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On Sunday night the biggest movie stars in the world will gather to see who wins the Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars. But the viewers will be the real winners as tech will help us enjoy both the ceremony and the films they celebrate. Whether you’ll be watching from in your pajamas from the comfort of your couch or attending a gala party, tech can help you enjoy the Oscars almost as much as the stars do!
Use tech to watch the films you may have missed and find out background information about the movies. You can watch the best movies of 2012 and be “in the know” as you fill out your Oscars ballot.
Where to Watch the Movies – Home or Theater?
Have you seen all of the movies nominated for Academy Awards? Probably not. Even if you’ve watch all of the nominees for Best Picture, you may be missing some of the nominees in categories such as Foreign Language Film, Documentary, or Short Film (Live Action). Some Best Picture nominees, such as Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, and Les Miserables, are still in theaters, while others, such as Beasts of the Southern Wild and Argo, are available for you to watch at home.
Hollywood.com has a handy list of where you can watch Academy Award nominated films, at home or in the theaters.
IMDb
IMDb, the Internet Movie Database, is your go-to source for information about movies, actors, locations, trivia, and goofs. Head to IMDb to watch trailers and find out information about nominated films. On IMDb you’ll be able to see if the film is playing in local theaters and/or available to watch on Amazon Instant Video.
You can also check out the IMDb app for Android, Kindle Fire and Apple devices so you can research films and watch trailers when you’re on the go.
Watching the Movies
Amazon Instant Video
Amazon Instant Video has lots of 2013 nominated films available for streaming, including Best Picture nominees:
- Argo
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Life of Pi
Prime Members can also watch The Los Angeles Times‘ Envelope Screening Series on Amazon Instant Video, showing interviews with the cast and crew of movies. Watch the stars, producers and directors talk about the shooting of the movies, the challenges they faced and interesting behind the scenes stories.
You can watch Amazon Instant Video on your computer or on your TV using:
- Roku (see my full review From Rabbit Ears to Roku)
- Gaming devices, such as Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii
- Internet connected DVD player or TV
If you’re on the go, you can watch Amazon Instant Video on your Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android tablet.
The Amazon Instant Video app is free for:
- iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch in the iTunes App Store
- Android devices at Google Play
A full list of compatible devices for Amazon Instant Video can be found on the Amazon website.
Amazon Instant Video has Whispersync so you can start watching on one device, such as your Kindle Fire, pause it, and resume where you left off watching on another device, such as your computer or TV.
X-Ray for Video
If you have a Kindle Fire HD, you’ll be able to directly access information about movies from IMDb using X-Ray for Video. I’ll have a full review of this feature on Friday but in a nutshell, X-Ray for Movies is a tool that gives you IMDb information as an overlay when you tap on the screen while you’re watching an Instant Video on your Kindle Fire. No need to pause the movie, go to IMDb, find the information and then go back to the movie. X-Ray is a very handy tool when you’re wondering where you’ve seen that actor before.
iTunes
On iTunes you can watch movies that have been released for streaming. You can rent or buy movies to watch on your TV using an Apple TV or on your computer using iTunes. You can download the movies to your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch using the iTunes app.
On iTunes you can currently find the following Best Picture nominees:
- Argo
- Beasts of the Southern Wild
- Life of Pi
You can pre-order movies that haven’t yet been released for home viewing.
Redbox
If streaming isn’t your thing, you can rent DVD’s from Redbox machines that are conveniently located in stores across the US and Canada. You can reserve a movie ahead of time either online or from the Redbox app and pick it up at your local Redbox machine. You don’t even have to return the DVD to the same box you borrowed it from. Redbox charges a daily rate for renting DVD’s so you don’t have to pay a whopping penalty should you decide to return the movie a few days late.
You can read my full review of Redbox here: From Redbox to Red Carpet!
The Redbox app is available free from the iTunes App Store for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and from Google Play for Android devices.
Netflix
Netflix has Argo, Beasts of the Southern Wild and Life of Pi available on DVD. Not many current nominees are available yet for streaming on Netflix, but if you’re feeling nostalgic and want to watch past award-winning movies, check out Cinema Squid, a site that lets you search for award-winning Netflix movies according to:
- award status (winner, nominee or both)
- type of award (best picture, best director, etc.)
- year
- format (Netflix Instant, DVD, Blu-ray)
- genre
Bottom Line
Let tech help you catch up with watching the Oscar nominated movies before the big night!
Have you seen most of the nominated movies? Are you busy catching up on the ones you haven’t yet seen? Do you have any favorites you’re rooting for? Let us know in the Comments section below!
Stay tuned to The Wonder of Tech tomorrow to find out how you can use tech to enhance your enjoyment when watching the Oscars!
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*Oscar Statuette image from Flickr by Vector Portals
HI Carolyn,
Great information shared!
I’m aware of Nextflix but wonder if they cater all genre.
IMDB has the data but authenticity of the data is missing.
Thanks for sharing.
Sapna
Hi Sapna, Netflix does have very wide coverage of genres. They have both movies and TV shows. Movies tend to come to DVD faster than streaming on Netflix, but you will never run out of shows to watch!
I’m a big fan of IMDb. In fact, when I watch a movie I feel as if I need to check IMDb to get the full story. I like to know where movies are filmed, as well as the trivia behind it. If I’m not watching a movie for the first time, I look up the Goofs to see if I can catch them. I really should do an article on IMDb.
