The (now annual) Films Gone Wild Christmas Movie Gifts Shopping Guide (2024 edition)
The (now annual) Films Gone Wild Christmas Movie Gifts Shopping Guide 2024
In 2020 I did a couple Christmas shopping hints for movie fans that want something cool, but maybe not-so-obvious mass produced stuff posts. And by popular demand (by this site’s managing editor and our technical advisor/SEO expert/dude who takes my copy and makes sure it checks all the boxes for mass internet consumption guy…holy crap I need to figure out a title for him) I am finally doing another one.
I also was inspired by a conversation with an ex-girlfriend, who – when I described the decor and wall art in my house with themed rooms like The 60s/70s Room, and The Gore Room, and the bathrooms that either feature movie stars in bathtubs or movie scenes that took place in bathrooms, said (in a very judgy manner), “So…you REALLY like movies.”
Yes. Yes, I do. Clearly. And stop with the side eye.
Anyway, between what’s on the walls in my house, or on the pillows on my sofas, or on the shirts that wear, there IS a lot of movies going on. And now there can be for you and the people you buy gifts for too!
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Films Gone Wild Christmas Shopping Guide
SHIRTS Now, I am pretty intensive on how I “curate” the shirts I wear. Of course, I represent a lot of film festivals and every year they usually have a new shirt. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to wear it. I want something with a very cool design. I used to get excited about the latest Sundance or SXSW shirt, until the idea of being a walking billboard for them AND paying a fucking ridiculous amount caused me to stop that shit and throw away every last one. (I’m all definitive when I make up my mind like that.) And I stopped getting the shirts at the festivals I work with/for because by this point that is all I would have to wear.
Let’s begin with a look at one of my favorites (which I have highlighted before): TomsTrendyTees (#sponsored).
Tom also has a lot of Broadway show-inspired t-shirts, so maybe that will be awesome for you too. But I am ALL about his movie t-shirt collection. He’s got great taste (as far as I am concerned) with the films he chooses, and you’ll find a fun sense of humor inherent there too. A perfect example of what sets his stuff apart are the “Directed By” shirts.
First, Tom will strike an homage to how the “directed by” credit appeared in a particular film, AND he even has a few that show some love for DPs, composers, and costume designers. You’ll see what I mean in the gallery that follows.
Here is a link to the Toms Trendy Tees Etsy (#sponsored) store:
One last thing that I think is VERY IMPORTANT to note. The price on these are reasonable. There is one other site that does something similar to what Tom does, but those shirts literally cost twice as much.
F-that.
Give me something a little off the beaten path but don’t gouge me for it just because you can.
Uhmm…are all of the shirts black, John? No. No they are not…
There are SO MANY more.
Seriously, check out that site.
If you are a huge Judy Garland fan, or love the idea of finding a shirt with a semi-obscure reference from one of your friend’s favorite films to give them, you’ve got a good shot at finding it there.
Films Gone Wild Christmas Shopping Guide: Prints
PRINTS Now, there are quite a few places to go for these, but let’s start with Art.com (#sponsored) (links are with each image I’ve highlighted). Again, I like images that are striking and that I don’t see everywhere. Fun story: when I became the Head of Public Relations for the American Film Institute, it seemed like they offered only a dozen framed film posters to decorate the offices. I said, “Fuck that. I’ll bring in my own.” However, when I left – which was not a “happy” exit – not all of my posters left with me. So, for example: somewhere on the AFI campus, what was my beloved HEAVEN CAN WAIT poster lives. I consider that my enduring contribution to that institution, HAHA.
With that, let’s look at what Art.com (#sponsored) can offer to help you liven up your wall space…
https://www.art.com/products/p21786573996-sa-i7430673/psycho-janet-leigh-directed-by-alfred-hitchcock-1960.htm?upi=PJUCLW0&PODConfigID=8363151
https://www.art.com/products/p45926272006-sa-i10498041/allan-grant-unidentified-dancers-on-set-of-film-destination-moon-1950.htm?upi=Q130Z8G0&PODConfigID=4990800
Films Gone Wild Christmas Shopping Guide: Pillows
PILLOWS Let’s go to Red Bubble, Society 6, Tee Public, and Classic Kisses Pillows on Etsy for these selections. I switch out the throw pillows every few years and oftentimes, the movies work their way in there. Here’s some cool ones..
Films Gone Wild Christmas Shopping Guide: BLU RAYS AND DVDS
BLU RAYS AND DVDS You’re probably thinking Criterion, right?
