DVDCorner’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide List
With Black Friday, Christmas, Small Business Saturday, Hanukkah, and Cyber Monday just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about shopping. As per usual, I have whipped up a handy list offering up gift ideas in the Blu-ray, DVD, 4K, book, and even dice/card game realms. On with the list!
BLU-RAYS:
Toy Story 4- You can’t go wrong with the fourth installment of the flawless Pixar animated series.
Spider-Man: Far From Home- The MCU Spidey films keep getting better and better.
Captain Marvel- One word: Goose.
RiffTrax- 3 hysterically funny new RiffTrax Live releases for the 2019 live shows “Star Raiders,” “The Giant Spider Invasion,” and “Octaman” are now available on Blu-ray, DVD and digitally.
Fast and Furious 8 Movie Collection and Hobbs and Shaw- Before “Fast and Furious 9” comes out in 2020, why not revisit (or watch) all 8 films and the recent spin-off of the action franchise?
The Circus Criterion- A deeply underrated Charlie Chaplin masterpiece.
Notorious Criterion- One of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest films gets an exquisite Criterion disc.
The Heiress Criterion- Peak Olivia de Havilland and William Wyler.
Klute- Klute! (Criterion fans will get this).
Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films Criterion Set- Sadly, I have yet to get my hands on this 15 film set, but there’s no doubt this is the most notable Blu-ray release of the year (I may be biased as a Godzilla fan though).
Buster Keaton Collection Volumes 1-3- The Cohen Collection put out gorgeous Blu-ray releases of some of the silent film comedian and filmmaker’s greatest work such as “The General,” “Sherlock Jr.” and “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” The studio also released “The Great Buster “documentary which makes a nice companion piece to these silent film classics.
Missing Link- Laika’s latest animated gem is one of 2019’s most underrated films.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie- The first and still best Power Rangers film received a long overdue Blu-ray release courtesy of Shout! Factory.
Dora and the Lost City of Gold- You don’t have to be a fan of “Dora The Explorer” to appreciate this charming live-action comedic adventure movie.
Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection- 15 discs, 28 films, a boat load of extras, and a whole lotta laughs.
Earthquake- Disaster movie junkies will eat this 70s flick up.
The Body Snatcher- A chilling slice of classic horror starring Boris Karloff AND Bela Lugosi.
RoboCop- Arrow Video’s new edition of Paul Verhoeven’s sci-fi cult classic is essential.
The Set-Up- Part boxing film, part noir= a knockout.
A Patch Of Blue- A deeply emotional drama featuring noteworthy performances by Sidney Poitier and Elizabeth Hartman.
The Peanut Butter Falcon- Give the gift of one of 2019’s best films
Lords of Chaos- This crazy biopic may not be for everyone due to the extreme violence, but it’s sure to have its fans.
Hell Fest- Horror movie fans will get a kick out of this underappreciated and atmospheric slasher.
Burning- The rare movie that sticks with you long after you see it. The less you know about this one the better it is.
My Fair Lady- You can’t go wrong with one of the best movie musicals of all time.
Crawl- The horror movie equivalent of an intense theme park ride.
First Man- An immersive and introspective biopic about Neil Armstrong
Mothra- The Kaju classic gets a spiffy Steelbook release from Mill Creek.
Hold Back The Dawn- An engaging and rich old Hollywood dramatic romance.
So Dark The Night- 2019 saw the release of many fantastic film noirs on Blu-ray. This was one of them.
Under The Silver Lake- This L.A. neo-noir is arguably the most inventive and unique film to come along this year.
The Bloodthirsty Trilogy- For the horror fans out there, this trilogy of Japanese vampire films from Toho might be of interest. The Arrow Video Blu-ray release gives the fun, colorful, atmospheric and underseen films “The Vampire Doll,” “Lake of Dracula,” and “Evil of Dracula” beautiful new transfers and audio tracks. Expect a few extras like “Kim Newman On The Bloodthristy Trilogy,” trailers, and a still gallery as well.
Dances With Wolves Steelbook- This Shout Factory release contains the theatrical and extended cut of the Academy Award winning film along with a disc packed with extras.
