[NewsPoster]

Apple is continuing its "12 Days of Gifts" promotion, which allows iOS users to download a free gift every day (including, for the first time, US users). Monday's Day 5 present is a free copy of the Martin Scorsese film Hugo in the US and Canada, while in the UK the movie is instead the Christmas classic Home Alone (the films normally sell for around $15-$18). The movie is available in 1080p, 720p ("HD") and standard definition.

Hugo was an enchanting ode to both the historical drama adventure genre and early filmmaking and filmmakers. The movie tells the tale of Hugo, an orphan who's adoptive uncle also dies, leaving him to hide himself from authorities inside the hidden pockets of a Paris train station, keeping the clocks running so that no-one discovers his uncle has passed away. Left a mechanical automaton by his father before he died, Hugo must seek help to unlock its secret, which he believes is a message from his late father.

The film, Scorsese's first attempt at a children-oriented and fantasy movie, was widely applauded by critics and users alike, earning a 94 percent rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. It is generally considered to be in the class of classic children's films alongside entries such as the Harry Potter or Narnia films. The Day 4 gift in the US, the UK and Canada was a children's game, Toca House, that offered no in-app purchases or in-app advertising. As of Monday, Toca House was still free.

[lkrupp]

Good movie. Nice gift. Thanks Apple.

[coffeetime]

Just downloaded mine. Like that movie also.

[buffman]

Would love to do this, but the app keeps crashing on the iPad. May just have to how the 5s is handling it.

[Charles Martin]

buffman: you can visit the movie's page on the iTunes store on your Mac or PC and get it there if you're having trouble with the app. It's free all day today, and might even remain free for a while (though I wouldn't count on that). You can get the film on your computer and sync it to your iOS stuff later.

As for troubleshooting the app, you can use the multi-tasking option to close the app entirely and see if that fixes the issue; if it doesn't, try actually powering down the unit and restarting it (not just putting it to sleep) and see if that fixes the issue; if it doesn't, try deleting the app and re-downloading it.

[coffeetime]

chas_m: I think this is one day deal only. I missed the second day deal which is Tiny Thief. Tiny Thief is now $2.99.

[Charles Martin]

Coffeetime: I'll see that the article is edited, thanks.