So you got an iPad (or iPhone) for Christmas. That’s pretty awesome, friend. Congratulations, you’re now one of millions of people who have a world’s worth of entertainment in two hands (or one, if you got an iPad mini or iPhone). Seeing as a few of us around the Reject HQ offices are iPeople, we thought we’d offer up a few suggestions to help you get the most movie-related enjoyment out of your new device. From our favorite apps to the best movies you can download right now from the iTunes Store, here’s a shopping list that will help you get through week one of being a movie fan with an iPad. Because now that you’ve moved up the technological ladder a bit, there’s no reason why you should ever be disconnected from the best that the world of film has to offer.
Apps
IMDB
This one goes without saying. Well, it does now that IMDB has recently updated their app to make it easier to navigate with more features that may come in handy when it comes to settling all those daily arguments between friends. Did you know that Humphrey Bogart was born on Christmas? Or that Frankenweenie is still available in theaters in Austin, TX? All of this knowledge, courtesy of one app.
Hulu Plus / Amazon Instant / Netflix
Knowing a lot of facts about movies is one thing, but watching a bunch of movies is what you’re really in it for. Long bus rides, waits at the DMV, family outings, long days of hiding in a cubicle. Many of these afflictions can be cured with one or all of these streaming apps. Netflix has plenty of great TV and a few movies, too. Amazon Instant has a lot of things that Netflix is missing (and is free with an Amazon Prime membership. And Hulu (with its completely worthwhile Hulu Plus subscription) has The Criterion Collection on the go.
Fayve
This is a new app that we’ve recently found via the fine folks at The Verge. Fayve is a simple app that allows you to sift through the noise and pick out something to watch. It also searches through a number of streaming services to tell you where you can watch the movie it’s picked out for you. When we look at the towering stacks of DVDs that line the walls of many of our readers, we often think, “choices are hard.” This app takes a lot of the hard out of it.
Jurassic Park Builder
One of the best movie-related diversions in game form, Jurassic Park Builder allows you to join forces with John Hammond, Dr. Grant and Ian Malcolm to build your own version of Jurassic Park. Discover dinosaurs, build attractions and try and contain it in a family-friendly amusement park. But remember, life finds a way.
Fandango
At some point you may also want to leave the house and see a movie the old-fashioned way: in a theater. We love this option, especially if you can find something projected in 35mm on a well-run screen. And with big films like Django Unchained, The Hobbit, Skyfall, Jack Reacher and Les Miserables set to light up your holiday screens, Fandango’s app is the best way to find out what is playing where, buy tickets and even get those tickets in your iPhone’s Passbook app so that you can go ticketless and save trees.
Digital Downloads
Looper - It doesn’t hit DVD and Blu-ray until the end of the month, but Rian Johnson’s refreshing sci-fi project is available right now on the iTunes Store as a digital download. Dependent upon the speed of your internet connection,
Killer Joe – Matthew McConaughey certainly left his mark on 2012 with several surprise performances. His song, “Ladies of Tampa” lit up the stage in Magic Mike. But it was his turn as a very dirty cop in William Friedkin’s Killer Joe will leave a mark on your eternal soul. It’s that kind of thing.
The Avengers – And the rest of the Best of 2012 are available in the iTunes Store. The Hunger Games, Moonrise Kingdom, 21 Jump Street, Magic Mike, all join the year’s biggest summer movie as being available for your downloading pleasure.
Pitch Perfect – Need a little more harmony in your life following a holiday season filled with loud family members arguing over whose appetizer was overcooked? Let the lovely vocal talents of Anna Kendrick and her fellow a capella enthusiasts in one of the more surprisingly fun films of the year.
The Hurt Locker – Gear up for the release of Zero Dark Thirty by watching Kathryn Bigelow’s last big Oscar winner, currently available to rent for a not at all unreasonable 99-cents. Did we mention that you can rent movies on iTunes, as well?
Homeland, Season 1 – Get caught up on the antics of Sgt. Nicholas Brody (Damien Lewis), everyone’s favorite suspected terrorist, and the mentally unstable CIA agent (Claire Danes) who is trying to catch him red handed. And in the process, always three seconds from bursting into tears.
Sherlock, Series 2 – Because this is the kind of Sherlock Holmes show you need in your life.
The Wire: The Complete Collection – Begin one of the greatest journeys in the history of television drama. The entire “digital box set” for just under $60, downloaded directly to your iDevice from the Cloud whenever you need it.
Downton Abbey, Seasons 1 and 2 – Because The Wire won’t take up enough of your time. You’ll need balance. And Downton Abbey is balance in the best way possible.
Justified, Season 4 Pass – The new season of Justified doesn’t start until next month, but you can already get a discounted season pass. If you’re one of the brave who go through life without cable, this is the best legal way to get your fix of Raylan Givens and his quest for justice in the backwoods of Harlan county.
Web Apps
Did you know that you can bookmark FSR on your iPad and get the iPad-friendly version right from your home screen? It’s as easy as following the steps in the image below. Then come back every day. Because you like movies, and so do we.
