Best Holiday Gifts for Movie Buffs

We are rapidly closing in on the holiday season and one of the biggest markets for gifts these days are in special edition movie DVDs. There are way too many DVDs to recount in this simple gift guide but there are a few movies that need to be collected by every movie buff. I hope that this brief rundown of gifts will give you great ideas for your holiday shopping and perhaps inspire you to expand your movie watching horizons and see some classics that you have missed out on.

Before you start getting movies for your friends and family, it is important that they get a comprehensive guide of movies across genres that will allow them to learn more about cinema. There is no better guide than 10001 Movies To See Before You Die, written by Steven Jay Schneider and available at most bookstores for around $35. This massive tome of movie knowledge breaks down the best movies of all time for all genres, including foreign, independent, comedy, drama, and science fiction. The question from skeptics may be how such a large list could be constructed definitively and without reservation. While it is difficult to say that one book could definitely close the book on determining the best movies of all time, this book goes far to answer those criticisms. With a collection of contributors including directors, film professors, and film critics, 1001 Movies is a thorough and colorful look at cinematic history.

There are a few comedy standards that should be considered crucial when buying gifts for film lovers in your family. One such standard is the Ivan Reitman film Stripes, which came out last year with a special edition with almost 20 new minutes of material. Available for just under $15, Stripes is a great deal for those who enjoy the comedy style of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis. With great comedic performances by John Candy and John Larroquette, this funny take on army life and the Cold War is a must have for fans of humor. Another similar movie is the Chevy Chase comedy Christmas Vacation, which is available in a special edition DVD for $15. While some may claim that the original Vacation film was more funny, I feel that Christmas Vacation combines all of the elements of a good Christmas movie, including jokes about obnoxious family, a memorable melt down by Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, and hints of a good message around crass jokes about bodily functions. If your friends or family don't already have these classics, you should put them at the top of your holiday list as a stocking stuffer.

If you are looking for more dramatic or sophisticated cinema, there are two must haves for your loved ones. The Stanley Kubrick Collection, a more expensive investment at around $115, includes all of the great director's finest work. While his last film Eyes Wide Shut is thrown in as a typical filler piece, this collection includes renowned films like 2001, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket. As well, this boxed set includes one of Kubrick's first and most underappreciated films, Lolita, and a documentary piece on the director, Stanley Kubrick: Life in Pictures. While the price may exclude casual gift buying, it is a great gift for a family member or significant other who appreciates good films.

A final gift idea for the cinema nut on your shopping list is the classic German film M, available through the Criterion Collection at around $35 on Amazon. M is directed by cinema great Fritz Lang and stars Peter Lorre as a pedophile who is hunted down by the people of a German village after a series of abductions. The most compelling aspect of this film is that it deals with difficult subjects of the early 20th century like aberrant sexuality and how to deal with social outcasts. Lorre gives a haunting performance in this German language film, using facial expressions to portray his addiction and whistles a tune before he commits his act of perversion. While this film has been forgotten because of a declining appreciation for film's origins, M is a great gift for people who still hold the cinematic past dear to their hearts.