Top of page

Category: National Film Preservation Board

Color photo of a man kneeling beside a large dog, while draping his left arm around the dog's shoulders. They are outside in the snow, and the man is wearing a flannel shirt and baseball cap.

The thing about that dog in “The Thing,” now in the National Film Registry

Posted by: Neely Tucker

John Carpenter's "The Thing," the classic 1982 sci-fi/horror film, was voted by fans into the 2025 National Film Registry. One of the film's surprise stars was Jed, the part wolf/part dog who plays a key role in the movie's plot. Richard Masur, who played Jed's handler in the movie, recalls the joy and fear of working with such a "big, beautiful" but wild animal. Jed went on to other roles in Hollywood, playing the title character in "White Fang" and "White Fang 2."

Still photo from "Clueless" shows Alicia Silverstone stylishly dressed on a streetcorner, smiling and holding shopping bags.

How Amy Heckerling’s Babysitter Helped Create “Clueless,” Now in the National Film Registry

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Amy Heckering's 1995 comedy, "Clueless," was one of the defining films of decade and was just inducted into the National Film Registry. But even as the director of another generational favorite from the 1980s, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," Heckerling didn't see it coming while writing and working on the film. And that title? She got it from her babysitter.

Color half-length photo of a fancily dressed concierge and lobby boy in a luxurious hotel of the 1930s.

“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” Researched at the Library

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Wes Anderson's touching 2014 film, "The Grand Budapest Hotel," joins the National Film Registry this year. Anderson and his team used the Library's vast collection of hand-tinted European photographs from before World War I to help create the titular hotel's distinctive look.

A colorful collage of main characters from many of films inducted into the 2025 National Film Registry

The 2025 National Film Registry: “The Thing,” “Inception,” “Clueless” and More!

Posted by: Neely Tucker

The 2025 National Film Registry is out today, showcasing a group of 25 films spanning 118 years and including fan favorites such as “The Thing,” “Clueless,” “The Big Chill” and “The Incredibles.” The Library’s annual addition to the list of films to be preserved for their cinematic and cultural heritage starts with the 1896 silent film, “The Tramp and the Dog,” and stretches to the 2014 Wes Anderson picture, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Color photo of two moody young men, one wearing sunglasses and just behind the other

Holy “Texas Chainsaw,” it’s the 2024 National Film Registry!

Posted by: Brett Zongker

The 2024 National Film Registry includes 25 films selected for their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance to the nation's history. This year's entries include major hits such as "The Social Network," "No Country for Old Men," and "Beverly Hills Cop"; indie classics such as "My Own Private Idaho" and "Powwow Highway"; the family film "Spy Kids" and the horror movie classic, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."

Black History Month: Spike Lee and “Bamboozled”

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Spike Lee's 2000 film "Bamboozled," a hard-edged satire of blackface in cinema and television, was part of the 2023 class of National Film Registry and his fifth film to join the list. In an interview with the Library, he explains how the film is an answer to D.W. Griffith's notorious "The Birth of a Nation" in 1915, which set into play more than a century of racist tropes in films.

A pre-teen boy claps both hands to his face as he yells into the bathroom mirror

Home Alone? Check Out The 2023 National Film Registry!

Posted by: Neely Tucker

A sizzle reel introduces the 25 influential films from the past 102 years have been selected for the 2023 Library of Congress National Film Registry, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced today, inluding blockbusters such as "Fame," "Home Alone" and "Apollo 13," the popular romance "Love & Basketball," and influential feature films and documentaries such as "12 Years a Slave," "Matewan," "Alambrista!" and "Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision."

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

“Iron Man,” Marvel, Rocket Into the 2022 National Film Registry

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was excited, explaining why he and his filmmaking team were thrilled that their cornerstone feature, 2008’s “Iron Man,” was being inducted into cinematic Valhalla, the Library’s National Film Registry, in the class of 2022. “All of our favorite movies are the ones that we watch over and over again, and …

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

“Top Gun” — The Library of Congress Keeps Receipts

Posted by: Neely Tucker

The film "Top Gun: Maverick" has caught the nation's imagination 36 years after the first "Top Gun" did, setting box office records. The Library placed the original film in the National Recording Registry and has several items, including the original print of the film, preserved in its collections.