Distill
Buy movie tickets when new showtimes are announced - An Oppenheimer Edition
When blockbuster movies are released, there’s often a rush to secure tickets, especially for premiere showings or screenings in high-quality formats like IMAX. This demand can lead to tickets selling out quickly, leaving many moviegoers disappointed.
Tracking movie tickets can also be crucial for individuals who want specific seats in a theater or wish to attend a movie with a large group and need to secure a block of seats together. For global releases, tickets may become available at inconvenient times in different time zones, making it hard to be online when tickets go on sale. In some cases, tickets are bought in bulk by scalpers who intend to resell them at a higher price, making it more difficult for regular moviegoers to buy movie tickets online at face value.
Navigating the ticket frenzy for the ‘Oppenheimer movie’ and ‘Barbie 2023.’
While we are talking about online movie ticket buying, let’s shift gears a bit and focus on the cinematic landscape of 2023. We’re witnessing a captivating cinematic showdown with the release of two major blockbusters. The much-anticipated release of the two megahits, ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Barbie,’ is on the 21st of July. Each carving a niche within their unique genres, these films have created a remarkable buzz among moviegoers across age groups. Over the past month, fan excitement has surged as they scramble to secure tickets for both films.
Barbie and Oppenheimer might have a head-to-head race on the same release day, but the ticket numbers game is on a whole other level for the Cillian Murphy movie. This is mainly because Oppenheimer was tailor-made to be seen on large format screens, which come with a ticket surcharge. In view of this, the global demand for state-of-the-art IMAX screenings has skyrocketed thanks to the film.
As the release date approaches, there’s an electric anticipation in the air, and unsurprisingly, tickets are selling out at warp speed. As tickets fly off the virtual shelves, how can you secure seats for these enthralling cinematic experiences? Let’s explore some innovative strategies.
Beating the ticket race with website monitoring for buying movie tickets on time
Navigating the rapid sales of movie tickets can often seem like a high-stakes race, but you can still secure the tickets you desire with the right tools. Using website monitoring, which can be a game-changer in this context. They are simple to use, and the best part is most website monitoring tools out there have a free plan you can use.
In the context of buying movie tickets, you can set up monitors on websites like Fandango,
- Quickly scan today’s showtimes and stay updated on the latest movies with alerts for new release dates and show times as they’re announced.
- You can beat the box office line using real-time monitoring, keep an eye on seat availability, and swiftly grab your preferred spot.
- You can set custom logic for alerts by tailoring your notifications based on various factors such as movie time, number of available tickets, or price range.
- Track and monitor seat map preview on cinema websites and other online ticketing websites and buy movie tickets to your favorite movies in theatres near you.
Now that you are aware of the perks like getting automated alerts for new show times and release dates to secure tickets ahead of time, let’s discuss how you can use Distill to do the same.
How to use Distill to buy movie tickets when they become available
You can set up monitors on specific webpages on sites like Fandango, BookMyShow, Vue, AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark to name a few. You can use Distill on any ticketing website.
This article will equip you with setting up website monitors on Fandango and BookMyShow. You can replicate the same steps and logic on other websites too.
In the following section you will have step-by-step instructions on setting up a movie ticket tracker to check if tickets are announced for a new date for a movie that is being sold out fast.
To get started you must first download Distill extension and install it on your browser. We recommend you pin Distill on your browser for better access.
How to check if tickets are available on a new date for a movie on Fandango
In order get alerts about Fandango movie tickets for a particular date, you must first navigate to the specific webpage of the movie you want to track and buy the ticket.
Steps to track new showtimes added for a movie on Fandango
Step 1: After landing on the movie-specific webpage on Fandango, you will need to add the City, State, or Zip code based on where you’d like to view the movie. Fandango even allows you to add your current location to find theatres near you.
In the image below, you can see that I have chosen to track the Oppenheimer movie page on Fandango for the zip code 90210.
Step 2: Now click the Distill extension on your browser and choose Monitor parts of a page. You will notice the visual selector open up on the webpage, allowing you to select parts of the page you want to track.
Step 3: Using your cursor, hover over the calendar section on any date and click the expand selection button until you notice the entire calendar is selected for monitoring. You can view the preview of your selection in the visual selector.
Step 4: Click Save Selection. Distill now directs you to the options page, where you can configure your monitor further.
Step 5: Here, you can choose a device on which you can run checks. You can also rename your monitor and schedule interval of checks at which the page is checked. Additionally, by clicking on Add action button, you can choose an alert mode with which you can receive alerts.
In the free plan, you only get access to 30 email alerts a month, be careful not to exhaust them. Check out the subscription plans to compare features that suit your tracking requirement.
