Singapore Movies
Free for iPhone, not available for Android phones and BlackBerry
Singapore ranks among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of cinema attendance per capita, so there is definitely demand for information about what is playing where right at your fingertips.
There is no one single app that will meet all your requirements but the good news is that many such apps are free, so narrowing down the field to two or three should cover most bases.
Singapore Movies has a comprehensive listing of films in alphabetical order, and it includes Tamil and Hindi titles. Also, digital and 3-D versions of movies have their own separate entries which include a short synopsis and the venues and times of screenings.
However, there is no search function and when you make a booking, you are taken out of the app and directed to the cinema operator’s website.
The US$1.99 version (S$2.50, Singapore Movies Plus) comes with a tab for Cinemas, useful if you want to know what is playing at a specific cinema rather than where a specific film is showing, and one for Days, which lets you know what is playing where up to six days in advance.
Angry Birds Rio
US$0.99 (S$1.25) for iPhone and free for Android phones, not available for BlackBerry
There are plenty of movie tie-in game apps and some are even free, including that for the animated film Hop (2011).
The smartest and most fun tie-up, though, has to got to be between the animated avian adventure Rio and the gaming phenomenon that is Angry Birds.
The popularity of the original game ensures that this app will outlast the movie. Already, Angry Birds Rio is lodged on the list of top 10 paid apps in the iTunes store, along with the original version.
Beyond offering fans of the game new levels to conquer, Angry Birds Rio has also cleverly worked in elements from the film, such as carnival music and more detailed backdrops, to distinguish it from Angry Birds and Angry Birds Seasons.
Instead of launching the incensed fowl at greedy pigs, the aim is now to rescue birds trapped in cages and to mow down mischievous marmosets.
And that is just in the first two stages revealed thus far. One of the best things about game apps is the constant updates and there are at least four more stages to come for Angry Birds Rio. It is enough to make you do the samba in glee.
IMDB Movies & TV
Free for iPhone and Android phones, not available for BlackBerry
Who was that actress in the comedy Bad Santa? You know, the one who was in the TV series Gilmore Girls? Instead of being driven up the wall as you rack your brains for the answer, the IMDb (Internet Movie Database) app whips up the answer as fast as you can type “Gilmore”. There she is, Lauren Graham. This app version of the comprehensive Internet website also gives movie trailers, entertainment news and US box-office results.
This is a treasure trove of trivia no movie buff will want to be without.
Runpee Mobile
Free for iPhone and Android phones, not available for BlackBerry
You have your supersized serving of soda, your snacks, your sweater – you are all settled in for a movie. But then the film turns out to be longer than you expected. And your bladder is beginning to protest.
It is RunPee to the rescue as this app handily pinpoints the less-than enthralling bits so that you can duck out to the toilet and back without missing anything essential. It tells you when it is safe to go by indicating how far into the movie the scene is, as well as visual and audio cues that should tip you off.
The app also indicates how long you can afford to be away and offers a summary of what you would have missed. It tells you whether there is anything worth staying on for after the end credits, a most useful feature since so many movies tack on bonus scenes at the very end.
So how accurate is the app at identifying the dud intervals? Frankly, if the movie is bad in the first place, feel free to walk out at any point. If the movie is good, you would not want to miss any of it.
Showtimezz (Singapore)
Free for iPhone, not available for Android phones and BlackBerry
Compared to apps such as iGV, which offer only information pertinent to a specific cinema chain, Showtimezz and Singapore Movies provide across-the-board listings.
In addition, the convenient thing about this app is that it allows you to book tickets within it rather than having to switch between the app and the phone’s web browser.
However, the listings are not as comprehensive as those on Singapore Movies.
The layout could also definitely be improved. The newest movies are added to the top but that is not very helpful if you are looking for an older release.
You have to scroll through the list until you find, or do not find, what you want as there is no search function.
Also, tapping on the movie name takes you to the YouTube page which lists the search results for the title. You have to tap on the less eye-catching “Showtime Information” bar in order to access the screening times.
(ST)