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Top Ten Tuesday: 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide – We Are Movie Geeks

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Top Ten Tuesday: 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide

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Welcome to the 2011 Holiday Movie Geek Gift Guide! What is this? No, it’s not my personal gift wish list made public in hopes that readers will bury me in their affection — although, I wouldn’t be disgusted if you did — no, this is guide to finding that perfect, special gift for the Movie Geek in your life. You know who I mean. We all have at least one friend who obsesses about movies, someone who spouts a movie quote or a director factoid every other breath. What does one buy a person so firmly entrenched in the culture of movies? I hope this guide helps you with your shopping ideas, but don’t expect to find the typical, no brainer ideas — such as gift cards — on this list.

10. Postage Stamps

Yes, this is perhaps the only place you’ll find someone recommending postage stamps as a holiday gift. Whether you just like to express your movie geekness with flair on your mail, or enjoy collecting the history of cinema of commemorative USPS postage stamps, this is a fun — and relatively cheap — gift idea. Buy a book, a sheet, or even a First Day Cover featuring the likes of John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and the more recent addition of Gregory Peck. And, if you want to get really creative, seek out some of the cool and often odd foreign commemorative stamps, available most readily through eBay. I’ve come across some pretty neat finds from China, Russia, Europe, and even third world countries! Sure, many of these turn out to be simply methods of increasing revenue for the respective states, but the art is often worth it. Some of the most bizarre finds I’ve made have come from African nations.

Price Range: from $0.88 (First Day Covers) up to $8.80 (Panes)

09. Trinkets & Toys

Movie Geeks typically appreciate anything affiliated with their favorite films… no mater how impractical or silly it may be. Once again, many splendid treasures can be found while trolling for ideas on eBay, but I recommend taking a more hands on approach if possible. Try heading out to your local indoor flea market or antique mall. If you’ve never been, you may be surprised to find far more “contemporary” goodies from the ’60s through the ’90s than actual “antiques,” but whatever your gift buying needs, remember this one thing… never underestimate the value of a heartfelt, unique gift that has meaning. Not all gifts have to be “new in box.” With that said, the choices range greatly, from STAR WARS Death Star Cookie Jars, to 20-inch functional Leg Lamps from A CHRISTMAS STORY, you can definitely find an original gift for your movie geek that doesn’t suffer from the fatigue of been there, done that. Some additional places to look for movie themed toys and statues include higher-end items from Sideshow Collectibles and more whimsical and/or horror movie fare from MEZCO Toys.

Price Range: $9.99 to $999.99 Varies greatly, depending on the item.

08. Hallmark Ornaments

No, I’m not talking about the cute, even nauseatingly adorable ornaments most people are familiar with from hallmark, but rather the nifty collectible ornaments based on memorable movie moments and characters. Hallmark has been rolling out a new slate of such ornaments each year for as long as I can remember. Amongst the options are a continued presence or ornaments from A CHRISTMAS STORY, a favorite of many movie geeks. Check out Hallmark to browse the vast collection of ornaments, including options from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones… and more.

Personally, my favorite is one from a few years ago: A CHRISTMAS STORY ornament depicting the Leg Lamp (aka “major award”) which actually lights up, inside the “FRA-GI-LE” wooden crate with a working hinged door, and a button that when pushed plays a couple of great quotes from the movie.

Price Range: from $7.95 up to $49.95

07. T-Shirts

We’ve all had holidays where we’ve received that dreaded sweater or the can’t go wrong with socks options, but there’s absolutely no reason you can’t still give the gift of fashionable apparel, without the fear of receiving the icy stare of gift-giving disgust in return. With the advent of online print-on-demand companies, which gave rise to websites devoted to offering high quality novelty t-shirts, movie geeks can always find a way to flaunt their film buffery on the chest for the world to see. If your movie geek has a nasty penchant for horror films, check out the spine-tingling selection of t-shirts over at Fright Rags. With the recent theatrical release of THE MUPPETS (2011), another popular option may be found with The Muppets T-Shirt Collection over at Threadless.

Price Range: from $14.95 up to $29.95 (price may vary by size)

06. BOSE Videowave

Yeah, sure… it’s a tad pricey, but the holidays only come ’round once a year, right? Certainly this is on the high end of any shopper’s gift list, but for those who can stomach the price tag, you’ll be guaranteed to have one giddy movie geek on the receiving end. The Bose Videowave is definitely not what most of us think of when we consider the typical home theater system, but then again, Bose doesn’t make “typical” products. One thing they have been a leader in for years is make home audio technology space-efficient without sacrificing quality performance. Now they’ve moved into video as well, which means you can have one killer home theater system for your home, without taking up too much precious floor space or having speakers strewn all over the room. Whether you’re looking to conserve space, hide unsightly electronics, or simply prefer that modern minimalist aesthetic, Bose Videowave is a mighty fine option to consider… so long as you can handle trading in a thick wallet for a dimensionally thin system.

