The Cineast iPhone app bills itself as an app for movie enthusiasts by movie enthusiasts. Relying on new user-driven, open-source website TheMoviedb.org for its content, you’d think Cineast would live up to its description. It doesn’t.
Cineast is asking an astronomical $3.99 for its app. To add insult to the injury to your wallet, Cineast Free is exactly the same. I couldn’t even find annoying ads in the free version. That’s right — you just wasted your latte fund on something you really could have had for free.
Cineast’s choice of database is a fumble, too. Because TheMoviedb.org is still in its infancy, because it relies on users for its content, and because a little thing called IMDb already exists, there is simply not enough information available on the site to pull into the app. Many actors, even high profile ones, are missing basic info such as a bio. In turn, lesser known actors won’t necessarily have all of their film credits included. Crew information is skeleton at best, and you won’t find much film information beyond runtime and release date.
Cineast’s interface is decently designed, but until—if ever—TheMoviedb.org catches on, stick with the IMDb app.
