The 85th Academy Awards will be hosted by animated funny guy Seth MacFarlane, and between the red carpet and the ceremony, you’ll want a second screen device to amplify the experience. While prepping for an evening filled with hurried acceptance speeches and fabulous (and disastrous!) dresses, we’ve nominated these five mobile apps to be by your side.
Oscars (iOS, Android Free)
Taking home the top prize for the best Academy Awards-based mobile is official Oscars app, published by ABC Digital. Talk about Hollywood patting itself on the back! Jokes aside, Oscars is a treasure chest of pop culture and in a category all its own. Through the application you can read up on nominees, view photos, and watch trailers and video clips. It also features an Oscars countdown and the interactive MyPicks, so you and your friends can predict 2013’s winners. The Backstage Pass clues you into interviews behind the scenes, including backstage and on the red carpet. You never know when a celebrity will say something outrageous, so definitely download this free app.
Live from the Red Carpet (iOS, Android Free)
Trust us when we say that you and E! Online’s Live from the Red Carpet should be best friends this awards season. The news and photo feeds feature stories in retrospect, print and video interviews with celebrities on their outfit choices, and Extras, including shorthand bullet-point lists of this year’s nominees and every category. Sure, it has amazing coverage of the Academy Awards, but the app also covers the Grammys, SAG Awards, Sundance, Golden Globes and the Emmys. This way, you’ll get to check out celebrity fashions from that rare breed of entertainer capable of winning all the major awards.
Hollywood Reporter: The Race to the Oscars (iOS, Android Free)
With less than a week left until the razzle-dazzle of the Academy Awards, The Hollywood Reporter’s Oscars-centric mobile app is for students of film. The Race to the Oscars will feature live coverage starting on February 24th, an aggregated feed of notable Twitter accounts (including film critics Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin), and a digestible mobile version of The Race Blog, which provides amazing movie news and commentary.
Netflix (iOS, Android Free)
File the Netflix mobile app under no duh. Of course, you cannot watch 2013’s movie nominees in the subscription-based movie streaming service just yet, but they’ve created a genre for “Oscar-winning Movies.” Currently this category promotes over 65 films, including last year’s Best Picture The Artist, The King’s Speech, Lost in Translation, Good Will Hunting, Out of Africa, and Platoon. If you you’ve missed the boat on watching all the nominations for best picture for this year, you might as well concede and dive into former greats.
Frequency (iOS only Free)
Frequency is a leader in aggregating video content from online channels and social networks. Available only for owners of Apple devices, the app streamlines the online experience by letting users build custom lists of video channels. You can add channels to your favorites, which include one specific to the Oscars, and others focusing on movies: Slash Film, Beyond the Trailer, and Criterion Collection. Additionally, amateur fashionistas looking forward to the red carpet might catch a glimpse of stylish dresses from the likes of Fashion TV, Nylon, and Fashion Net.
Honorable Mentions
SnagFilms (iOS, Android Free) is for lovers of documentaries and indie films. The movies that take a lot of heart to make, that might not get as much popular exposure through the usual media channels. Awards Hero: Oscars (Free) (iOS-only) is a great free app for anyone who obsesses over Hollywood’s prized awards show jewel. What sets it apart? You get similar content as with Oscars, but through Awards Hero you can create voting pools for wagers with coworkers and friends.
