Aaron Cole: IFTA vs AFI Top 100

The Independent Film and Television Alliance, best known for sharing an acronym with the International Federation of Technical Analysts (annual conventions must for those nerds must be like a Roman orgy), released Tuesday its list of the top 30 most significant independent films.
Brace yourself: Not everyone’s happy.
In other news, coffee made from coffee beans and water is, in fact, wet.
Looking down the list there’s some questionable entries, sure. What’s “Twilight” doing in there? Is “Lord of the Rings” really a low-budget, indie flick? And no Paul Thomas Anderson? Really?
Then again, AFI’s Top 100 list includes “Showgirls.” (OK, not really, but it should — and I have the letter-writing campaign under way.)
There were some surprises in each decade. “The Terminator” shared space with “My Left Foot” in the 80s lineup, and “Braveheart” is mentioned in the same sentence as “Reservoir Dogs” in the 90s.
Note: Nearly everything Quentin Tarantino has ever done made the list, yet he’s never won Best Picture? How about a new list?
“Ways that Quentin Tarantino has been screwed year-in, year-out by the Academy.”

Here’s the list for you to thumb your nose at too. (Courtesy IFTA — movie folk, not the nerds)

“The Most Significant Independent Films from each of the past three decades follows:
1981-1990: Amadeus; Blue Velvet; Dances With Wolves; Das Boot (The Boat); Gandhi; My Left Foot; A Nightmare on Elm Street; Platoon; Sex, Lies and Videotape; The Terminator (Honorary mentions: The Killing Fields; The Last Emperor; The Toxic Avenger)

1991-2000: Braveheart; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Fargo; Four Weddings and a Funeral; LIfe is Beautiful; Pulp Fiction; Reservoir Dogs; The Silence of the Lambs; The Usual Suspects; Where the Day Takes You (Honorary mentions: Basic Instinct, Good Will Hunting, Trainspotting)

20001-2010: Brokeback Mountain; Crash; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Juno; Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring; Million Dollar Baby; Monster; The Pianist; Slumdog Millionaire; (Honorary mentions: Bowling for Columbine; Memento; Twilight).”