DVDCorner’s 2017 Holiday Gift Guide
For some reason, people seem to be shopping rather early this year in advance of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. As a result, I have gone ahead and whipped up my annual Holiday Gift Guide list that also doubles as a list of best discs (and other media items) that I have reviewed or personally enjoyed this year. Below you will find a handy guide to the hottest Blu-rays, DVDs, CDs, books, video games, Star Wars items, and misc. merch that are well worth picking up as a gift for others or yourself. Enjoy!
BLU-RAYS:
Phantasm- A perfect gift for the horror fan on your holiday shopping list. If you’re feeling generous, you can get the box set of all 5 films!
Doctor Strange- Can’t go wrong by giving the gift of an MCU film!
The Before Trilogy Criterion- In the pantheon of great trilogies, the Before trilogy (comprised of “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight”) is up there with the likes of “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings.” This gorgeous and extra feature packed box set was far and away Criterion’s finest release of 2017.
Suspicion- Warner Archive’s release of this Alfred Hitchcock classic would be a true gift to fans of the iconic director.
The General/3 Ages- A delightful double feature release of Buster Keaton silent film classics.
The Lego Batman Movie- An animated movie that appeals equally to kids and adults alike.
Logan- One of the year’s best films is also one of the year’s must own Blu-rays.
Planet Of The Apes Trilogy- Rise of the Planet of the Apes + Dawn of the Planet of the Apes + War for the Planet of the Apes= A win for all.
Spider-Man: Homecoming- Spider-Man, Spider-Man, give the gift of the best Spider-Man movie.
Porco Rosso- Anime and Hayao Miyazaki fans will adore this Blu-ray release. Any of the numerous Miyazaki releases put out by GKids recently are recommended for that matter.
Starship Troopers: Traitor Of Mars- This CGI animated sequel didn’t get the press it deserved. It’s a fun follow-up to the original 1997 masterpiece.
The Age of Shadows- A riveting South Korean spy thriller that deserves more of an audience.
The Big Knife- Arrow Video and their offshoots release a lot of interesting forgotten films. This B&W classic is one of them.
The Lion King: The Signature Collection- A no brainer for the Disney animation lovers out there.
Daredevil Season 2- Sure, you can just watch this on Netflix, but for the Marvel fanboys and fangirls out there, this is a must own.
Crashing Season 1- An underrated HBO comedy TV series.
The Apple- Do you know someone who loves cult movies, bad movies, or bizarre musicals? This one is for them.
Kiss Me, Kate, Man Of La Mancha and Oklahoma!- 3 great musical offerings from Shout! Broadway.
Ghost World Criterion- It was a strong year for Criterion releases and this cult comedy gem based on the graphic novel of the same name was one of the best.
Wind River- A dark and engrossing adult crime drama.
Cars 3- The third and perhaps best film in Disney-Pixar’s “Cars” franchise.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm- One of the best Batman films of all time at long last gets a Blu-ray release thanks to Warner Archive.
DVDs:
RiffTrax- Of everything I watch in a calendar year, RiffTrax releases tend to be the most entertaining. To date, there are a ton of home video releases. This year they have graciously released “RiffTrax Live! Samurai Cop,” “RiffTrax Live! Summer Shorts Beach Party,” and a 10 disc box set that contains “RiffTrax Live! Birdemic,” “RiffTrax Live! Manos, The Hands of Fate,” “Santa’s Village of Madness,” “RiffTrax Live! MST3K Reunion Show,” “Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny,” “RiffTrax Live! Time Chasers,” “Shorts Assemble!,” “Hand-Crafted Artisanal Shorts,” “May The Shorts Be With You,” and “Bridget and Mary Jo: Short And Sweet” (this disc also just came out on DVD individually). Hop on over to RiffTrax.com to pick up one or more of these releases.
Cinematic Titanic: The Complete Collection- If you love the original “Mystery Science Theater 3000” series or know someone who does, this complete series set of all of the recorded studio and live shows of the now defunct riffing team is an absolute bargain.
BOOKS, COMIC BOOKS, AND MANGA:
One-Punch Man Manga- A fun-filled top tier manga series about one of the most amusing superheroes.
Future Noir: The Making Of Blade Runner- Paul S. Sammon’s book dives deep into topics such as Philip K. Dick, script drafts, screenings of the film, interviews with Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford among others, set stories, chapters devoted to crew members, and a whole lot more in this nearly 600 page book.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Encyclopedia- BTVS fans will be thrilled by this A to Z encyclopedia coffee table book.
Must-See Musicals: 50 Show-Stopping Movies We Can’t Forget- The perfect gift for musical lovers.
Star Trek: Discovery- Desperate Hours- The first tie-in novel to the brand new “Star Trek” series is fun and surprising.
Dragon Ball Super Volume 1 Manga- Arguably Viz Media’s biggest and best manga release of the year. Volume 2 is coming soon as well!
Star Trek: Boldly Go- Of the IDW comic books I have reviewed this year, this comic book series based on the recent series of films is the best. I recommend picking up the first trade paperback in particular.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Game of Thrones Merchandise- For those that can’t get enough of the 7 Kingdoms, HBO Shop offers up a plethora of GOT merch that includes T-shirts, mugs, gloves, scarves, jewelry, hoodies, toys, and more.
Foo Fighters: Concrete and Gold- A rockin’ new Foo Fighters album.
Injustice 2 (Xbox One or PS4)- A satisfying fighting game featuring DC characters as well as some newly included non DC characters (I’m not spoiling the surprises).
Torchwood Big Finish Audio Dramas- If you miss Torchwood, Big Finish is currently producing some fantastic new audio drama stories from different eras of the show.
Guitar Pendants and More- My dear friend Kathryn continues to make custom made guitar pendants over on her Etsy shop. She has other items available for sale as well. Link here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/frenziedsilence
NES and SNES CLASSIC- Awesome gifts for gamers…if you can find them.
STAR WARS:
The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story- A great book that showcases breathtaking art and fascinating behind-the-scenes stories.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Blu-ray- 2016’s best film makes 2017’s best gift.
Rebel Rising- This Jyn Erso centric book is a perfect companion piece to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Leia, Princess Of Alderaan- A superbly written young Leia novel by the best “Star Wars” author (Claudia Gray).
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront 2: Inferno Squad- Read the prequel to the game and then play the game.
That’s a wrap!
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