Apps have revolutionized the way viewers are immersed in film. Now, the movie industry is smart enough to track audiences’ viewing habits and suggest material. Filmmakers and movie buffs alike have apps that supplement their viewing experience as well as viewers who just need some direction because they feel like they cannot efficiently sift through all of the media that awaits them. Below are a few essential apps for anyone who is looking for a way to expand their movie and television horizons.
GetGlue
GetGlue merges social media with television in an immersive, free app where the user is able to rate shows and check in to shows one is viewing. From there, users rate the show they are watching and interact with other viewers who have also checked in. The app also acts as a TV guide, giving personalized show recommendations based on the user’s ratings. Social media is a big part of the app because the user is able to interact with people around the world who like the same shows as them. GetGlue also connects to Facebook, so the user can interact with friends who have the app.
Movies by Flixster
This free app was featured in iTunes’ “App Store Essentials Hall of Fame.” The user is able to check what movies are in theaters and where they are playing near them. Users can also research reviews from Rotten Tomatoes and watch movie trailers. The app is like a movie encyclopedia. Netflix also syncs to the app. If the user finds a film they want to watch, they can add it to their Netflix queue. This app also has a social media element where users can see what their friends are watching and how they rate movies the user may want to see.
Netflix and Hulu Plus
If you have not yet invested in either of these services, please stop reading this and make an account. If you can afford to shell out $7.99 a month for each of these services with unlimited streaming of a growing number of movies and TV shows, do it. Netflix updates its collection constantly with full seasons of TV shows and a wealth of movies. Even though Netflix does not update current seasons of television shows since it usually releases seasons at the same time the DVD releases come out, Hulu Plus is a great service to use if you want to watch episodes you’ve missed right after they air. Plus, it has a great collection of movies from the Criterion Collection for Hulu Plus subscribers.
Movies and television shows are still a group experience. People get together to watch the latest episode of “Scandal” or see the midnight premiere of “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” so these apps and many more enhance the social experience of movies and television.
Chelsea Colatriano can be reached at chelsea.colatriano@temple.edu.
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