Cinematical

I'm not going to pretend I'd ever heard of Paste magazine before some people at Sundance mentioned they were going to a Paste-sponsored party. But as it turns out, the connection to Sundance was appropriate. The February issue of the music-movies-and-culture mag centers around the "Art House Powerhouse 100" -- basically, the people they consider to be at the top of the independent film world as of right this minute.

It's the third annual list for Paste, and an alternative to the more business-minded Power Lists in other magazines. "Apparently, there are a lot of people out there dying to know know how Paramount stacked up against Disney, how Tom Cruise drew versus The Rock, how Michael Bay's films grossed versus Jerry Bruckheimer's," says the Paste feature's introduction. "People who aren't us."

They list their favorite indie actors, most of whom have had multiplex success, too: Viggo Mortensen, Forest Whitaker, Naomi Watts, Evan Rachel Wood, etc. Most of their fave directors likewise dabble in both arthouse fare and regular blockbusters: the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, David Cronenberg, and so forth.
But I really like their less ordinary lists, including the best cinematographers (go Roger Deakins!) and the best film festivals (in order: Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice, and Telluride). The list of best producers includes several names you won't recognize, though their films are well known, including Christine Vachon (I'm Not There), Ted Hope (The Savages), and William Horberg (The Kite Runner).

You can check out the whole feature here. What do you think? Who'd they leave off? Who's getting more praise than they deserve?