Rock Movies That Should Be Added to the National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is a list of films deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and chosen for preservation by the Library of Congress. Films must be at least 10 years old to be considered. Established with the passage of the National Preservation Act of 1988, the NFR are a selection of films not necessarily considered the “best” American films, but ones that had an enduring impact on American culture and society. All types of film are considered including feature-length films, documentaries, shorts, animated works, newsreel footage and home movies. Starting in 1989, the NFR has selected 25 films each year for preservation and there are currently 775 films inducted (as of 2019). Although there is a panel of experts (including historians, librarians, archivists, etc.) on the National Film Preservation Board, the Librarian of Congress ultimately decides on the 25 films inducted each year. Apparently, thousands of movies are suggested by both the public and the board each year, so there’s no shortage of great films that still need to be added to the NFR.
One particular trend of the last 5 years is an emphasis to induct Rock and Roll films into the Registry. To be clear, I define “rock films” as films that place rock and roll music as the centerpiece of the narrative or soundtrack. The NFR has inducted several Rock and Roll movies throughout its history (see complete list below) and I wondered what other important Rock movies are missing. I compiled a list of 20 films I feel deserve serious consideration for preservation in the NFR someday. Some of these movies I love, others not so much but they are all important works of art that made important contributions to both American cinema and culture at large.
Something to keep in mind is that the Library of Congress only inducts American films into the Registry. So terrific non-American productions such as A Hard Day’s Night (Richard Lester, 1964), Tommy (Ken Russell, 1975), The Harder They Come (Perry Henzell, 1972), Pink Floyd: The Wall (Alan Parker, 1982) and Urgh! A Music War (Derek Burbidge, 1982) could not be considered. And I also tried to limit the number of lists from a director to just one. What’s Happening! The Beatles in the USA (Albert and David Maysles, 1964) and Singles (Cameron Crowe, 1992) are two examples.
Here’s my selections:
The Girl Can’t Help It (1956): Frank Tashlin’s satirical musical-comedy focuses on a gangster (Edmond O’Brien) wanting his airheaded girlfriend (Jayne Mansfield) to become a rock and roll star, but there’s one problem: she has no musical talent. But a has-been press agent (Tom Ewell) tries to make it happen. Set to rousing musical performances from the likes of Little Richard, Fats Domino, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent, The Girl Can’t Help It is one of the first big-budget studio films to bring rock and roll to a mainstream audience. The movie has legions of admirers including Paul McCartney and John Waters.
Head (1968): Co-written by Jack Nicholson and director Bob Rafelson, Head remains one of the most subversive film experiences of the late 1960s. Filmed in a series of vignettes, Head is a genre-bending and narrative-less film following the adventures of the Monkees. In the wake of their hugely-successful television series, Head was a notorious critical and box-office flop but would become a beloved cult classic years later.
Gimme Shelter (1970): When they were asked to film the last weeks of the Rolling Stones’ American tour in 1969, The Maysles Brothers only planned to film their Madison Square Garden show but the band convinced the filmmakers to document their ill-fated free concert at the Altamont Speedway. But little did the Maysles Brothers realize they would capture one of the most infamous and tragic moments in American history. Gimme Shelter is a landmark film documenting The Rolling Stones at their peak and remains one of the influential and greatest rock movies of all time.
Super Fly (1972): A landmark of blaxploitation cinema, Super Fly centers on a drug dealer Priest (Ron O’Neal) wanting to escape a life of crime but also gets caught up with a corrupt local police squad. Accompanied by Curtis Mayfield’s iconic soundtrack (who appears in the film), Super Fly became one of the biggest financial successes of the decade.
Wattstax (1973): Often considered the “black Woodstock,” Wattstax documents the legendary 1972 benefit concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. commemorating the seventh anniversary of the 1965 Watts Riots in Los Angeles, this Stax Records-sponsored event features electrifying performances from music legends such as Isaac Hayes, the Staple Singers and Albert King. A then-unknown Richard Pryor also performs stand-up comedy and would propel the comedian to a national audience.
Grease (1978): A nostalgic look at 1950s American culture set to the backdrop of originally-composed rock and roll music, Grease would further ascend the careers of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John on a global scale. The film depicts the bubbling romance of an Australian transfer student Sandy (Newton-John) and bad-boy Danny Zuko (Travolta). Thanks in large part to its iconic soundtrack, Grease would become one of the most successful and widely beloved musicals of all time.
The Blues Brothers (1980): A continuation of the hugely-popular Saturday Night Live sketch, The Blues Brothers centers on Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) sent on a mission from God to save a failing Catholic orphanage before it shuts down. They reunite their old R&B band and assemble an all-star lineup (including James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Cab Calloway) to raise funds, but are pursued by a slew of zany characters. The Blues Brothers’ renditions of soul classics would keep the genre’s legacy alive in American popular culture.
The Big Chill (1983): Reunited by the tragic death of one of their friends, a group of baby boomers attend his funeral and spend a weekend reminiscing on their glory days at the University of Michigan and reflecting on how that shaped their lives as adults. Featuring an all-star cast including Glenn Close, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum and Kevin Kline, The Big Chill is an era-defining ensemble film accompanied by a nostalgic-driven soundtrack of 60s soul and rock classics.
Wild Style (1983): Wild Style focuses on a group of graffiti artists who are participants to the burgeoning hip-hop street culture scene taking over New York City in 1981. The film is notable for featuring early hip-hop icons such as Grandmaster Flash, Fab Five Freddy and members of Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation. Wild Style is widely beloved by many hip-hop artists, writers and critics and remains an important historical document of the genre on the verge of mainstream notoriety.
