Saturday, December 17, 2016

'Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ Officially Added To The National Film Registry

With the sad and unfortunate news that Disney currently has no interest in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and it characters, the Library of Congress has recognized this film for its stunning technological and animation achievements as well as its importance to our culture and history. 25 films are carefully selected each year and 2016 adds Robert Zemeckis' film noir, live-action/animation movie will be preserved by the registry. As stated by the Library of Congress:

"Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. The films must be at least 10 years old. The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after conferring with the distinguished members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and a cadre of Library specialists."




"Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Described by Roger Ebert as “not only great entertainment but a breakthrough in craftsmanship,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” introduced a new sense of realism into the interactions between cartoons and live-action characters on screen. In this film noir comedy, set in a 1940s Hollywood where cartoon characters are real, private investigator Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is hired to prove the innocence of the accused murderer and uncontrollably crazy ‘toon’ Roger Rabbit (voiced by Charles Fleischer), with memorable appearances by Roger’s voluptuous wife, Jessica Rabbit (voiced by Kathleen Turner), and the chillingly evil Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd). The film evokes a love for the golden age of animation, represented through the construction of Roger Rabbit himself, who embodies Disney’s high-quality animation, Warner Bros.’ character design and Tex Avery’s sense of humor. The spirit of the film is artfully summarized in this one line: “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.” Executive producer Steven Spielberg worked tirelessly to negotiate the use of over 140 beloved cartoon characters in the film, making this the first time Warner Bros. and Disney characters shared the screen and the last time Mel Blanc voiced Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck before his death in 1989."


Films Selected for the 2016 National Film Registry
  • Atomic Cafe (1982)
  • Ball of Fire (1941)
  • Beau Brummels, The (1928)
  • Birds, The (1963)
  • Blackboard Jungle (1955)
  • Breakfast Club, The (1985)
  • Decline of Western Civilization, The (1981)
  • East of Eden (1955)
  • Funny Girl (1968)
  • Life of an American Fireman (1903)
  • Lion King, The (1994)
  • Lost Horizon (1937)
  • Musketeers of Pig Alley, The (1912)
  • Paris Is Burning (1990)
  • Point Blank (1967)
  • Princess Bride, The (1987)
  • Putney Swope (1969)
  • Rushmore (1998)
  • Solomon Sir Jones films (1924-28)
  • Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
  • Suzanne, Suzanne (1982)
  • Thelma & Louise (1991)
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
  • Walk in the Sun, A (1945)
  • Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)