Buying presents for people who merely “like” movies is actually pretty easy. Get them a good movie, one you think they’ll like, or get them a little piece of merchandise that ties into a film you already know they love. There you go. That’s your movie gift guide for casual filmgoers. It’s hardly worth writing about, really.
But buying gifts for people who LOVE movies is a lot harder, and if you know some of those folks, you know exactly what I mean. These are the people – like myself – who have massive libraries of motion pictures in a variety of versions and formats. These giant walls of DVDs and Blu-rays are bound to be daunting for anybody with a shopping list, because it’s hard to determine what the gift recipient already has.
Also: 2016 Readers Gift Guide | 16 Books to Give This Holiday Season
And while the following movie gift guide, updated for 2016, is bound to have some cool stuff that your movie lover doesn’t already have yet, there are no guarantees. Get a gift receipt for these people, because for all you know they couldn’t resist the urge to indulge in a last minute Christmas sale, because they automatically assumed that nobody would know them well enough to buy that weird new edit of Raising Cain or that funky autobiography of Mara Wilson. What are the odds, right?
Well, those odds are about to improve. Here are the top ten coolest presents for film lovers this year, the kind of things they’ll genuinely thank you for. It’s a movie gift guide for folks on every kind of budget, so what are you waiting for? Find out what you’re buying this year, and happy holidays!
2016 Movie Gift Guide | Ten Exciting Presents for Film Lovers
Note: All items subject to availability, all prices subject to change.
Top Photo: Criterion
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
The 2016 Movie Gift Guide | 10 Gifts for Film Lovers
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D Blu-ray)
Price: $25.49 (Buy It Now)
Everybody loved Star Wars: The Force Awakens, so they probably already bought the original Blu-ray, the one that skimped on the special features. Tell the Jedi in your life that you love them by upgrading their copy today with the newer, fancier Blu-ray version!
Photo: LucasFilm
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Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe (Blu-ray)
Price: $14.96 (Buy It Now)
The high-flying adventure movies we have now - you know, like Star Wars - started way back in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s with sci-fi serials like Commando Cody, to whom characters like The Rocketeer owe a life-debt. Silly by today's standards, this set will nevertheless please any old school action enthusiast or superhero movie aficionado who needs to know more about the genre's history.
Photo: Olive Films
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Mad Max: Fury Road / Black & Chrome (Blu-ray Double Feature)
Price: $24.99 (Buy It Now)
The instant action-classic Mad Max: Fury Road has finally been released in director George Miller's preferred, black-and-white version. It's the sort of gift that many fans might not get themselves, since it means buying a movie they already own a second time. But YOU can get it for them and be their new hero.
Photo: Warner Bros.
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Classic Hitchcock (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)
Price: $119.95 (Buy It Now)
Criterion has put the Master of Suspense's early hits in one high-definition set, and it's a must-own for lover of classic cinema. The collection includes The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, The Foreign Correspondent and the original 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Photo: Criterion
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The Iron Giant: Signature Edition Ultimate Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Price: $61.90 (Buy It Now)
We tend to fall in love with cinema at a very young age, so it's important to keep the kids in mind during the holiday gift-giving season. Try introducing the children on your list to Brad Bird's timeless classic The Iron Giant, or giving the impressive boxed set to the adults on your list who are still in touch with their inner child.
Photo: Warner Bros.
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Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame
Price: $9.52 (Buy It Now)
Mara Wilson was America's favorite child actor in the 1990s, until she left acting altogether and disappeared for years. Where was she? Living a normal life, and she writes all about that strange experience in this exciting new memoir, perfect for the 1990s kid on your gift list.
Photo: Penguin Books
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Suicide Squad Harley Quinn Figurine Blu-ray (Amazon Exclusive)
Price: $116.99 (Buy It Now)
Moviegoers seemed to like Suicide Squad a heck of a lot more than Batman v Superman, so there's a good chance someone you know will want to get their hands on the new, extended edition. And if you REALLY love them you can shell out the extra bucks for this Amazon Exclusive, which comes with a Harley Quinn statue!
Photo: Warner Bros.
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The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection (Blu-ray)
Price: $35.27 (Buy It Now)
The funniest comedians in history? Pretty much, and for the first time you can get all their early, gut-busting movies in high-definition Blu-ray. What's more, this is a VERY reasonable price for some of the best comedies ever made. If this set only included Duck Soup, it would still be a bargain.
Photo: Universal
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Lone Wolf and Cub (The Criterion Collection) (Blu-ray)
Price: $62.00 (Buy It Now)
The first great comic book movies, a series violent and dramatic samurai masterpieces that still inspire more great films to this day. Lone Wolf and Cub finally got the Blu-ray release it deserved this year, from the Criterion Collection, so you know it's a first-rate presentation. It's a must own for anybody, but if you know someone who hasn't seen them yet, it's practically your solemn duty to get them this set.
Photo: Criterion
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Nixon Men's Sentry SS SW, C-3PO Gold Watch
Price: $139.48 (Buy It Now)
When you want to tell the world you love Star Wars, but when you also want to be really classy about it, you'll want to wear this gorgeous C-3PO wristwatch from Nixon. It ain't cheap, but it's gorgeous.
Photo: Nixon
