Years ago, a person would have had to flip through the newspaper each time he or she wanted to check the local movie schedule to see what was playing. Today though, most people refer to online movie schedules to see what's playing locally.
You can usually count on online information being up-to-date and valid. The same cannot be said of a newspaper, which wouldn't be able to make changes to its listings until the next time it goes to press. This is one reason why many folks who use newspaper listings call their local theaters to confirm showtimes before they make a trip to the Cineplex.
Unfortunately, when you call most theaters, you won't get to interact with an actual human being. If the line isn't busy and you get through on your first dial, you'll usually have to sit and listen to theater information and advertisements until the showtimes are listed. What's more, if you don't quite catch the showtimes on the first call, you must redial and start all over again.
Eliminating these problems is what makes checking movie times online so great. Most theater websites will also contain information about upcoming movies. If you catch a commercial on television for a movie, but aren't certain when it will be playing locally, you can usually log onto a local theater website to find out the release date.