criterionforum.org

We're getting into bed with the good folk at The Auteurs.

MoC titles are now appearing at their groundbreaking site (UK & Eire only)

I'd love to finally see the restoration of Vampyr but what's the quality like of it on The Auteurs site? Is it a decent representation of the DVD image (although not perfect, obviously)?

Watch some of the free films they have for viewing and see what you think!

The Auteurs page seems really good. I watched The Housemaid and several trailers, was pretty impressed with the quality on offer and got ready to break out my credit card for a night of auteur fetishism. Until I investigated further and was hit with a cinematheque full of films 'not available in your area'. Obviously I was expecting that in the first place, I used to be Pandora fan, but The Auteurs genuinely seems to be trying to do something about it.

There's a reassuring message saying they're "working hard to acquire the rights to show the films anywhere in the world" but isn't that just a wild fantasy? I mean, I'd love to believe that some day I could actually rent high quality streaming Criterion and Masters of Cinema DVDs. But it's never going to happen is it? Until it does I just have to keep blind buying import DVDs. (There's the 'other' option of course, but I convince myself that it's bad to steal from small companies like MOC and I should stick to what's on at the local multiplex or Japanese films).