Step 6 (Optional) : If you do not add any condition, Distill will alert you whenever a new date is added to the screening calendar. However, if you are keen on tracking announcements of new movie screening dates, you can add custom conditions by clicking on “Add Rule”
Note: Be careful to enter the text in the date format you noticed on your visual selector preview.
Step 7: Click Save.
You will notice your new monitor appear in your watchlist. You will receive an alert from Distill whenever new screening dates appear for your chosen movie. Upon receiving an alert of new showtimes, you can immediately go book your movie ticket before it sells out.
You’ll have successfully set up a full-page monitor from your extension. Anytime there are changes on the page, Distill will send you an alert.
You can download this JSON file of a pre-configured monitor that tracks new screening dates announced for the Oppenheimer movie on Fandango at the zip code 90210. You can edit the URL of the monitor and replace it with any other movie you want to track on Fandango.
Download monitor JSON for checking showtimes announced for a movie on Fandango.Steps to import and edit your monitor
Step 1: Importing Monitor: To import the JSON file into Distill, you can simply copy the text from your downloaded JSON and paste it into the “import JSON” section. Alternatively, you can also use the Select JSON File option to import the downloaded JSON file.
You can also refer to this video to learn more about importing a monitor using JSON.
Step 2: Editing the Monitor: To modify the imported monitor, simply click the caret icon on the monitor in the Distill watchlist and choose edit options.
Step 3: Editing the Monitor: Now you will be on the options page where you can paste the new URL into the edit option under the source field. Save the changes you make in the options page, and you’re all set to track the showtimes calendar on the updated webpage.
Note: This monitor will work as long as the webpage structure on the movie’s Fandango page remains similar to the example illustrated in the previous section.
Get alerts when tickets are available on a new date for a movie on BookMyShow
With just a few days before the release date, movie ticket bookings get extremely competitive. Ticketing websites like BookMyShow become the go-to place to get the coveted tickets and before you know it, they’re all sold out when you try.
Steps to track new showtimes added at movie theatres near you on BookMyShow
Step 1: First, choose the movie you’d like to watch and the city of your residence on the website. You will then land on a page where the list of theatres near you are listed along with a calendar of the showing dates.
Step 2: Click the Distill extension on your browser and choose Monitor parts of a page. You will notice the visual selector open up on the webpage, allowing you to select parts of the page you want to track.
Step 3: Using your cursor, hover over the calendar section on any date and click the expand selection button until you notice the entire calendar is selected for monitoring. You can view the preview of your selection in the visual selector.
Step 4: Click Save Selection. Distill now directs you to the options page where you can configure your monitor further.
Step 5: Choose a device on which you can run checks, rename your monitor and schedule interval of checks at which the page is to be checked. Additionally, by clicking on Add action button you can choose an alert mode for notifications.
Step 6 (Optional) : If you do not add any condition, Distill will alert you whenever a new date is added into the showtimes calendar for the movie. However, if you are keen on tracking announcements of new movie showing dates, you can add custom conditions by clicking on Add Rule.
Note: Be careful to enter the text as in the date format you noticed on your visual selector preview.
Step 7: Click Save.
For more instructions on how to edit the monitor, refer to the previous sections.
Here’s a ready to use JSON file of a pre-configured monitor that tracks new screening dates announced for the Oppenheimer movie. You can edit the URL of the monitor and replace it with any other movie you want to track on BookMyShow.
Download monitor JSON for checking showtimes announced for a movie on BookMyShowTips for tracking movie tickets
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Sign up for newsletters: Most cinema chains and movie ticket booking sites have newsletters or alert systems that notify subscribers about upcoming releases.
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Leverage website monitoring tools: These services help monitor websites for changes and send alerts when tickets become available. You can customize these services to monitor specific pages of your favorite cinema chains.
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Set up social media alerts: Follow your favorite cinema chains and movie franchises on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. They often announce ticket sales there first, and you can immediately book your movie tickets.
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Membership/Subscriptions: Most cinema chains have membership programs that give members early access to tickets. Consider subscribing to these programs if you’re a frequent movie-goer.
Remember, while these strategies can improve your chances, there’s always a bit of luck involved in securing tickets.
Conclusion
You can download and begin using Distill to track movie tickets on any website. Our users also use Distill to track and buy concert tickets. Check out the DIY guide to buying concert and event tickets we’ve written.
Distill extension is available on Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Microsoft Edge. Based on your requirement, you can browse the subscription plans for access to more frequent checks and instant alerts on the go via Distill iOS app and Android app.
Please feel free to reach out to us on Distill Forums in case you have any queries or need assistance while setting up your movie ticket monitors.