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Friday, February 20, 2015

5 Apps for Movie Fanatics



Texting has become enough of a social annoyance that movie theaters now ask viewers to turn off their phones before the movie begins. Everyone hates “that guy” that answers his phone during a flick, but theaters also want their customers to stop texting during movies, as the light of the phone screen can distract others. That being said, your smartphone is still a wonderful tool if you’re a movie fanatic--just don’t use it once you get to your seat! Here are some awesome movie apps you should download onto your phone if you haven’t already.
                                                               
Fandango

Purchase tickets, rate movies, look up showtimes and watch trailers all from this free app. Fandango has recently added original programming and a mobile ticket option to its repertoire. You no longer have to swipe your credit card at a kiosk to print your tickets. Fandango generates a QR code that the movie theater employee can scan right from your phone. Talk about saving time--especially if you’re late for the movie!

IMDB

The famous movie website also has an app counterpart. Think of IMDB as the Wikipedia of movies--but with verified facts. If you’re a trivia fanatic, or simply can’t remember the name of “that guy” from a movie you saw years ago, IMDB can help you find that information and much more. Connect with fellow movie fanatics on the IMDB forums and read up on the latest movie news. You can also watch trailers for upcoming movies and read about celebrities and other entertainment events.

GetGlue

This app makes a game out of watching movies and television shows. With GetGlue, you can check in (much like Foursquare) and let your friends and families know what you’re watching on the small or silver screen. This app can link to your favorite social media sites and you can make friends with the other users. GetGlue awards you with special stickers after a certain amount of check-ins, or if you check in during the season premiere (or finale) of a show. You can then request a print out of these stickers, which get sent to you for free.

Watch TCM

If you’re living in the past and love the Golden Age of cinema, this app is for you. You can watch live streams of the Turner Classic Movies channel via the app as well as watch a ton of movies without any commercial interruption. View the upcoming movie schedules and plan what you would like to watch, then share your opinions with fellow movie fans. The app also connects to the site’s blog page, and you can view never-before-seen images of Old Hollywood stars and movie sets. The app itself is free, but you will need to log in using your cable service provider information. It’s worth it to have access to all of these amazing films.

Flixter

This app has a number of accolades. It is the most downloaded movie app in the Apple App Store and Lifehacker.com has labeled Flixter the best app for movie showtimes. Like Fandango, you can purchase tickets and read reviews, but Flixter is connected to another famous movie website, Rotten Tomatoes. You can download and stream movies and television shows as well as check out the latest movie trailers. Add your own movie review to the mix and use Flixter to create a list of movies you want to watch or eliminate the ones you don’t want to watch from your options. Considering you can manage your Netflix queue via Flixter as well, this is one app every movie lover must have.