DVDCORNER’S 2013 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
With Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday, and the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to be buying friends and family members. If you’re looking for suggestions or panicking about what to get someone, you’ve come to the right place as I have once again created a handy entertainment gift guide list that covers DVDs, Blu-rays, “Doctor Who” items, books, anime, board games, and even a few suggestions of toys, jewelry, and clothing. As with the past few years, this piece also doubles as a Best Blu-ray and DVD of the year list. So, without further adieu…
DVDs
Top Gear: 50 Years of Bond Cars- A geektastic “Top Gear” special about the classic cars featured in the James Bond series. What’s not to like?
Mystery Science Theater 3000: 25th Anniversary Edition- Shout! Factory went all to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the cult classic TV series with a set that contains fan favorites like “The Day the Earth Frozen,” “Gorgo,” and “Mitchell.”
The Barbarians/The Norseman- This DVD double feature is the perfect gift for bad movie lovers. “The Barbarians” ranks alongside “The Room,” “Samurai Cop,” and “Birdemic” as one of the most amusing cinematic turkeys.
Anime
Toriko Part 1 DVD- A silly, but ultra entertaining action/food centric anime series that plays like a “Dragon Ball Z” parody.
Haganai- Season 1 Blu-ray- A funny and charming anime series that focuses more on character than story.
My Neighbor Totoro Blu-ray- Not only is this one of director Hayao Miyazaki’s finest films, but it’s also one of the best anime films ever made.
Tiger and Bunny Sets 1 and 2 Blu-rays- Of all of the anime series I reviewed this year, this clever superhero centric series was the very best.
Blu-rays
Peter Pan- Disney’s beloved animated classic finally gets a hi-def upgrade.
Skyfall- Few gifts are better than a James Bond Blu-ray.
Willow- The Ron Howard/George Lucas 80’s fantasy adventure is fun for the whole family.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Seasons 3 and 4- In my humble opinion, the ST: TNG season sets have been THE best Blu-ray releases of the past few years. They’re loaded with extras and boast drool worthy digitally remastered video and audio. Seasons 3 and 4 are arguably the best of TNG’s entire run and they are absolutely must own sets for any “Star Trek” fan.
Safety Last!- Silent film lovers will adore this Criterion Blu-ray release of one of comedian Harold Lloyd’s best comedies.
Sleep Tight- Are you on the lookout for a genuinely good movie that flew under the radar? Then allow me to direct you to the underrated and chilling Spanish horror-thriller “Sleep Tight.”
Searching for Sugar Man- The best documentary of 2012 makes a perfect gift for the film (and music) buff on your list.
Monsieur Verdoux- Charlie Chaplin’s criminally underrated black comedy has been given the Criterion Blu-ray treatment. You can’t ask for a better disc than this.
New World- No, this is not the Colin Farrell/Terrence Malick stinker from 2005. Instead, it’s an expertly crafted South Korean gangster and cop flick from director Hoon-jung Park.
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 2- “Enterprise” may not be as cherished as “The Next Generation,” but it’s still a well made and well written “Star Trek” series in its own right. Personally, I think the second season is the best of the four overall as it contains the most memorable episodes of the entire series.
Bruce Lee: The Legacy Collection- While a bit pricey, this 11 disc Blu-ray/DVD set is jam packed with documentaries, extra features, and 4 bad-ass Bruce Lee action flicks.
Stuck in Love- This little seen film with an all-star cast makes a great stocking stuffer for lovers of romantic comedies and or romantic dramas.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars- Season 5- There’s no better gift for a “Star Wars” fan this year than this fifth season set that contains some jaw-droppingly awesome episodes involving Ahsoka, Darth Maul, Savage Opress and the Death Watch.
Bates Motel- Season 1- The best new TV show of 2013 will appeal to anyone who loves “Psycho,” serialized TV series, “Twin Peaks,” and murder-mysteries.
