So it's that time of year. Time to buy gifts for your friends and
family yet again as the world all over celebrates this corporate,
commercial, money-hungry, festive and generosity-filled holiday. Some of
you may already have it all taken care of by now. Others may be
last-minute shoppers like myself and think that even now is just the
start of the shopping season. No matter which you fall under, there's
bound to be at least a couple more on your list to check off. In this
article, we'll give you some ideas for gifts for those movie buffs you
may have on your list.
1. Movies
Of course a
movie buff loves movies. However, this gift selection isn't as obvious
as some of you may think. In fact, it could be one of the hardest
choices for a movie fan there is. There are all types of problems that
may arise here. You could pick the wrong format, the wrong medium, the
wrong edition. Or you could plain and simple just pick the wrong movie.
Or even more possible, buy them a movie they already own (afterall, they
are movie buffs, chances are they have TONS of movies already making it
even more likely to buy something they already have). Thus, that's why I
recommend staying away from this selection unless that movie fanatic in
your life has actively been hinting at a certain movie lately. In which
case, go for it. Movies are definitely good for us movie buffs. But
again, be careful in what you buy. Or at least save the receipt and
don't be offended when that person needs to return your gift.
2. Netflix
Now
for those of you wanting to get your movie buff some movies, but don't
want to go through the headache of making sure you don't get the wrong
thing, Netflix is your answer. Netflix allows that cinephile on your
list access to all kinds of movies from the old to new, domestic to
foreign, indie to blockbuster and so on. The great thing about this too,
they get to choose which movies they want to watch, while you just pay
for the subscription. Netflix Gifts come in a variety of plans and a
variety of lengths. You can get your movie lover just the streaming
package or you can choose a package which allows streaming, plus up to
1, 2, or 3 DVDs out at a time. These can all be bought in lengths from 1
month to 1 year. For instance, a streaming package for 6 months will
run you about $48. Or you can go with 2 DVDs out at a time for 1 year
for about $180. No matter what the choice, it's sure to be a hit with
the movie buff in your life. It doesn't matter if they already have a
subscription either as a Netflix Gift can simply be added to their
already existing subscription and they'll get free months of their
service.
http://www.getmoviedownload.com/
3. Fandango Card
Of course every
movie buff spends ample amounts of time at the theater. So, along the
lines of the Netflix thing, another option is a Fandango gift card (or a
gift card from a local theater). This gives your movie buff a gift that
will keep on giving over the year as they revisit the theater. Each
time getting to enjoy the big screen magic on your dime. The movie buff
on your list will surely love a gift like this over the months as they
get to catch all the latest releases.
4. Movie Memorabilia
Your
typical movie buff is obsessed with movies in probably a way you will
never fully understand. As such, this means everything about movies they
enjoy. Thus, another good gift for that movie lover on your list is
movie memorabilia. This ranges from movie posters, to shirts, to
collector's items, to autographed items, to boxed sets, to film cells
and artwork. You can even buy scripts/screenplays/props from their
favorite movies online. With many online outlets that sell this type of
stuff, the possibilities are endless once you know some of your movie
buff's favorite movies or actors, etc.
5. Movie-Related Books and Magazines
As
I stated before, chances are the movie buff in your life loves
everything movie-related. This goes for books and magazines as well.
Biographies on their favorite actors or movie-related books are good
unconventional ideas for the movie buff in your life. There are plenty
books out there designed for these types of people. From
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die to
1000 Films to Change Your Life to
The 100 Best Movies to Rent You've Never Heard Of to even more specific books like
101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die.
All would be a welcome treat for the movie buff in your life. Likewise,
the movie buff in your life most assuredly likes to keep up with all
things movies and get insights into the industry they so love. As such,
magazine subscriptions that cater to these types are also good choices.
These include print and online types. Though I will say you'll want to
go beyond the more mainstream types of Entertainment Weekly, Rolling
Stones, etc. Instead, look into things like 'Boxoffice Magazine',
'Hollywood Reporter', 'Premiere', 'Empire' (UK), 'MovieMaker' or
'Filmmaker Magazine'. Likewise, you could also get them a subscription
to online industry rags like Variety.com or ProductionWeekly.com.
6. Universal Remote
As
you probably know, the movie buff in your life definitely has a love
for electronics. This is especially true when it comes to their home
entertainment setup. All of that gear can get out of hand though when
remote controls begin piling up. Introduce the Logitech Harmony. The
cream of the crop when it comes to universal remotes. This line of
remotes from Logitech range from about $100 to over $300. Any movie buff
would be happy to get their hands on such a remote control to accent
their setup.
7. Roku Box
This is a great
accompanying gift for a Netflix subscription. The streaming player
allows the movie lover to use any of those streaming services to stream
movies directly to their TV instead of having to watch on their computer
or laptop. This is great for any movie buff who would much rather watch
on their big screen TV rather than their little computer monitor. The
Roku box allows for Netflix instant streaming on your TV. It also allows
access to such services as Hulu Plus, Amazon On Demand and more.
