The vast majority of feature-length silent films made in the United States have been lost due to decay and neglect over the past 100 years, according to a Library of Congress study.
Of the nearly 11,000 U.S. silent feature films made between 1912 and 1930, the survey found only 14 percent still exist in their original format. About 11 percent survive exist only as foreign versions or in lower-quality formats, with at least 70 percent believed to be lost.
"It's a lost style of storytelling, and the best of the films are as effective with audiences today as they were when they were initially released," said historian and archivist David Pierce, who conducted the study. "When you take away dialogue from a narrative story, it actually puts quite a challenge upon the creative people involved to tell the story entirely in a visual fashion. And it's that limitation, I think, which makes the films so effective."
MSNBC host leaves over Palin comments
MSNBC announced that commentator Martin Bashir is leaving after an uproar over his remarks last month about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Disputing Palin's position that compared the national debt to slavery, Bashir during an on-air segment called Palin "America's resident dunce" and then suggested a slave-like scatological punishment for her. He later apologized for the remarks, which brought widespread condemnation. "I deeply regret what was said, will endeavor to work hard at making constructive contributions in the future and will always have a deep appreciation for our viewers," Bashir, the co-host of ABC's "Nightline" from 2005 to 2010, wrote in a statement.
'House of Cards' returns: The second season of Netflix's political thriller, "House of Cards," will debut on Valentine's Day next year. All 13 episodes will be available immediately Feb. 14. The show stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright as Francis and Claire Underwood on "their ruthless rise to power" in Washington. Directors in this season will include Wright, Jodie Foster and James Foley, who directed "Glengarry Glen Ross."
TOURISTS ARE COMING?: Tourism officials in Northern Ireland say they are looking at ways to capitalize on the success of HBO's fantasy TV series, "Game of Thrones." Northern Ireland provides a backdrop of castles and rugged coastlines for the series' kingdom of Westeros. Northern Ireland's Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster announced the tourism strategy this week, saying she wanted to attract more than 2 million visitors a year by 2016.
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