The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Has Earned Its Rightful Spot in the National Film Registry

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It took the Library of Congress 50 years, but at long last Leatherface and his barbecue-loving cannibal family can claim one of cinema’s highest honors: 1974’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Tobe Hooper‘s influential indie horror classic, has been added to the National Film Registry for preservation. It’s one of 25 films selected this year.

There are now some 900 films in this prestigious group, selected due to “their cultural, historic, or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage,” according to a press release. This year’s class includes a diverse array of titles, including several genre films and cult favorites. Along with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, there’s Invaders From Mars, Ganja and Hess, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan—as well as Up in Smoke, Beverly Hills Cop, Dirty Dancing, and Spy Kids. The most recent addition is David Fincher’s Facebook origin story, 2010’s The Social Network.

Here’s the full list:

  • Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
  • KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)
  • Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
  • Pride of the Yankees (1942)
  • Invaders from Mars (1953)
  • The Miracle Worker (1962)
  • The Chelsea Girls (1966)
  • Ganja and Hess (1973)
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
  • Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
  • Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)
  • Up in Smoke (1978)
  • Will (1981)
  • Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)
  • Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
  • Dirty Dancing (1987)
  • Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
  • Powwow Highway (1989)
  • My Own Private Idaho (1991)
  • American Me (1992)
  • Mi Familia (1995)
  • Compensation (1999)
  • Spy Kids (2001)
  • No Country for Old Men (2007)
  • The Social Network (2010)

The Library of Congress does accept nominations from the public; you have until August 2025 to cast your vote for a film you think should join the National Film Registry right here. You can also check out the full list of films already included here.

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