Doctor Who
Doctor Who: Shada DVD- Despite being an incomplete episode, “Shada” is still one of the finest episodes of the classic Who era. This three disc set also happens to be LOADED with some of the best extra features I’ve seen all year.
Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space Blu-ray- The first classic “Doctor Who” era episode to hit Blu-ray is also one of the best. You can’t go wrong with a story containing Jon Pertwee and the Autons.
Doctor Who Series 7, Part 2 Blu-ray- The first part of series 7 was uneven to be sure, but the second half contained some of the best new Who episodes (namely “Cold War” and “The Crimson Horror”).
Doctor Who: Ace Action Figure- One of the best companions in DW history gets a spiffy new action figure complete with sweet accessories like a baseball bat, Nitro-9 and a RPG launcher.
Doctor Who Titans Vinyl Figures- As of right now, there are 2 series of blind box vinyl figures that contain characters such as the Tenth Doctor, Davros, a Silurian, the TARDIS, Daleks, Cybermen, etc. The stylized versions of the iconic characters are bound to put a smile on any Whovian’s face.
Doctor Who: Cyberman Ornament- A beautiful glass Cyberman head ornament that is perfect for a Christmas tree or a “Doctor Who” collector’s shelf.
Doctor Who: Eleventh Doctor Potato Head- Yes, there is now an Eleventh Doctor Potato Head. Yes, it rules.
Board Games
Summoner Wars- An addicting strategic board/card game that is fast becoming a favorite amongst new and hardcore board gamers alike.
Fluxx- Fluxx is the ultimate party card game. It’s fun, quick, accessible and there are many varieties to choose from. My personal favorites include the Pirate and Monty Python editions.
Magic: The Gathering- The game’s history may seem daunting, but this immensely popular card game is surprisingly easy to get into. If you know someone who is looking to get into the game, I’d recommend purchasing intro packs/decks which each come with a ready to play 60 card deck and 2 booster packs.
Discworld: Ankh-Morpork- You don’t need to be a fan of author Terry Pratchett to enjoy this delightful board game based on Pratchett’s popular “Discworld” fantasy book series.
Smash Up- A fun-filled card game in which each player smashes up/mixes up two separate decks (such as Robots and Dinosaurs) to fight one another. In addition to the base set which contains everything needed to play, there are two excellent expansions currently available titled “Awesome Level 9000” and “The Obligatory Cthulhu Set.”
Toys
Funko Pop Vinyl Figures- Priced anywhere from $7.99 to $11.99, the POP vinyl line of toys has become a huge hit in the toy world as of late. Everything from Disney characters and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to “Game of Thrones” and DC characters have been vinylfied and they’re all superbly crafted figures. Head on over to Funko’s website to see the massive amount of products that are available to purchase.
Books
The Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror- As a huge fan of “The Rocketeer” film and comics, I cannot recommend this IDW mini-series collection enough. It’s everything great about the character (and time period) rolled into one.
The Disaster Artist- A hilarious page turner about actor Greg Sestero’s experiences in making the bad movie classic “The Room.”
Guillermo del Toro: Cabinet of Curiosities- A fascinating look into the work, mind and home of director Guillermo del Toro.
Exploring the Deep: The Titanic Expeditions- An in-depth look at James Cameron’s deep sea explorations revolving around the sunken Titanic. Honestly, this book is far more fascinating and absorbing than the blockbuster movie he directed.
Jewelry and Clothing
Guitar Pendants- If you’re looking for a truly unique gift, look no further than artist Kathryn Perkins’ customized guitar pendants. Head on over to http://www.etsy.com/shop/frenziedsilence to see what she has in stock or send her an e-mail to request a guitar that you’d like to see made.
BustedTees- There are A LOT of t-shirt sites featuring shirts with artist generated pop-culture, film, and TV related images, but BustedTees offers up the best selection as you can buy affordably priced shirts AND hoodies.
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