Holiday Gift Guide for Movie Buffs

Buying gifts for movie buffs can be tricky. If they're a serious cinephile, then they've seen everything. Unless they tell you exactly what they want, you'll probably end up getting something that they already have or don't even want. The best way to approach this is to buy an all-purpose film-oriented gift that isn't tied to any particular movie. The gift ideas that I'm about to bequeath unto your splendor (we movie nerds are royalty, after all) would be perfect for any film buff. Whether their favorite flick is Scarface or Lilo & Stitch, they'll be pleasantly surprised if they receive any of these benefactions for Christmas/National Celery Stick Day.

Netflix (www.netflix.com)

This online rental service is snowballing in popularity. You can buy a month's worth of unlimited rentals for anyone in the for as low as $9.99. That's the cheapest plan where you can have one DVD out at a time. You can have up to eight DVD's out at a time, but obviously, that would be costly. I'm a subscriber myself, and I must say that it's a geek's dream come true. The selection is cavernous. I have oodles of obscure titles at my fingertips. Seeing as how there are no late fees, this is the ideal service for movie buffs who are as lazy as they are fanatical (that's a subtle jab at myself). If you're worried about the likelihood of receiving defective discs, rest assured that it's a rare occurrence. I've had two or three problems since I signed up in January of 2003.

The Movies (http://www.amazon.com/Activision-47875325876-The-Movies/dp/B00026D13A/sr=8-1/qid=1160944355/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-5986328-3753534?ie=UTF8)

This is a sim game that allows you to build and run a movie studio. You can "discover" actors/actresses, make your own movies, and even write screenplays. While I own this game, I haven't played it yet. I'm sure that it's addicting, however. Here is a snippet from its Amazon.com product description, if I may…

"The Movies answers a question that many of us have had: What if YOU were in charge of a movie studio? Imagine if you could make any movie you wanted, any way you wanted. Would you create epic action films? Campy b-movies? You can make it big in
Hollywood
by building the ultimate movie studio. Choose the scripts, control budgets, design & build sets, and settle into the director's chair and see if you can make a hit. Once you've created your box-office smashes, you can even watch them - adding your own voiceovers and saving them to your hard drive or publishing to a Web site."

Roger Ebert (http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Eberts-Movie-Yearbook-2006/dp/0740755382/sr=8-8/qid=1160950391/ref=pd_bbs_sr_8/104-5986328-3753534?ie=UTF8)

So many film scholars disagree with Mr. Ebert, and some of his reviews are downright mind-boggling, but the man knows movies. He's the critic you go to if you want to decide whether or not a certain film is for you. His 2006 movie yearbook acts as a handy reference guide for fans of any genre. It contains all of his reviews from January 2003 to June 2005.

Popcorn (http://www.amazon.com/Fireworks-Popcorn-Movie-Gift-Box/dp/B000CO80RE/sr=1-12/qid=1160950736/ref=sr_1_12/104-5986328-3753534?ie=UTF8&s=gourmet-food)

You can't watch a movie without munchies. Well, maybe you can, but I can't. A gourmet popcorn gift set would be a toothsome delight for film buffs. The product that I've linked to features three festive seasonings. Of course, simply buying a warehouse bulk portion of Jiffy Pop would also get the job done. You may want to include floss as an auxiliary present.

Storage Units (http://www.amazon.com/Prepac-Video-Double-Storage-MA-0320/dp/B00069SNZ4/sr=1-14/qid=1160951133/ref=sr_1_14/104-5986328-3753534?ie=UTF8&s=electronics)

I ran out of places to stash movies eons ago. Fortuitously, my parents bought a few hefty storage units for me on my birthday one year. After they are filled up, I'll have to rent an apartment just for my DVD collection. Here again, I've singled out a specific item for your convenience, but a smaller unit holding less than 100 DVD's would be sufficient. Not every movie lover is a completist who feels like they must own every entry from a particular franchise (if you don't own Halloween III, you're dead to me).