Nope, nope, nope.
Unless you live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (since it seems those are the main people Criterion caters to now), I suggest you go to the oftentimes unexpected and (I find) frequently delightful and surprising wonders found in the Kino Lorber library. Like these…
Paul Schrader’s BLUE COLLAR
From Paul Schrader, who now yells at people to get off his metaphorical lawn on Facebook, but also was the director of Hardcore, American Gigolo, Cat People and Light Sleeper, among other cool films.
In Blue Collar, Detroit auto workers Zeke (Richard Pryor), Jerry (Harvey Keitel) and Smokey (Yaphet Kotto) find bills piling up and pressures bearing down, they decide to rob their corrupt union office. In a cruel twist, their small haul becomes a nightmare when the heist goes horribly wrong and their once-loyal friendship turns to fear, betrayal and murder.
Co-writer/director Schrader showcases the dark side of the American working class, creating a brutal vision of the low wage and huge debt that traps workers between big industry and big labor. https://kinolorber.com/product/blue-collar-special-edition-blu-ray
Mike Nichols’ THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN
In Mike Nichols’ The Day of the Dolphin, doctor Jake Terrell (George C. Scott) has been training a pair of dolphins for years to understand and speak English. On the same day that he finally has a breakthrough (giving them a limited English vocabulary), a sinister spy group springs the dolphins from containment. When Doctor Terrell discovers they’re to be used in an assassination attempt, he races to discover who’s the target, and where the dolphins are, before the attempt is carried out. That’s right, Flipper gone rogue! super smart dolphin assassins.
Take that Homeland Security!
https://kinolorber.com/product/the-day-of-the-dolphin-blu-ray
Bert I. Gordon’s EMPIRE OF THE ANTS
Giant ants with a master plan and Joan Collins. Seriously, do I need to say more?! From sci-fi mastermind H.G. Wells and B-movie bigwig Bert I. Gordon—brace yourself for mutant mayhem and pestilent payback in this cult classic creature feature about good bugs gone BAD! Starring queen of mean Joan Collins, Empire of the Ants is an incredible insect extravaganza is swarming with flesh-crawling chills, hair-raising thrills and spine-tingling terror…with a venge-ANTS! A heavenly paradise becomes a hellish nightmare when a toxic spill turns harmless ants into rampaging, radioactive reprobates! Stumbling into their creepy lair, a sleazy land developer (Collins) and her clients (including Robert Lansing and John David Carson) are horrified to realize that the ants are having a picnic…and humans are on the menu! Fleeing for their lives—only to be squashed underfoot—they soon discover that these bad-boy bugs are hell-bent on exterminating mankind, and building an evil empire where humans check in…but they can’t check out! https://kinolorber.com/product/empire-of-the-ants-special-edition
Joan Darling’s FIRST LOVE
Wait..! The Greatest American Hero and Lori Partridge getting it on?! What?! There’s nothing quite like first love. Veteran TV director Joan Darling’s (M*A*S*H, Taxi) feature film debut, First Love, captures the warmth, the pangs and the excitement all young lovers experience the “first time.” Caroline (Susan Dey) is every young man’s dream of what a first love should be. Elgin (William Katt) is the Everyman of the seventies, exemplifying confusion and passion that any college student can relate to. The beautifully photographed love scenes are handled maturely and tastefully; it is rare to find a film that portrays love so refreshingly and honestly. The great cast includes John Heard, Beverly D’Angelo, Robert Loggia, and Swoosie Kurtz.
Ana Lily Amapour’s A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT
A must for any Blu Ray/DVD library. Strange things are afoot in Bad City. The Iranian ghost town, home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps, and other sordid souls, is a place that reeks of death and hopelessness, where a lonely vampire is stalking the towns most unsavory inhabitants. But when boy meets girl, an unusual love story begins to blossom…blood red.