Bohemian Rhapsody- The fan favorite biopic about Queen and Freddie Mercury is sure to be a hot seller this holiday season.
Ralph Breaks The Internet- Dare I say this “Wreck-It Ralph” sequel was better than the first! Worth picking up if for no other reason than to pour over the delightful Disney sequences.
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Steelbook- Ramones! Roger Corman! Clint Howard! What else do you need?
Best F(r)iends 1 and 2- For those that need more Tommy Wiseau in their lives.
The Lion King (2019)- The new version of Disney’s classic was a box office smash and the disc is bound to fly off the shelves this holiday season.
Man of a Thousand Faces- This Lon Chaney biopic boasts an award worthy performance by the legendary James Cagney
What We Left Behind: Looking Back At Star Trek: Deep Space Nine- This documentary is a must for any Star Trek or DS9 fan.
The Bostonians- For those that are seeking a romantic drama, this newly restored Merchant-Ivory period piece starring Christopher Reeve, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Tandy and Linda Hunt will no doubt be enticing.
Wild Rovers- Two words: William Holden.
4Ks:
John Wick 3: Parabellum- I’m thinking, yea, he’s back. This movie has everything an action movie junkie could desire- shootouts, attack dogs, a weapon room fight for the ages, Mark Decascos and a hard R rating! Every minute is utterly ridiculous, but this third entry is the best to date due to the expanded mythology and go for broke mentality.
Avengers: Endgame- Why not relive the biggest movie event of the year whenever you want in the best possible quality?
Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman and Robin- My personal favorite 4K releases of the year. The transfers of the 80s and 90s Batman movies are nothing short of stunning.
Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Not only is this a crossover for the ages, but it’s easily one of the best DC animated films to date.
Gremlins- The horror-comedy Christmas classic gets a brand new 4K disc.
Forrest Gump- Better than a box of chocolates.
The Death and Return of Superman: The Complete Film Collection- Limited-Edition Gift Set 4K- In terms of sheer value, it doesn’t get much better than this. You get a Steel figure, a 4K disc, and even a Blu-ray copy of the two animated movies that have been edited together to create one long epic feature.
Bumblebee- The best Transformers movie to date.
Apocalypse Now: The Final Cut- This incredible 4K set comes with every version of Francis Ford Coppola’s celebrated film.
It’s A Wonderful Life- One of the best films ever made gets one of the best 4K discs ever made.
The Wizard of Oz- One of the best films ever made gets one of the best 4K discs ever made (yes, that was intentional).
Aladdin (1992)- Sure, you could go with 2019’s “Aladdin” too, but 1992’s “Aladdin” is an animated classic with such high replay value.
Pet Sematary (2019)- The rare remake that surpasses the original in every way.
Anna- Luc Besson’s little seen twist filled action flick is packed with entertainment value
Justice League vs. The Fatal Five- Another DC animated movie winner.
Rambo- Still the best sequel in the long-running Sylvester Stallone starring action franchise.
Dumbo (2019)- This misunderstood Tim Burton helmed live-action Disney film is less of a remake and more of a reimagining with a different story.
Cold Pursuit- An underrated Liam Neeson action-crime-drama gem.
TV SHOWS:
Batman Beyond: The Complete Series Blu-ray- WB has given fans a beautiful new set that collects every episode of the cult sci-fi animated classic along with the feature film “Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker.”
The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Series Blu-ray- Now that the popular sitcom has finished its run, you can collect all 12 seasons in this big box set release that is loaded with extras. Bazinga!
Saved By The Bell: The Complete Series DVD- Before the new “Saved By The Bell” series debuts on Peacock, why not revisit the original four seasons with this complete series set from Shout! Factory? Get nostalgic and take a trip back to Bayside High with 86 episodes of Zack, Slater, Kelly, Lisa, Jessie and Screech antics involving everything from caffeine pills, U2 concert tickets, romance, parties, driver ed, spaghetti sauce, and so much more! Alternately, there’s another DVD edition available called The Complete Collection which contains every SBTB episode, “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” “Saved By The Bell: The College Years,” and the 2 SBTB movies.
