These Amazing Shadows (2011)

Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.

Directors:

Paul Mariano, Kurt Norton

Writers:

Douglas Blush (as Doug Blush), Paul Mariano

Stars:

Jeff Adachi, James H. Billington, Robin Blaetz

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jeff Adachi	...	Himself
James H. Billington	...	Himself
Robin Blaetz	...	Herself
Brooks Boliek	...	Himself
Ernest Borgnine	...	Himself (archive footage)
Charles Burnett	...	Himself
Jay Carr	...	Himself
Martin Cohen	...	Himself
Peter Coyote	...	Himself
Arlene Damron	...	Herself
Julie Dash	...	Herself
Allen Daviau	...	Himself
Caleb Deschanel	...	Himself
Zooey Deschanel	...	Herself
Kristine Fong	...	Herself

Storyline

What do the films Casablanca, Blazing Saddles, and West Side Story have in common? Besides being popular, they have also been deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," by the Library of Congress and listed on the National Film Registry. These Amazing Shadows tells the history and importance of The Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself. The current list of 525 films includes selections from every genre - documentaries, home movies, Hollywood classics, avant-garde, newsreels and silent films. These Amazing Shadows reveals how American movies tell us so much about ourselves...not just what we did, but what we thought, what we felt, what we aspired to, and the lies we told ourselves.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | library of congress | art appreciation | archive | film appreciation | 

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Taglines:

The Movies That Made America

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 January 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lost Forever

Filming Locations:

Bay Area, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gravitas Docufilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the Library of Congress, the vaults that hold the highly flammable nitrocellulose footage are maintained at 39 degrees F, and 30% relative humidity.

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Quotes

[first lines]
John Ptak: There is nothing like going to a theater, a communal atmosphere, watching something that is bigger than life.
Robin Blaetz: It's dark, you don't look at anybody...
John Ptak: And then the movie started, and it was really, really magical.

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Connections

Features Notorious (1946)

User Reviews

Excellent, Amazing Documentary

Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.

I was not aware of the history of the registry or how films were chosen to appear on it. Obviously, it makes sense that "Citizen Kane" and "Casablanca" were on there, but I found it much more interesting how the obscure and offbeat get on there. And films from the 1990s, which had relatively little time to become historic...

After seeing this, I have a new-found respect for the list and will have to make a point in tracking down the titles on it. While I have made a point of looking for old Oscar winners, this might be more representative of real American cinema history.