'Empire Strikes Back' Among 25 Movies Named to National Film Registry

Every year the National Film Registry names up to 25 "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant films" to preserve at the Library of Congress, showcasing the full range of American film and its impact on our culture.

The films, which include Hollywood classics, documentaries and genres from every era of American filmmaking, have so far spanned the period of 1891-1996, for a total of 550 films. In the past some truly great films have been named for preservation, including "Fargo", "Goodfellas", "Raging Bull", and "Do the Right Thing", and this year's list is no different.

Of the 25 films named to the registry, some names that stick out include "Airplane!", "The Empire Strikes Back", "All the President's Men", "Malcolm X", "Saturday Night Fever", "The Pink Panther", "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" and "The Exorcist".

Over 2,500 films were nominated, and the ones that were selected will have a copy of the original film preserved by the registry at the Packard Campus of the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Virginia, for future generations.

Whether it's by chance or by design, the list honors some filmmakers and actors who have passed away this year, including director's Irvin Kershner and Blake Edwards, along with actor Leslie Nielsen. Kershner was the director of "The Empire Strikes Back" which is considered by many to be the best sequel of all time, while Edwards was the director of the famed comedy "The Pink Panther". Nielsen of course starred in the spoof film "Airplane!", making famous his deadpan comedic delivery.

Spike Lee already had a film in the registry ("Do the Right Thing") and now adds another with "Malcolm X". Denzel Washington was phenomenal in the film, which was a no holds barred look at the life and death of Malcolm X.

I'm thrilled to see "All the President's Men" added to the registry. Randomly enough I am actually watching the film as I write this, and I can emphatically say it deserves a spot in the vault. The acting by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman is nothing short of phenomenal, and the film itself is a perfectly paced thriller.

I literally could go on all day about the films added to the registry, but I'll say that this year was one of the strongest lists in recent memory, and I'm impressed with the range of genres they chose from this time around, including horror ("The Exorcist") and comedy ("Airplane!", "The Pink Panther").

The full list:

Airplane! (1980), All the President's Men (1976), The Bargain (1914), Cry of Jazz (1959), Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), The Exorcist (1973), The Front Page (1931), Grey Gardens (1976), I Am Joaquin (1969), It's a Gift (1934), Let There Be Light (1946), Lonesome (1928), Make Way for Tomorrow (1937), Malcolm X (1992), McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971), Newark Athlete (1891), Our Lady of the Sphere (1969), The Pink Panther (1964), Preservation of the Sign Language (1913), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Study of a River (1996), Tarantella (1940), A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), A Trip Down Market Street (1906)