With Thanksgiving over we officially have transitioned into the holiday season. This year I’ve decided to put together a little holiday gift guide for those looking for some good gift ideas of the film/TV/geeky kind. Maybe you’re not sure what’s out there or maybe you’re looking for some good ideas, either way this guide is here to help you discover what’s new or what’s worth getting for your pop-culture oriented loved ones this year.
If you have a friend or have a child born in the late 80s and early 90s and they loved the Power Rangers, this might be one of the best gifts you could give to them this holiday season. Shout Factory! And Time Life are releasing the first seven seasons of the Power Rangers TV series in a 40 disc box set that’s sure to make any fan smile with glee. The set contains the complete Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series along with the Alien Rangers miniseries in one 19 DVD box set and then Power Rangers Zero, Turbo, Space and Galaxy in another 21 disc box set for a total of 338 episodes plus bonus content and a rare Red Ranger action figure..
What’s great about this set, especially the first box, is that if you’ve ever owned the TV series on VHS like I did (much of which got soaked during Hurricane Sandy) this is a great high quality back up that you’ll be able to cherish for years to come and maybe show to your kids or nieces and nephews if they’re a fan of the modern day series. I know when I want to reminisce about the glory days of the childhood I’ll play the food fight episode, one of my favorites and enjoy the cheesiness of one of my favorite childhood shows.
The set is only available online at www.PowerRangersOnDVD.com for a price of $219.95 (you can read my review of the set HERE). If that’s a little out of your price range Shout Factory has a 3 DVD set for the Mighty Morphin Series, Season 1 Vol. 1 available as well for $15.98. I reviewed that Volume HERE. If you’re looking to make a twenty something feel young again you should probably consider this set as a gift option this year.
Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Bruce Willis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger . The cast alone should tell you all you need to know about this action movie. The Expendables 2 is a film by men made for men and should be given to any guy who loves action movies or any of the aforementioned cast members. It’s a fun and wild romp full of great action and some solid laughs. The movie is now available on Blu-ray and DVD for and comes with a digital copy and Ultraviolet for any type of viewing. You can read my review of the film here.
Like The Avengers, anybody who’s a Batman fan or already owns the first two movies will likely need the final installment as soon as it hits the shelves. My question is, why get the boring old DVD or blu-ray version of this flick when for $10 more you could get a limited edition three disc combo pack that comes with the iconic broken Batman mask? It seems like a no brainer to me. The Dark Knight Rises: Limited Edition Bat Cowl (Blu-ray/DVD Combo+UltraViolet Digital Copy) will be available on Dec 4th, so preorder it now if you want to make sure you get it.
One of my favorite films from the 2011 New York Asian Film Festival was this bloody revenge thriller from Korea titled Bedevilled. This one is for fans of films like I Saw the Devil and Oldboy. Well Go USA announced this acquisition out of nowhere this year when they decided to release it on DVD and Blu-ray. This is a simple release and the main reason to own this film is because it’s damn awesome and has a female lead that goes bat-shit crazy. If you know someone who loves intense foreign films this would be a welcomed gift whether they know it or not.
A Sundance crowd pleaser and a film that surprised me in every way possible, Beasts of the Southern Wild is definitely the curve ball you need to make yourself look great when giving a DVD or Blu-ray to someone who thinks they know what’s good.This one is sure to be nominated for an Oscar or two at the upcoming Academy awards, especially for the amazing young actress in the film who was six at the time the movie was shot. If she wins she’ll be the youngest Oscar winning actress ever. This is a movie that’s touching, emotional, raw and, what I like to call, heartfelt entertainment. I will be posting a review of the Blu-ray soon which you can read if you need further convincing.
Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection
For the Bond enthusiast we have the ultimate blu-ray or DVD set which marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond. The beautiful set includes all 22 Bond films along with 130 hours of bonus features. This is the definite set and it comes with an open sleeve to include the latest Bond, Skyfall. Prices vary on this one depending on format and where you get it. Amazon had it available for $99 but that special is long gone but you never know, it may drop down from its $210+ price tag.
