showtimes.com
Despite the fact that movie theaters have taken a big hit in recent years, it's still too early to say that they are finished. There is something about the cinema that has become a part of the cultural DNA of many countries, especially the United States. It's beloved by so many people that I don't think going to the movie theater will ever become an entirely rare activity.
Movie theaters are amazing places. Even if a movie is available on Netflix or Amazon Prime as soon as it's released, nobody has (save for, of course, the absurdly rich) the same audio and video equipment that allows them to come anywhere close to rivaling the experience that a movie theater can provide. With incredibly loud Dolby Digital surround sound, enormous screens, delicious movie theater popcorn, candy and other concessions, the list of reasons to go to the movies every once in a while is still enough to tempt many of us out of the house.
Some streaming services have hurt the movie theater industry, but it won't disappear completely. In addition to providing an excellent movie viewing experience, theaters are still a cultural focal point for many. It's easy to imagine how many first dates have taken place in movie theaters since they were first constructed. The power of the theater as an ideal location for courtship is immense.
I think about it- it takes a lot of the pressures of a first date out of the equation. You don't have to come up with interesting topics of conversation (it's rude to talk in a movie theater), it puts you and the other person in a dark room for a few hours (maybe you'll feel more confident in making the first move toward physical contact), and it automatically gives you something to talk about after the movie ends. It's really quite perfect.
Even though nobody is going to be taking a trip to the movie theater anytime soon (at least until we find a way to get a handle on the current COVID-19 pandemic), I don't think that streaming services will ever fully decimate the cinema. In fact, as soon as the quarantines are lifted, I wouldn't be surprised if movie theaters saw a huge spike in sales from everyone being so eager to get out of the house.
When that day does finally come, finding out when movies are playing at theaters near you will be much harder than it should be. I have often thought about how helpful it would be if there was a dependable, well designed, and easy to use website that let me figure out where and when I can go catch a flick. Plus, if this site also offered reviews, trailers, and the occasional entertainment news article, it would be perfect.
When I finally stumbled across the Show Times website, I was very grateful. Not to be confused with the network Showtime, this site is devoted to helping people find out the playing times of all the best movies in theaters near them. Plus, this website will help you stay up-to-date on all the hottest upcoming movies, reviews, ratings, and even when titles become available on DVD and BluRay. Plus, you can rely on Show Times to inform you about how a movie is performing at the box office.
In addition to all the cool stuff mentioned above, Show Times also has trailers, credit information, and entertainment news. So if you're looking for a site that can keep you updated on all of your favorite actors and directors, Show Times is definitely worth checking out.
Design
There's not much to say about the way Show Times is designed. It's simple, easy to use, and fairly organized. However, there's not much going on here either; it's just a standard website.
I don't like the way Show Time is put together. I find it cluttered and chaotic, and I'm not a fan of a site that's too limited in space. It seems like the people who built Show Times tried to cram as much information as they could into a small space, which resulted in some confusion and an overall feeling of chaos.
Below the carousel of new DVD and Blu Ray releases is a box of new and upcoming releases. This box changes rapidly, with no rhyme or reason for its format.
That being said, it is important to note that Show Times is far from the worst-designed website I have ever seen. They could have done much better, but they also could have done much worse.
Content
Show Times offers info on new and upcoming movie releases, trailers, news articles, showing times of movies currently in theaters, links to reviews sites, and plenty of sweepstakes and promotions. Some sections on the site seem to suffer slightly from trying to do too many things, but overall this site is a dependable source of showtimes.
The news section of the website seems very sparse in terms of content and stories are not added as frequently as they should be. I wish they would focus more on this part of the site, as it would make it a more complete source for entertainment information. Stories are also not as detailed as I would like them to be, and Show Times seems to include only a few stories each day.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
The site is pretty similar whichever device you access it on. I think the desktop version is slightly better than the mobile version, since the latter loses the site menu bar, simply unfolding each section of the site stacked one on top of the other. However, the site appears to be optimized for mobile even if somewhat poorly executed.
There isn't an app that I am aware of that shows movie times and news for this site. I think that this site could greatly benefit from one, though, given the nature of its content (movies and news).
Pricing and Plans
The site is completely free to use, but it has annoying ads. I would like Show Times to offer a premium version of the site that doesn't have ads, or some kind of promotional discounts for movie theaters. This could fund a sleek app too. All solved!
Suggestions that I have for Show Times
I've been saying all along that I want to see Show Times get a redesign. I also think they should take themselves more seriously as an entertainment news source. An app would go a long way, especially given the nature of the content. And I think a premium version of the site could really help them broaden their commercial appeal.
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