John Carpenter’s The Thing among films added to the US National Film Registry

by Ryan Lambie |
John Carpenter's The Thing
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Inception, Clueless and John Carpenter’s The Thing are among a new selection of films chosen to be preserved at the US National Film Registry. The reception to John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror, The Thing, was so hostile that it actively damaged his career for years afterwards. Still, the filmmaker can at least be content that ... John Carpenter’s The Thing among films added to the US National Film Registry

Inception, Clueless and John Carpenter’s The Thing are among a new selection of films chosen to be preserved at the US National Film Registry.

The reception to John Carpenter’s 1982 sci-fi horror, The Thing, was so hostile that it actively damaged his career for years afterwards. Still, the filmmaker can at least be content that his icily effective shocker has since been recognised as a genre classic – so much so that the US Library of Congress has added it to the National Film Registry.

It’s one of several films deemed culturally significant enough to be preserved in the board’s archives. Among the 25 others selected this year you’ll find Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller Inception and Amy Heckerling’s teen comedy, Clueless.

Founded in 1988, the National Film Registry is now closing in on around 1,000 movies, ranging from the medium’s earliest – Edison Kinetographic Record Of A Sneeze (1894) – to the more modern, including David Fincher’s The Social Network and Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave.

This year’s picks are a similarly expansive mix, with the earliest film on the list hailing from 1896 (The Tramp And The Dog) and the newest being Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel from 2014. Here’s the full list, courtesy of Variety:

• The Tramp and the Dog (1896)

• The Oath of the Sword (1914)

• The Maid of McMillan (1916)

• The Lady (1925)

• Sparrows (1926)

• Ten Nights in a Barroom (1926)

• White Christmas (1954)

• High Society (1956)

• Brooklyn Bridge (1981)

• Say Amen, Somebody (1982)

• The Thing (1982)

• The Big Chill (1983)

• The Karate Kid (1984)

• Glory (1989)

• Philadelphia (1993)

• Before Sunrise (1995)

• Clueless (1995)

• The Truman Show (1998)

• Frida (2002)

• The Hours (2002)

• The Incredibles (2004)

• The Wrecking Crew (2008)

• Inception (2010)

• The Loving Story (2011)

• The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

There are some proper corkers on there, we’re sure you’ll agree – and a pleasing mix of genres. We’re especially glad to see The Truman Show singled out; Peter Weir’s Phildickian comedy drama really is a classic. But a big congratulations go to John Carpenter, who now has a second film in the archive – his landmark slasher, Halloween, was added in 2006.

And commiserations to all the filmmakers who were hoping their masterworks might have been picked this year. Don’t worry, Mac And Me – you’ll get your turn one day.

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