Chin stroking cinephiles and pretentious arts students rejoice – PlayStation’s new MUBI service, which allows users to download a remarkably wide-ranging selection of art house flicks, goes live today in Australia, and looks like being the perfect compliment to the blockbuster already available on the PlayStation Store.
“At launch,” according to the press release, “PS3 users will be able to access more than 500 of the most visionary films from around the world through MUBI’s ever-growing curated library of film, provided by partners including Celluloid Dreams, Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Foundation and local partners that include Hopscotch Films and Umbrella Entertainment. MUBI opens up a treasure trove of visionary cinema, including screenings of Palme d’Or winner Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, and acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar’s All About My Mother, and a breadth of masterpieces new and old ranging from Suspiria to Antonioni’s L’avventura, to Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.”
As a former chin-stroking liberal arts student, I’m quite excited about the service. If you select the $19.95 30 day subscription option you could very well get some great value for money, downloading any of the 500 movies available. Downloading the flicks individually seems to offer less value at $1.75 for short films and $6.25 for feature length efforts.
MUBI is promising online only premieres, festival winners and Oscar winners on a service which is looking like a genuine point of difference for the PlayStation 3 – and is a move that will hopefully bring the work of new Directors to the attention of many.
“Bringing MUBI to PlayStation opens up the world of independent, foreign and classic film,” said MUBI founder Efe Çakarel. “Our films are from the most visionary directors and creative masterminds on the planet and every film we show has been hailed a classic by the film community. It is about making great films fun and accessible, tearing away the mystique and letting members go on the most unexpected of journeys. It offers films you never even dreamed about, films with an edge, films that you have always wanted to see but haven’t been able to find. Our mission is to put the excitement and discovery into the home viewing experience.”
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