How to Watch Movies Online

The price of a movie and popcorn being so expensive, Hollywood movies no longer attract the same numbers at the box office as in times past. There was a time when $25 allowed a family of four to enjoy a night out at the movies and all the buttered popcorn they could eat. Now the same money barely covers the cost of two tickets to the theater. The second choice is a rental from one of the popular video stores which still carries a price tag. A new alternative gives movie buffs a free choice. And free is always better. Anyone with Internet access can watch free movies online. There are some tips to finding these free movies and avoid paying late fees or monthly rental fees.

Websites like Hulu.com offer not only television shows but also free movies to watch online. While Hulu may not have the newest movies, the choices include wonderful holiday classics like the 1994 version of A Miracle on 34th Street. Other selections include So I Married an Axe Murderer and Jackie Chan's The Myth, also available on Crackle.com. While the known titles available on these sites appear dated, there are new releases offered from around the world.

The Internet opened an entire world of freedom to anyone with a video camera. New and aspiring producers, dedicated to film making offer their wares to hundreds of websites on a daily basis. Viewers have the ability to rate the free movies and write a review. Of course there is the occasional prankster with nothing tangible to offer, but for the most part, the reviews offer keen insight to the movie's theme, content, and plot.

Streaming video, used for news- and sports- websites, makes viewing online movies easy through the browser window. YouTube uses this format to offer old time classics, martial arts movies, and many foreign films. Other titles include the horror/comedy of Idle Hands starring a young Jessica Alba and Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Frank Oz. The quality of the free movies depends on the website and the computer. Downloading media software applications like Windows Media Player works to improve the picture clarity of the online movies. In fact certain websites will not work without specific software installed on the computer.

Reviewing the many websites offering free movies online, the question of legality comes to mind. After all, piracy does exist and some of the movie titles come from other users. So where does one draw the line between free and illegal? It is better to be safe than sorry. Sites like Hulu alternate their movies and limit the selection but has obtained permission to release the titles. That is the key to the legal question for many viewers. Sites offering a complete download of a new title did not ask permission and therefore are breaking the law. Choosing to download and save the movie to your computer is also copyright infringement and may result in criminal charges. To avoid any legal repercussions, select movie Web sites like Lion's Gate Movies on YouTube or Crackle and watch all the free movies online you desire. The titles may not be the newest but free entertainment is free entertainment. Besides, some of the same movie titles available online are classics still available in video stores around the world.