I haven’t actually seen Killer Joe yet but based off of word of mouth and Chris’ review, this is one Matthew McConaughey film worth checking out for yourself but also a solid stocking stuffer for those into hard R crime/drama/thrillers. The film was directed by William Friedkin who you may know as the director of The French Connection, The Exorcist and Rules of Engagement. The film will be available on December 21st but you can preorder it on Blu-ray or DVD now (price ranges from $12.99-$16.99)
One of my favorite films of the year, The Raid: Redemption is a non-stop adrenaline ride fueled by kickass martial arts and gun wielding action (read my review here). It’s 90 minutes of absolute insanity and though it’s a foreign film, people that hate subtitles don’t need to worry as there’s about 20 minutes of talking the entire film, an ideal amount of conversation for an action junkie. Everyone that’s seen this movie thought it was a blast and would make an awesome surprise gift for those unfamiliar with the film. It’s available on Blu-ray and DVD for $11.49 and $8.49 respectively.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection
Like the Power Rangers set earlier, this DVD set was made for fans of the characters, movie and, most importantly, the popular cartoon show. I was a big fan of the turtles growing up and still am, hence my distaste for the way the Ninja Turtles reboot is shaping up via our Turtle Watch. I digress. This 23 disc set containing all 10 seasons (which equals 193 episodes) is well worth the buy for any fan, but what makes this set really awesome is that it comes housed in your very own Turtle Van, something that would look fantastic while it sits on your shelf. Prices for this set start around $88.86 but for any diehard you’d be considered a God if you got this for them (I know I’d be a happy camper).
Marvel’s The Avengers (Four-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy + Digital Music download)
Do I really need to explain this one? If you love Marvel movies or know someone that does this is a surefire hit. It comes with a bunch of special features, multiple formats so you can bring it with you anywhere and, as you may have heard, it’s a really fun film. I’d say get this combo packs if you don’t plan on getting the Phase One Box Set next year and if you want to share the love. There are other editions of the film that don’t have the 3D blu-ray or Blu-ray at all if you’re looking for the basics. Pricing for this edition is $34.95 and goes down as you get more basic.
Tarantino XX 8-Film Collection
This one is for the avid Tarantino fan. In a fantastically designed box from artist Ken Taylor, this eight disc blu-ray set includes Pulp Fiction, Inglourious Basterds, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Jackie Brown ,Death Proof and True Romance along with over five hours of never-before-seen special features. It’s a solid set and a good looking one at that. If you have a blu-ray player and don’t own most of these films I’d suggest adding this one to your list for the solid price of $70 on Amazon.
Gallery 1988 Art
If you’re looking for some cool new pop culture art for your wall, Gallery 1988 is having a holiday sale in which they are taking 25% off most of their inventory. You could grab anyone that’s interested in movies or video games something pretty special, of limited edition and just plain cool. I’m a big fan of this Mario “Throne of Games” piece by Aaron Jasinski. It’s a 16×20 giclee print on archival paper signed and numbered out of 100 for $70. This one specifically is not discounted but the other ones that I want surprisingly are and happened to be from the Crazy 4 Cult shows that I love so much. You can browse and shop here.
This one is a personal preference and hopefully one day will be movie related but for now it’s all about the inner geek, video game addict and for the person who doesn’t want to play Call of Duty (or wants both). Halo 4 marks the return of Master Chief and one of my favorite game franchises of all time. I gave my Junior year of high school to Halo 2 and now that Halo 4 is on its way to my house I’m pretty sure my movie watching is going to be cut back a bit. I’ve heard fantastic things about the game and if you know someone with an X-Box 360 that likes Halo this is an excellent gift choice. Standard new video game prices apply, $59.99, but you may find some good deals around the net like buy the game get a gift card.
Francis Ford Coppola 5-Film Collection
Everyone knows Francis Ford Coppola but not everyone has seen his films and that’s what makes this next gift idea great for film aficionados looking to own some great films while potentially also getting some they’ve never seen before. Lionsgate is releasing the Francis Ford Coppola 5-Film Collection on Blu-ray Dec. 4th and it comes with great films like Apocalypse Now, Apocalypse Now Redux (re-edited with 49 minutes of additional footage), The Conversation, Tetro, and, premiering for the first time on Blu-ray, One From the Heart. I haven’t seen all the films yet but Apocalypse Now and The Conversation are makes this set worth it alone. The only downside to the set is that the Apocalypse films don’t come with much in the way of special features whereas the other films come with plenty. The MSRP for the set is $39.99 but you can get it on Amazon for $29 which is a solid deal for five Blu-rays.
Recent Comments