The first Iranian Vampire Western, Ana Lily Amirpour’s debut feature A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night basks in the sheer pleasure of pulp. A joyful mash-up of genre, archetype and iconography, its prolific influences span spaghetti westerns, graphic novels, horror films, and the Iranian New Wave. Amped by a mix of Iranian rock, techno and Morricone-inspired riffs, its airy, anamorphic, black-and-white aesthetic and artfully drawn-out scenes combine the simmering tension of Sergio Leone with the surrealism of David Lynch. https://kinolorber.com/product/a-girl-walks-home-alone-at-night-blu-ray-1
Douglas Sirk Double Feature: THE GIRL FROM MARSH CROFT and THE FINAL CHORD
This is basically “Douglas Sirk, The German Years”. Douglas Sirk is commonly credited with transforming the American melodrama into high art. What less commonly known is that, prior to fleeing Germany in the 1930s, he was already exploring the boundaries of the genre, and refining the sophisticated visual style and emotional complexity that would become his trademarks in the 1950s. The Girl from the Marsh Croft is an adaptation of Selma Lagerlöf’s popular novel, a tale of shame and superstition set in an insular farming community in the northern region of Germany. Hansi Knoteck stars as a moral outcast who is willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the man she loves (Kurt Fischer-Fehling). Female self-sacrificeis also the theme of The Final Chord, a lavish drama set in the classical concert halls of Germany. Maria von Tasnady is a woman who gives up her child for adoption, only to become its nursemaid years later. But even that tenuous happiness is threatened by the influence of a domineering nanny (Lil Dagover).
Susan Seidelman’s MAKING MR. RIGHT
This is a special nugget that needs to be unearthed again. And not just because I’ve always had an enduring crush on Ann Magnuson. John Malkovich and Magnuson star in Making Mr. Right, a fresh, fast and funny film from acclaimed director Susan Seidelman. Savvy and beautiful PR executive Frankie Stone (Magnuson) has her work cut out for her. Hired by a giant technology company to “humanize” their latest invention—an android-astronaut named Ulysses (Malkovich)—she is shocked to discover that her new client embodies all the qualities she’s ever wanted in a man! When they begin to fall for one another, will their robotic romance blast into the stratosphere…or blow a circuit and crash? Shot by ace cinematographer Ed Lachman with sidesplitting performances by Ben Masters, Glenne Headly, Laurie Metcalf, Polly Bergen, and Hart Bochner (another amaze-balls cast), Making Mr. Right is a sparkling tour de force of ingenious sight gags and clever moments!
https://kinolorber.com/product/making-mr-right-special-edition
Andre Ewald Dupont’s PICCADILLY
Repeat after me: Anna. May. Wong. Tired of playing supporting roles in Hollywood, Anna May Wong traveled to Europe in search of better parts. And did she find one! Her electric, sexually charged performance in Piccadilly is a revelation. Wong is mesmerizing as Shosho, the Chinese dishwasher who overnight becomes the toast of the town — and the object of every man’s desire. The camera adores Wong — her beauty glows in every frame. Piccadilly was the brilliant apex to director E. A. Dupont’s trilogy of theater films (Varieté and Moulin Rouge), showcasing his signature mix of great acting, dazzling imagery and balletic camera movements. Remastered by the BFI National Archive and presented in High Definition.
https://kinolorber.com/product/piccadilly
Chan-wook-Park’s THIRST
From Chan-wook Park, the director of Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Lady Vengeance and Stoker, comes a shockingly original vampire story with a chilling, erotic style. In Thirst, a blood transfusion saves the life of a priest (Kang-ho Song), but also transforms him into a vampire. He struggles to control his insatiable thirst for blood until a love affair unleashes his darkest desires in deadly new ways. Daring and operatic, Thirst is a truly wicked love story that takes classic vampire lore to twisted new heights. There is “bat shit crazy” and then there is vampire bat shit crazy,…just sayin’.
William Richert’s WINTER KILLS
Brand New 4K Master! In Winter Kills, future Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges stars as Nick Kegan, the son of world-famous tycoon Pa Kegan (John Huston) and half-brother of the late US President Timothy Kegan, who was slain by a lone assassin 19 years earlier. But when a long-rumored “second gunman” makes a secret deathbed confession, Nick begins to unravel a trail of suspects that includes a billionaire war-freak (Sterling Hayden), a murderous mob boss (Ralph Meeker), a shady nightclub owner (Eli Wallach), a Cuban kingpin (Tomas Milian), an eccentric computer expert (Anthony Perkins) and a mysterious Washington madam (Elizabeth Taylor). That’s not nearly enough random stars, so the cast ALSO INCLUDES Belinda Bauer, Toshiro Mifune, Dorothy Malone, Richard Boone, Brad Dexter, Joe Spinell, Tisa Farrow, Erin Gray, and Camilla Sparv. I mean, I hope the casting director got additional combat pay or compensation for the rolodex carpel tunnel they must have suffered through or something for chrissakes.
There you go. Some ideas and sites to help find something unique and cool for the hard core movie lovers in your life!
The (now annual) Films Gone Wild Christmas Movie Gifts Shopping Guide (2024 edition)