Calories are not the Only Important Thing for our Health

Adding color to black and white movies and tv shows, a process known as film colorization, was a big controversy in the 1980s. Some viewed it as ruining the authenticity of the classics. TV critic Eric Mink even went as far as to call it ‘bastardization’ of film. Others simply saw it as something that helped attract younger audiences and therefore more profit. Ted Turner, who owned hundreds of movie titles, began coloring many of the classics and by doing so, angered many people. This, along with other issues in the film industry, inspired the creation of the National Film Registry and the National Film Preservation Board which helped stop such events from happening. b.) The NFPB’s mission is to ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s film heritage. The board also acts as an advisor to the Librarian of Congress when manually selecting films to add to the registry. Movies, short films, and even music videos that are ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically significant,’ as well as ten years old (to prove that it has stayed culturally relevant/significant) are accepted. c.) Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act in 1988. From it, the NFPB and NFR were born to combat material alteration in the film business.

One movie reviewed in the film was Star Wars, which was released in 1997 and selected for the registry in 1989. Kevin Yost, a Lucas Films editor, spoke of his first time going to see it and gushed over the first impression it had on him and the audience. He also praised the movie as one of the first great science fiction movies to so strongly be accepted by pop culture. He claimed this was because the universe it so clearly depicted made people want to be there instead of in their reality. Another movie addressed in These Amazing Shadows was the first installment in the Toy Story series (made in 1995 and selected for the registry in 2005).

The movie, directed by John Lasseter, was inspired by Star Wars as well as many of Walt Disney’s films. From this inspiration, he created not only the first computer animated feature film, but also a film that focuses on the story and characters. To Lasseter, it’s the heart that stays with the audience and makes his film influential. b.) The documentary, Harlan County U.S.A.(selected for the registry in 1990), was about what happened after the farmington mine disaster and what it was like to be a coal miner, or a coal miner’s wife. The director, Barbara Kopple, explained that her interview with some of the widows from the disaster was the first time they had gotten to talk together about what happened. She passionately explained that without documentaries, we wouldn’t have any history. Her documentary, along with all others, allow us to gain information about what has happened in the past, but it also allows us to step into someone else’s world that we wouldn’t usually have access to. c.) Once it had reached 10 years, I believe The Avengers (released in 2012) should be included in the National Film Registry. I believe any Marvel movie would be a good piece of culturally and aesthetically significant film. Few studios can boast about the overall pop cultural influence Marvel Studios movies have had. Similar to the Star Wars franchise, Marvel has made many movies that all exist in a created universe (the MCU) and expertly include planning and interweaving in each individual film.

The Avengers is a prime example of this, because it brings together plot and characters from Iron Man (one and two), Hulk, Thor, and Captain America as well as characters from the comics that don’t have their own movie. Another reason is that, while it is not yet ten years in age, the movie is still greatly significant to pop culture as with each new installment to the MCU, more fans are attracted to the franchise. Part 3 a.) Steve James claims that “there is nothing more powerful than a true story” because it doesn’t let you escape. In fiction, if a situation is getting too real, or too sad, you can always just tell yourself it isn’t real, and instantly remove yourself from the situation. With documentaries, on the contrary, you are unable to back away and seperate yourself from these feelings, because they force you to acknowledge them as our history. b.) In a high school health class I watched the documentary Super Size Me, which follows Morgan Spurlock as he eats only McDonalds for a full month and records the effects on his health. The premise of the film fascinated me because it not only gave me a look into what the fast food industry was like in 2004 (when Super Size Me was released) but also clear images of how bad fast food is for you. In the documentary, Morgan vowed to eat only food from McDonalds, eat every item on the menu at least once, get the supersized option if asked, exclude all exercise from his life, and limit his walking to the americans average daily steps of 5,000. He bashed the fast food franchise for caring more about profit then the health of their customers and his film caused McDonalds to get rid of the Supersize option. He also made me, as well as many other viewers, more aware of how calories aren’t the only important thing to our health but also vitamins, minerals, sodium amounts, sugar amounts, and regular exercise.