The IRAs are a mysterious but august film society that has voted on the best films of the year since 1976. More international and indie focused than the Oscars, more mercurial than the LA Film Critics, more loyal to their favorites than the Golden Globes, the IRAs have just had a weekend in Provincetown, Massachusetts where the winners for the Best Films of 2012 were voted on and announced. The IRAs also followed up months of discussion and debate and balloting and re-watching of DVDs and DVRing of TCM to determine the best films of the 1950s. Below you’ll find the list of the Best Films Of The 1950s, followed by our picks for the Top Films Of 2012.
The IRAs began when passionate film students complained about the annual awards shows, declared “We could do better” and had an all-night, knock-down, drag-out fight to establish the very first winners of the IRAs. (One of the members is named Ira but how his name became the name of the award is a story lost in the mist of time.) The rotating group of members have been profiled in the New Yorker and over the years have included Oscar-winning writers, major directors, top studio executives, best-selling and critically acclaimed authors on movies, critics and others. They have no more claim to pronounce the best films of the year than anyone else but they’ve been doing it for 37 years so hey, it’s tradition.
If you’re like me, the list will infuriate you — some movies should be higher up, some should be lower down and some shouldn’t be on the list at all. That’s half the fun. If you’re passionate about movies or TV or books or music or any art form, chances are you’ve bristled over awards season and known you and your friends have better taste. How come Archer doesn’t win Best Comedy? And Breaking Bad Best Drama? Or Borgen? Or The Good Wife?
