Gift Ideas for Cinephiles Under $100

POSTERS - Standard posters for the most recent big-studio releases are usually available with ease at a local poster store or a web site such as Allposters.com. However, if you're looking for something a little "extra" for that movie buff of yours, there are some better options out there. A favorite of mine is Cinemagic's Classic Movie Posters (classicmovieposters.com). Here you can find sharp-looking replica prints from a variety of movies from 1930-1980 priced at $20.00 apiece. From classic films such as Singin' in the Rain and Disney releases to Hitchcock's big thrillers and the unique artwork from Anatomy of a Murder, it is a great launch pad for classic movie buffs.

For a slight drop in quality, check out Festival Films (http://www.fesfilms.com/MoviePosters.html), a site that boasts 11 x 17 posters for $15.00 with over 4000 classics to choose from! Not only do they have the standard movie posters, but they also feature a number of studio portraits of starlets, as well as niche film posters such as the all-black cast features from the 30s, early cartoons, or serial films. For foreign and independent films, the best place to check out still seems to be Art.com, where the prices and selection varies. You might also put in a call to the local cineplex and see what their policy is on selling the paraphernalia in the lobby if there is a current movie that your prospective gift recipient loves.

DVDS - The holiday season is always a hot time for new DVD releases. According to my most recent data, here is a brief list of some of the bigger upcoming releases to be on the lookout for, both recent cinema releases and old favorites:

Late October: MI 3, It's a Wonderful Life (60 Year Anniversary), Scrooged.

November: Cars, Wordplay, The DaVinci Code, John Tucker Must Die, Strangers With Candy (the cult Comedy Central show), Ice Age 2, Scoop, Talladega Nights, You Me and Dupree, See No Evil, Superman Returns (and the older Superman movies getting new editions), A Fish Called Wanda, Miracle of 34th Street, the Preston Sturges Collection, Forbidden Planet, a Bing Crosby Collection, a Carey Grant Collection, Cinema Paradiso, and two new James Bond boxed sets.

December: Clerks II, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Devil Wears Prada, World Trade Center, Lady in the Water, Operation Crossbow, Rocky (complete anthology), the Premier Frank Capra collection, and two more new James Bond boxed sets.

That list has something for everyone, from kids to horror to comedy of all types to serious drama to holiday classics. And of course, you could always look to fill out their collection with older movies they might not yet have. All of these DVDs should be readily available at most major outlets.

PARAPHERNALIA - Depending on the movie, there might be a wide variety of paraphernalia out there that might make someone's holiday season. Star Wars buffs are easy to handle in this matter, but many other films lead themselves to giving potential props. Be creative. Got a Kill Bill fan in the family? Why not find them a cheap sword and refashion it to be a (safe) version of a Hattori Hanso? If Wizard of Oz is the movie a woman loves above all others, why not buy her ruby shoes and a small furball of a dog (provided she wants a small dog)? The key here is to think of who you're giving the gift to and to be creative. For inspiration, go to a Planet Hollywood or a museum, or watch the film over and over again until you fully understand the style of the props and the clothes. And yes, if your husband or boyfriend likes a certain actress (say, Jessica Alba), it is perfectly acceptable to buy him a life-sized, fully-proportioned replica.

BOOKS - There are plenty of great books coming out this fall about film. The Village Voice is putting its Village Voice Film Guide on shelves in December. In November, two books about the "darker" or "social" side hit bookstores: FBI and the Movies by Bob Herzberg and the more intellectual Hollywood: Politics and Society by Mark Wheeler. A book about the real-life casting of films by Jane Jenkins and Janet Hershinson will be coming shortly called A Star is Found. For Asian film buffs, a book called Asia Shock by Patrick Galloway is being published next month, and for American History buffs, there will be Gone with the Glory by Brian Steel Wills in what looks to be an excellent expose of the Civil War's portrayal on film. If biography is more your style (or, the person you're looking to shop for loves them), I recommend two books published last month: Donald Spoto's Enchantment (about Audrey Hepburn) and Burton on Burton with Mark Salisbury as Editor (about Tim Burton, of course). All of these are reasonably-priced at available where fine books are sold.

MOVIE TICKETS - Most major cinema chains (AMC, Loews, Century, etc.) have a wide variety of gift certificate options available for purchase that are transferable from one cinema to another. If you have someone on your list who goes to a lot of movies, buying them a gift certificate is a great idea. If they're really a film buff and go for a lot of foreign movies, see if there is a cinema in your area that shows independent or foreign releases. And, even though it should be obvious, a promise to go with them to a movie is never a bad idea if it would mean something to them.

Well, on a hundred dollar budget, you might not be able to buy a home theater or a cineplex-style popcorn machine, but with a little creative thought, you should be able to make the cinema fan on your list happy this holiday season.