,” read a statement from librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. “By preserving these films, we protect a crucial element of American creativity, culture and history.”
Under the National Film Preservation Act, the librarian of Congress chooses films that are at least 10 years old. The Library of Congress’ Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Virginia will ensure that each film is preserved, whether through the center’s preservation program or through collaborations with other archives, movie studios and independent filmmakers.
The 2014 selections bring the number of films in the registry to 650.
Categorized:News