Stop Making Sense (1984): While on tour promoting their latest album Speaking in Tongues (1983), The Talking Heads hired Jonathan Demme to shoot this concert film over 4 nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December 1983. Widely hailed as one of the greatest concert films ever filmed, Stop Making Sense cements the band’s status as one of the greatest live acts in rock history.
Dirty Dancing (1987): Set at a Catskills mountain resort in the summer of 1963, Frances “Baby” (Jennifer Grey) falls in love with the one of resort’s dance instructors Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Featuring several early rock and roll classics and the original Oscar-winning song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, Dirty Dancing’s diamond-certified soundtrack became one of the world’s best-selling albums of all time.
Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll (1987): Taylor Hackford’s documentary centers on a two-night concert in St. Louis celebrating the 60th birthday of rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry. The film intersects rehearsal footage of the notoriously-difficult Berry and discusses his contributions to rock and roll and American culture at large. Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards and Etta James are just a handful of the talented musicians performing with Berry.
Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991): Following Madonna on her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour, Truth or Dare is a groundbreaking documentary featuring concert performances (shot in color) and behind-the-scenes footage (shot in black & white). Featuring a pop star at the height of her fame, the film became a critical and commercial success. More importantly, the film became one of the first widely-distributed documentaries to positively portray members of the LGBTQ community.
Wayne’s World (1992): Based on the massively-popular Saturday Night Live sketch, Wayne’s World follows Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) who take their public-access cable show to a local radio station and they reach a wider audience. This hilarious comedy features a now-legendary scene with Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” sans the late Freddie Mercury, and introduced their music to a new generation of fans.
Dazed and Confused (1993): Set in a small town in 1976 Texas, Richard Linklater’s period comedy follows the adventures of teenagers on the last day of school. Initially a minor hit at the box-office, Dazed and Confused developed a rabid cult following and launch the careers for many of its actors including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Renee Zellweger. Dazed and Confused’s soundtrack features a staple of classic rockers including ZZ Top, Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple and Alice Cooper.
Selena (1997): Gregory Nava’s biopic chronicles the life and career of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known to global audiences simply by her first name. Often hailed as the Queen of Tejano music, Selena’s life was tragically cut short when she murdered at the age of 23. Selena catapulted Jennifer Lopez to superstardom and cemented the late singer’s place in American popular culture.*
Almost Famous (2000): Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical account of a teenage journalist (Billy Crudup) writing for Rolling Stone and covering an up-and-coming rock band on their first big tour in the early 1970s. Featuring an excellent ensemble cast and an Oscar-winning screenplay written by Crowe, Almost Famous provides a rare first-hand account of the excessiveness of the rock and roll lifestyle.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001): John Cameron Mitchell adapted his 1998 off-Broadway musical (co-written with lyricist Stephen Trask) which focuses on the title character, a non-binary East German rock singer (Mitchell) who undergoes sex-reassignment surgery and searches for superstardom in a punk band. Mitchell’s bold and utterly original musical embodies the grit and spirit of rock and roll.
8 Mile (2002): Aspiring rapper Jimmy Smith Jr. (Eminem), better known by his stage name “B-Rabbit,” faces personal and professional struggles in his pursuit for fame and fortune. Set in the city limits of Detroit in 1995, Curtis Hanson’s film functions as a semi-autobiographical of star Eminem and propelled the rapper even further into the mainstream. Eminem also won an Oscar for Best Original Song for the hit single “Lose Yourself,” becoming one of the biggest hits of the decade.
I’m Not There (2007): “Inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan,” Todd Haynes’ unconventional biopic examines the iconoclastic singer-songwriter who is played by six different actors (of different races and genders) at various stages of his life. Haynes’ postmodern destruction of the ever-enigmatic Dylan revolutionized the music biopic.
The NFR allows the public to nominate films. Each person can nominate up to 50 films each year by filling out this form. The deadline is September 15.
Rock Films in the NFR including year of release followed by the year of induction: Nashville (Robert Altman, 1975; 1992), American Graffiti (George Lucas, 1973; 1995), The Graduate (Mike Nichols, 1967; 1996), Woodstock (Michael Wadleigh, 1970; 1996), Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1971; 1997), Mean Streets (Martin Scorsese, 1973; 1997), Don’t Look Back (D.A. Pennebaker, 1967; 1998), Easy Rider (Dennis Hooper, 1969; 1998), Do the Right Thing (1989; 1999), Jazz on a Summer’s Day (Bert Stern and Aram Avakian, 1959; 1999), Goodfellas (1990; 2000), Shaft (Gordon Parks, 1971; 2000), National Lampoon’s Animal House (John Landis, 1978; 2001), This is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984; 2002), Jailhouse Rock (Richard Thorpe, 1957; 2004), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975; 2005), The T.A.M.I. Show (Steve Binder, 1964; 2006), Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985; 2007), Michael Jackson’s Thriller (John Landis, 1983; 2009), Saturday Night Fever (John Badham, 1977; 2010), Forrest Gump (Robert Zemeckis, 1994; 2011), Blackboard Jungle (Richard Brooks, 1955; 2016), The Decline of Western Civilization (Penelope Spheeris, 1981; 2016), La Bamba (Luis Valdez, 1987; 2017), Monterey Pop (D.A. Pennebaker, 1968; 2018), Coal Miner’s Daughter (Michael Apted, 1980; 2019), The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese, 1978; 2019), Purple Rain (Albert Magnoli, 1984; 2019).
*For more information on the life and career of Selena, I highly recommend listening to Hall Watchers’ “Dreaming of You” episode.
