Heading to the local movie theater to catch a film on the big screen promises excitement, entertainment, and relaxation, but nothing is more frustrating than showing up and realizing the movie you want to see has already started. You used to have to look in the newspaper or call the movie theater box office to pick a show time, then hope the schedule didn't change before you arrived at the theater. Now there are more modern, convenient, and up-to-the-minute ways to find new movie releases, but who should you trust to make sure you never miss a movie by going at the wrong time again?

Checking Online Movie Listings:

Online movie listings offer up-to-the-minute movie times. They are convenient for moviegoers, and allow theaters to adjust schedules quickly in case of changes. Using online movie listings, you can pick the movie time that works best for you.

There are several ways to check online movie listings to find movie showtimes. If you are searching from a phone or computer with location settings enabled, you can simply type "movie listings" into Google or another search engine and a list of movies showing in your geographical area will appear along the top of the results. Click on the movie you're interested in to reveal which times and theaters the movie is showing at. If you don't have location settings enabled, type the name of your city at the end of your search to get local results for new movie releases.

If you already know which movie chain you want to view a film at, you can go to the chain's website. Most chains, such as AMC, have a movie theater locator built into their website. You can enter your city or zip code to reveal a list of movie times in your area. Some third-party websites, such as Fandango and Moviefone, will also show you movie times if you enter your location info.

If you're interested in offline methods for finding movie listings, many local papers still print daily movie times in their Entertainment sections, but these are not always accurate, so you may want to call the movie theater directly to confirm a time.

Questions and Answers:

Even though we've covered the basics, you might still have a few questions. Here are some common questions and answers about movie showtimes to help you get to your movie at the right time.

Q: After I find a movie time that works for me, can I buy my ticket(s) online?

A: If you are looking for movie times on a chain website, there is likely a button next to the listings to purchase tickets online. You can also use online services like Fandango to secure a ticket for your showtime before you leave for the movie theater, assuring that your movie will not be sold out by the time you arrive.

Q: Will all nearby movie theaters have movie times listed?

A: Not necessarily. While most multiplexes and chain theaters will appear in search results, smaller local theaters, art theaters, or university theaters may have more difficult schedules to find. If you're interested in what these theaters are offering, you may have to contact them directly for movie listings.

Q: Does the listed start time include movie previews?

A: At most theaters, previews are included in the listed start time, meaning your movie will usually begin about 15-20 minutes after the advertised movie time. If you're not interested in the previews, you can safely show up a few minutes after the listed movie start time without missing anything, but you may end up with a worse seat.

Q: If I'm late for the movie, will I still be able to enter the theater?

A: At most chain movie theaters, you will still be able to enter quietly and find a seat if the movie has just started. Some theaters will stop selling tickets for a film about 15 minutes after it starts. Other chains, such as Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, will not let any patrons enter once the movie begins, so it's important to make sure you pick a movie time you can get to before it starts.