Star Trek: Discovery Season 2- One of the year’s most satisfying television events was the second season of the newest Trek series. I can’t recommend this enough.
Batman: The Animated Series: The Complete Series Blu-ray- The single greatest comic book based animated series of all time. That’s no hyperbole.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Season 12- Worth picking up for the gut bustingly funny “Mac and Me” episode alone.
Doctor Who Series 11 and Resolution Blu-rays- Before series 12 is released, catch up on Jodie Whittaker’s delightful run as The 13th Doctor.
Star Wars Resistance Season 1- A Star Wars animated series that is perfect for a younger audience.
Doctor Who: Tom Baker- Series 7 Blu-ray- Whether you are a classic Doctor Who fan or are interested in dipping your toes into that world, this Blu-ray set containing “Meglos,” the E-Space Trilogy, “Logopolis,” and “K-9 and Company” is a good starting point.
The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection Blu-ray- There were a fair amount of Scooby-Doo releases this year but this guest star studded classic series is among the best.
Veronica Mars Season 4 Blu-ray- The cult TV series makes a welcome return with a great new (and potentially final) season.
Ultraman Blu-ray Steelbook- Tokusatsu fans will be delighted by the crown jewel of the Ultraman franchise- the original Ultraman run.
The Toys That Made Us Seasons 1 and 2- An endlessly entertaining documentary series about the history of toy brands like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.
Doom Patrol Blu-ray- The crown jewel of DC Universe series. It’s also quite possibly one of the weirdest TV series to boot.
The Donna Reed Show Seasons 1-5- A box set of the classic sitcom’s first 5 seasons.
Twin Peaks- Fans have a few options here. One, you can go with the full 3 season set and then get “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” via the Criterion release. Two, you can get all of the above in the limited edition complete “Twin Peaks: From Z To A” set.
DVDs:
Tickled- An ultra bizarre documentary that has to be seen to be believed.
Shoplifters- An involving Academy Award nominated character piece from director Kore-Eda Hirokazu.
BOOKS:
Making of Planet of the Apes- Author J.W. Rinzler goes from Star Wars to Apes. The result? Another treasure.
Friends Forever- The one for the hardcore “Friends” fans.
Industrial Light and Magic Presents: Making Solo: A Star Wars Story- An insightful look at the production of the highly overlooked Star Wars film.
Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow- This Padme centric story is the best Star Wars novel of the year hands down.
Hollywood Black- An engrossing deep dive into the history of black cinema.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: A Crash Of Fate- A rewarding tie-in to the Galaxy’s Edge theme park attraction.
Star Trek Novels- Trek fans have many opportunities to boldly go where no reader has gone before with a plethora of recent titles. If you want to dig deeper into the world of ‘Discovery,’ check out “The Way To The Stars,” “Drastic Measures,” “Fear Itself,” and “The Enterprise War.” Original Series fans have 2 options with “The Antares Maelstrom” and “The Captain’s Oath.” Finally, Next Gen lovers can scope out “Available Light.”
COMIC BOOKS/GRAPHIC NOVELS/MANGA:
Dragon Ball Super- Each volume of this DB series gets better and better. To date there are currently 6 volumes available with a seventh hitting shelves in December.
Cobra Kai- As of this week there will be 2 issues available of this IDW comic series that makes a perfect companion piece to YouTube’s beloved “Cobra Kai” series.
My Hero Academia: School Briefs- Sure, you could go with the mega-popular manga volumes of “My Hero Academia,” but Viz Media has also released a series of light novels (School Briefs) that contain character oriented short stories. Currently there are 3 volumes available in the U.S.
MUSIC:
Ghost- Prequelle- I know this cult rock/metal band has been around for a bit now, but I just discovered them this year. I haven’t stopped listening to them since.
Tool- Fear Inoculum- Well worth the 13 year wait.
Weezer- Teal Album- A joyous cover album.
Games:
Star Wars Destiny- An addicting card/dice game that deserves more of an audience. A starter set, starter decks, single packs and numerous set booster boxes are available to purchase.
See you next year!
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