The Matrix and Rob Epstein’s documentary The Times of Harvey Milk are among 25 films being added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.
The Matrix (1999) is well-known both for its science fiction story line and for innovative filmmaking techniques such as the multi-camera setup that dramatically displayed Neo dodging bullets.
The Harvey Milk documentary’s genre connection is indirect – sf author Frank Robinson was Milk’s speechwriter and one of his closest advisers. I don’t know whether Robinson is present in the background of any of the news footage utilized by the Epstein documentary. Robinson did have a cameo appearance in the feature film, Milk.
Since 1989 the National Film Registry has been selecting moving images that it considers important enough to be preserved by the Library of Congress as part of the nation’s permanent visual record.
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I thought I had seen that multi-camera technique in some earlier film?
The Canadian animation show REBOOT did a few multi camera shots, way back in 1994 1995. There was one scene of a “car” crash that was viewed from several angles.
I’d add The Middletons go to The New York World’s Fair as it is about Westinghouse’s scientific progress and features shots of Electro, the 1939 World’s Fair Robot! It’s also in the Computer History Museum’s collection and I’m writing for our blog about it!
Also, the next issue of The Drink Tank will have a look at the full registry, though that won’t be out until right about the last day of the year!
Chris
There’s really no right or wrong, but I left that out because a film presenting technology that was literally in existence in 1939 doesn’t feel like sf to me, any more than Fail-safe.
Electro the Robot was a semi fraud, because he was voiced by someone standing just about off stage. He could blow up a balloon but so could a bicycle pump.
I am prompted to recall this because of a few “robots” that were wheeling around at SF conventions in the 1980’s that talked to you, and verbally rolled in the Don Rickles swill, but clearly was voiced by someone in the room (caught one guy).
Electro was also presented about a decade later on YOU ASKED FOR IT. He was powered by relays and pullies and not too convincing.