8. Blu-Ray Player
Chances
are your movie buff already has one of these in their collection.
However, for those that don't a Blu-ray player is a great gift for the
movie buff in your life. Providing for a high-definition movie viewing
experience, the movie buff in your life will love the immersion of
watching their favorite movies in pristine hi-def.
9. Popcorn Maker
Everybody
knows: popcorn goes with movies like jelly goes with peanut butter. And
for some reason, kettle popcorn just tastes better. So why not bring
that theater goodness into the home of your favorite movie buff giving
them the gift of snacks anytime they sit down to watch a movie at home.
You can find many kettle popcorn makers for under $100. Any movie buff
would find it cool to have their very own popcorn maker sitting in the
corner of their room for access whenever they want to spend the evening
watching movies (and trust me, they do this very often).
http://www.getmoviedownload.com/
10. "Gaming" Chair
These
provide the ultimate comfort when sitting in front of the TV for a
movie. With built-in speaker systems and ultimate comfort, there are
tons of stylish gaming chairs out there. Any movie buff would love one
of these cool recliner/pedestal chairs to kick back and enjoy their
movie-viewing experience. Not only does it just flat-out look cool and
are they comfortable, but they also provide more immersion with the
speakers in the headrest and subwoofers built into the chair that make
you rumble along with explosions on the screen.
11. Surround Sound System
Speaking
of sound, if your movie buff doesn't already have one, a surround sound
system is always a welcome addition to their home entertainment
experience. Providing an immersion of sound to accompany their viewing
experience, a surround sound system is an absolute must for any movie
buff that is looking to make the most of the home entertainment
experience. Of course, this can be a costly gift, but the movie buff in
your life will definitely be grateful.
12. HDTV
Since
we're mentioning essential components, a TV definitely falls in that
range. Obviously your movie buff already has one, but they're never
opposed to a new TV (or even just a secondary TV). Whether it be a
smaller LCD TV to put in their room or an upgrade to a top-of-the-line
brand new 3D TV, TVs are always welcome. Your movie buff would
definitely love you for this. With the pushing of 3D TVs, these are a
definite hot item too which most movie buffs in your life would more
than happily take. Again though, this is one of the more costly gifts,
so expect to pay thousands for something like that.
13. Movie Storage
You
probably know this already, but the movie buff in your life probably
has a very extensive collection of movies. A collection they love to
proudly show off as well. Of course such a collection can often become
something of a beast that needs taming. Enter the realm of media
storage. This actually comes in two forms as well: physical and digital.
First we'll touch on the traditional physical form. This simply means
cabinets and shelves. If the movie buff in your life doesn't already
have the shelving for their collection, or is simply running out of
shelf space, then a new shelf, rack or tower would be a practical and
welcome gift for your movie buff in helping to tame that ever-growing
collection and bring some order to it. Of course you have the digital
front as well. This is the same concept as storing all of your music on
your computer. Many companies make devices specifically for media
storage like this. There are even companies like Kaleidoscope and
PrimeArray which create systems that serve as storage and servers. This
means all movies are saved on a digital storage device. The cherry on
top though is that these devices then provide a means to share all that
data across a network and have access to your entire movie collection
with one click of a button on your remote. Having instant access to any
movie in your collection without having to get up and change out discs,
etc. These however can get extremely expensive. Some even more costly
than the TVs themselves. But the techphile/cinephile in your life would
love it.
14. AFI Membership
Every film buff
is familiar with the prestigious American Film Institute. What better
way to reward their passion for films than allowing your movie buff to
become part of that institute by buying them a membership to the AFI.
This can range from $60-2,500. Offering cool perks like movie tickets,
exclusive release schedules and magazine subscriptions, an AFI
membership also grants members admission to AFI events. On top of that,
your movie buff would even be able to vote alongside industry
professionals for various movie awards and accolades dealt out by AFI
each year. To top it off, they would even get an AFI membership card to
proudly show off to friends as a sign to their dedication to films.
15. Film Festival Pass
I'm
sure you've heard of them. Sundance. Cannes. Attending these more
prestigious film festivals are like a life-long dream for the movie buff
in your life probably. They'd probably give an arm or a leg to get to
experience going to the prestigious Sundance festival or Cannes or the
Venice Film Festival. However, these events book well in advance and can
be costly. Thus, they don't make good last-minute gift ideas. Though,
I'm sure your movie buff would happily take a "rain check" on a gift if
it means the promise of getting a pass to one of these festivals later
on. Likewise, many bigger cities offer their own film festivals
throughout the year. If you live near one of these, your movie buff
would definitely love the chance to get to attend one of those as well.
So
there you have it, a plethora of ideas to make sure the movie buff in
your life has a happy holiday and make sure you come out on top with
gift ideas for that movie buff (rather than being that relative that
gives a crappy pair of knit socks for Christmas or such).