Thanks so much for stopping by and starting off the conversation, Sapna!
Informative post yet again Carolyn!
I wish I had that kind of time to see all the nominated movies 🙁 I do miss out on so many of them, though it’s just the weekends when I manage to find some spare time to see what’s going.
Never heard of these apps and the best I do is watch them on television or big screen – nothing to beat that – isn’t it? But I now with life becoming so busy nowadays, there’s hardly any time to go out and see such movies. Nevertheless, these sound a good alternative.
Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to Sunday now. 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, there are advantages to seeing a movie in the theater and at home. Seeing a movie in the theater means you’re seeing the movie soon after it’s released. Plus you get the advantage of the BIG screen.
But I also like watching movies in the comfort of my home. I can relax in my comfy clothes, pause the movie if I need to, and pay a lot less for popcorn!
You’re right, it can be difficult to find time to watch movies, but it’s a wonderful mental escape. A great movie can transport you out of your world and into another for a few hours.
Thanks so much for sharing your insights with us, Harleena!
Hi Carolyn,
They have decided to simply call it the Oscars this year, rather than the Academy Awards. That’s all I know about it! I doubt if I will watch it, even if they do show it here. I think Skyfall is the only 2012 movie that looks really interesting.
I will use one of you snow photos next week. It’s nearly unrecognisable now! 🙂 One of the Chinese students at the university took an excellent photo. I edited it a little and I might ask permission to use that; it is really good. I watched a TV programme about photography last night and picked up a few new ideas. I want to do some different thing this year. I’m more aware now of the changing seasons and the way the light changes.
Hi Mike, Wow, that’s interesting that they only call it the Oscars in the UK. Here in the US, both terms are used.
I love Bond movies, but I had a real problem with Skyfall. The movie was engaging but I had some issues with the character development. I can’t say more without revealing spoilers, but I still enjoyed the movie. Daniel Craig does a great job as Bond.
I’m so glad you’ll be able to use my snow pictures. I didn’t edit them at all, I figured you could do a great job with that. Looking forward to seeing it!
Check out the Hollywood Reporter’s Oscars app
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hollywood-reporter-the-race/id498084537?mt=8
Up-to-the-minute news, reviews, and videos for all the films. View the nominees and vote for your favorites. Track Oscar buzz with Twitter and blog feeds, and tests your knowledge with trivia.
Hi Alex, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Thanks so much for this. Tomorrow I will be publishing a follow up article on tech to make Oscar night even more fun. Be sure to stop back by as I will be discussing that app.
I appreciate you sharing your wonderful comment with us, Alex!
Nice one Carolyn, I have put the awards ceremony to record on my DVR, so i can watch it at leisure by forwarding all those advertisements 🙂
Hey, did you know that Redbox has started streaming now? I subscribed to it and they have given me a month free trial. I was expecting all their movies to be available to stream, but doesnt seem so. It would have been a tough competitor to Netflix 🙂
Thanks for sharing the awesome ways to watch the movies.
Hi Praveen, Yes, Redbox is offering streaming now. What’s impressive is that they are offering 4 DVD rentals a month in addition to streaming for $8/month. I haven’t taken a look at their library yet but they may be giving Netflix a run for their money!
http://www.redbox.com/instant?icamp=rbxinst:navtag:12:18:1200
Carolyn,
They still have the Academy Awards? I thought Disney Junior had taken over all forms of entertainment. Just kidding….on more serious note though…before I was a parent, my wife and I watched every movie nominated yearly (before the award show)
Now I use Netflix and Amazon instant streaming for cartoons and educational programming (if I am lucky a movie for myself). We use redbox upon occasion because of the convenience. IMDB has been a staple for me since it’s inception…so in a nutshell I definitely am a believer in using technology to help in entertainment!!!
Aaron Brinker aka DadBlunders
Hi Aaron, You may be an expert judge in the animated film category, Aaron! Any predictions on the winner?
Yes, technology can be a parent’s best friend, especially for travel. Kids today no longer have to endure long, boring car rides. They can be entertained with tech instead.
I hope you get a chance to watch some of the nominees at some point in 2013, Aaron. Believe it or not, there will come a day when you watch non-kid movies with your kids. I took my girls to see The Impossible a few weeks ago. The movie was about the tsunami in Thailand in 2004. The story was very powerful and sparked an interesting discussion about climate, cultures, survival and families.
Another 10 years and you will be doing that too. It will come sooner than you think!
I’m old-school…I don’t even have an HDTV, yet!
But I was pleasantly surprised that a movie I actually saw, “Lincoln,” was up for Best Picture.
Normally, it’s films I’ve barely heard of, much less seen, that get the big nominations!
Hi Patrick, You know, HDTV can be a mixed blessing. Let’s just say the screen isn’t as kind to some of the actors as regular TV is…
I still need to see Lincoln. My husband and daughter saw the movie and loved it but I haven’t had a chance yet to see it. Daniel Day Lewis gave a great speech at the Oscars!
I want to thank you specifically for sharing this post because I am actually in a terrible state managing work and home and I just don’t want to miss out on any of the Oscar nominated movies. Inspite of so many attempts I did miss some of these at the time of their release but I think I can catch up with all of them now. Thanks again.
Hi Jeo, Excellent point. I am going to change the title of this article because plenty of people catch up on movies after the Oscar awards. Thanks for the inspiration!