App of the Week: When's The Intermission In This Movie?

If you like to watch movies on your home television or in the theater- Flixster is a must have app for your mobile device.

It's the only guide you need for recently released movies in theaters and those on DVD.  It even has a direct line to Netflix for those using that service.   I don't use Netflix; I have cable "on demand" so I can use the DVD feature too.

Until I discovered Flixster, I would read the movie reviews in the Friday newspaper and try to remember which ones I wanted to see.   Not always easy.  And I'd have to keep that paper all week, so I could refer back to it.  But the weekly paper only helped with new releases that week, and since I don't go to the movies weekly, this was a problem.

Hmmm...was that the movie I wanted to see?  Couldn't remember.  And forget remembering the recently released on DVD movies I could watch on television in the comfort of my own home.   I'd scramble through old editions of Entertainment Weekly to try and catch reviews on those.

But with Flixster I'm released from newspaper bondage. Now, armed with my smartphone or tablet, and my Flixster app I can peruse movie reviews anywhere.  Flixster has so many great options I can't explain them all in this blog; you really have to use it get the full picture.

However, here's a quick synopsis of the app's highlights:

• The Home page offers clips of new features along with a section on what's Hot Today.
• The Box Office page has three sections: Opening This Week, Top Box Office and Also in Theaters.
• Each movie has quick at-a-glance  list of critics' Rotten Tomato Ratings.
• Once you select a movie, you can play a trailer, get the showtimes, read critic reviews,  read other Flixster user reviews, and mark it as "want to see "or "not interested".  All of your "want to see movies" will wind up on another page called My Movies.
• My Movies is probably the coolest page because it lists the movies you've seen, the movies you want to see, the movies you have rated, and your friends' movie selections.  That's right; all of your friends from Facebook who use Flixster also are listed in alphabetical order with the number of movies they have reviewed.  This feature is pretty incredible.
  • Here's how it works:  You tap on your friend's name, and up comes the movies your friend has seen and rated for you to view.  You can then scroll through and play the trailers, etc.  So this feature enables you to read reviews by people you know.
• There is also a Theaters page that lists your favorite theaters, those within five miles, 10 miles, etc. with a map.  This feature if great if you are traveling and want to see a movie in a city in which you are unfamiliar with theater locations.
• And the last section is my personal favorite-it's the DVD section.  Since I like to watch movies at home, so I can knit while viewing, I see most movies on TV.  This section is great as it lists the movies by DVD release date.  Again, as with all the listings, there is the full review of each movie.
  • In this section there is also a category called "browse" where movies are listed by type.  There are 22 categories that include the basics like Action & Adventure, Animation, Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance and Westerns.  But it also has sections such as Art House & International, Documentary, Musical and Performing Arts, Sports & Fitness and Television.

While Flixster is a great help selecting movies, if you decide to watch the movie in the theatre;  you could be plagued with the bladder issue.

If you're like me, you get your refreshments, find the perfect seat and then-you need to use the restroom.

"Should I go now or wait?" you question yourself.  "If I wait, I won't know when to go."

Question no more-there's an app to answer that.  It's called RunPee.  This app lists movies, running times, synopsis, and the exact time and the length of time you have to take the bathroom break.  It also gives you a few paragraphs telling you what you're missing while in the bathroom.  It even has a silent stop watch that will vibrate in your hand to give you the signal.  So if you have a weak bladder, this is an app that deserves a close look.

Do you have a favorite app you'd like to share? Please let us know in the comments section.