Going to the Movies

Monday, August 26, 2013

Whether its staying in with a bag of popcorn or going out to the theater, horray for Hollywood! I love movies, especially anything that involves Pixar, Disney, happy endings and brightly colored shiny things to hold my attention.

Nobody claimed I wasn't a seven-year-old trapped in a 23-year-old's body.

However, the movie experience can be made even MORE enjoyable through...what, class? Anyone? Bueller?

That's right, technology! There are so many apps and websites that will make sure you get the right movie-going experience or chose the right movie. After all, movies are like, $20 now. It would almost cost you the same to see a bad movie as it would to buy a plane ticket and go throw tomatoes at the director/screenwriters house.

I'm just saying.

To start, you need the basics of movie-going apps. Apps like Fandango (Windows, Android & iOS) will tell you what is playing in a theater near you. It will also let you preview the movie and buy movie tickets right from your phone. So when the midnight premiere of the new Superman/Batman movie with Ben Afflek goes on sale, you will be able to buy tickets before everyone else!
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Just kidding, no one will be there.

Speaking of bad movie decisions, Rotten Tomatoes by Flixster (Windows, Android & iOS) is a movie rating app that shows you what the critics think about a certain movie (is that an actual job? movie critic?) to what rating actual moviegoers gave it. Save yourself some time and read what other people say about the movie you are thinking of seeing. Just watch out for the spoilers!

RunPee (Windows, Android & iOS) wins the award for Most Useful App That No One Actually Knew They Needed. Seriously. Turn this app on at the start of your movie, and it will tell you the best times to go use the little girls/boy's room. It will tell you how much time you have to make it there and back, and will give you a synopsis of what you missed while you were gone. I always have to pee during movies (darn you, 40-0z jumbo soda!) so this app is the best invention, hands down.

We all know the feeling: "O darn. That guy, that was in that movie...the guy with the hair....and the teeth! You know the one I'm talking about!" Breathe easy, my friend, and iMDB that ish (Windows, Android &iOS). It has saved me many a times from only remembering the name of that actor/actress 30 minutes after the conversation has ended, believe you me.

Not sure what to Netflix? Try Movie Twist (Android & iOS). This app allows you to type in the name of a favorite movie and will recommend other movies that are similar to that one. Or click "explore" and tell the app how much of the following characteristics you want in your movie: loving, funny, violent, thrilling or clever; and it will also give you great recommendations.

Except "White Men Can't Jump". Stop giving me that recommendation, darn it!

For those who want a different movie watching experience, Chill is a website that was created for those lesser-known filmmakers to exploit their talents, allowing users to rent and watch their movies, and then support their projects. Chill is equal parts Kickstarter and Pinterest for movies, and some movie projects even have a merchandise store, so you can wear your support. It is definitely worth taking a look at on a slow Friday night.




Also, I need this.


What are some of your favorite movie apps? Comment below to let me know!

Most Distracting Apps

Friday, August 16, 2013

Warning...do not open these apps at work. Productivity will go down 100%.

These apps are oddly addicting and will be just what you need on that long car ride to the beach or when your Grouper date won't stop talking about his/her job.

I mean seriously, I don't really care how drunk you got at your company's Christmas party. I really don't.

Dots (iOS, Android & Kindle Fire) because, really. Dots is the best thing ever. Who came up with a game of connect-the-dots and made it so darn addicting? You will do this for HOURS and come out of it realizing: What the crap have I accomplished today?! Answer: nothing, but you sure had fun doing it. And it just came out on Android and Kindle Fire. Dots party!

Zillow (iOS, Android) - This one may be for the older crowd, but does anyone know WHY looking at all of the houses for sale around you is so much fun? And why I do it everywhere I go? Most. Distracting. Real. Estate. App. Ever.

Knotch (iOS) and Seesaw (iOS) are great time-spending apps for the opinionated among us. Knotch lets you judge a topic hot or cold by color coding it - red for hot, blue for cold, and any color in between. Pick the color based on how you feel about the topic, and make a comment along with it to explain your choice. Seesaw allows you to ask either "yes or no" or multiple choice questions to a multitude of people. Pick pictures to go along with your question, and sit back and let people answer. You can also browse and answer other people's questions.

We all know about Pinterest  as a distraction, but for the DIY-ers among us, craftgawker (iOS) is like a Pinterest just for crafts. In fact, the company that makes this app, gawkerverse, has specific apps for any of your interests, such as foodgawker, stylegawker, weddinggawker and dwellinggawker. So...gawk away.

For those of us who like funny pictures/memes, check out apps like the Chive (iOS, Android) or Buzzfeed (iOS, Android).


What are your favorite apps to open when you are bored? 

Best Vines You Need to Follow - NOW.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Hopefully by now you should all know about the social media app Vine (because after all, I did post about it here first). If not, let me give you the 411.

Vine is a video sharing site that lets you take 6-second videos and post them to a feed to share with your friends. Its sort of like a moving Instagram.

How good can videos that only last 6 seconds get? See for yourself. I have compiled a list of my favorite Vine users with a little help from the Facebook group Best Vines and Mashable.

Creative: 

Yves Das

Jethro Ames

Ian Padgham

Educational:

Nordstrom

Lowes

Labanauskaite123

Funny:

Jerry Purpdrank:

KingBach and watch this and this

Brandon Calvillo

Jerome Jarre and watch  this

dem_white_boyz

kingdaddy

David Lopez


And these Vines that tell the truth:

How I leave rooms after turning off the lights

How I feel when I close my eyes when I wash my face

If you like it, then you should've put a ring on it

Expectation vs Reality when I do the cup song
 
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