Product Details:

  • 46″ LCD Display, with stand
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080p (Full HD)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Refresh rate: 120Hz
  • All-in-One Click Pad Remote Control
  • 16.5 x 9.5 inch Control Console
  • iPad Dock
  • Inputs/outputs
  • 3 HDMI inputs (rear panel)
  • 2 high-definition analog A/V inputs (rear panel)
  • 1 USB input (rear panel)
  • 1 HDMI input (front panel)
  • 1 analog A/V input (front panel)
  • 1 USB input (front panel)
  • 1 headphone jack (front panel)

Price Range: $5,349.99 (for the movie geek you love the most!)

05. IRIS 9000

IRIS 9000 is a voice control module for the iPhone 4S and Siri Video, designed to evoke the HAL 9000 from Stanley Kubrick’s classic, groundbreaking science-fiction film 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. Simply dock your iPhone and use the built-in micro remote to trigger Siri from up to 50 feet away.

“I’m sorry, Dave, but that is simply to cool for school.”

Product Details:

  • Control your iPhone 4S and Siri from across the room
  • Classic Sci-fi styling. Aluminum accents.
  • Included micro remote triggers Siri with a single button press
  • Built-in mic picks up your voice at a distance
  • Embedded speaker amplifies Siri’s responses
  • Use as a standard speakerphone to make and receive calls
  • Glowing LED eye flickers along with Siri’s voice
  • Powered by included 120-240V AC adapter
  • ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH iPhone 4S
  • Patent pending technology
  • Exclusive product designed and manufactured by ThinkGeek

Price Range: $59.99 (but, this may be hard to get your mitts on.)

04. Books & Graphic Novels

For devoted movie geeks, when we’re not mesmerized by the flickering brilliant lights of the movie screen, we usually have our noses buried deep within a book that is often somehow connected to our love of the movies. This can take various forms, be it a screenplay, a director’s biography, a collection of reviews and/or essays on film, or even art book and graphic novels. Help to encourage and enhance your movie geek’s passion and knowledge of cinema by promoting a continued education though books. Even if they’re fascinated with foreign films, subtitles simply aren’t enough to ensure the movie geek in your life remains sufficiently literate. Now, you may wonder why I also recommend graphic novels. While there are some movie/comic book partnerships, the truth is that comic books and movies share a very similar method of storytelling. They both combine images carefully composed within set frames and constructed into meticulously crafted sequences, along with words, either spoken or written, to tell their tales.

Recommended New & Recent Books:

Price Range: from $9.95 up to $34.99 (or, higher for deluxe or complete collections)

03. Soundtracks

No movie is complete without music. Even before the talkies made their debut, music was an essential element in the art of motion picture storytelling. For that reason, movie geeks have come to love original scores and soundtracks from their favorite movies. Consider it a way to appreciate a film, even when you’re not in front of your television. A great soundtrack can immerse the listener directly into the motion picture experience, much like reading a good book, the imagination takes hold. I remember my most vivid memory of this was with the JURASSIC PARK score from John Williams, and how after buying the audio cassette (yes, it was that long ago) and playing it nearly till it fell apart, over and over, reliving the film in my bedroom at night as I went to sleep. What are your movie geek’s favorite films? Once you know this, you have a pretty good stepping stone toward choosing a motion picture soundtrack or score that will make the recipient’s eyes and ears perk up.

Price Range: from $9.99 up to $14.99 (or, higher for box sets)

Recommended New Soundtracks:

02. Mondo Posters

One of the hottest recent trends in movie geekdom is a pop-culture phenomenon known by the name of Mondo, a company based in Austin, Texas. Mondo offers fans limited edition movie poster prints designed by artists from around the globe — such as Tyler Stout, Jeff Proctor, Ollie Moss and many more — numbered and signed. Within roughly a decade, Mondo posters have become insanely popular and highly collectible. Most of these sell out the same day they go up for sale, if not within the hour. Some of them, such as certain Tyler Stout pieces, sell for hundreds of dollars or more on eBay. Take a look at just a few examples below, then tell me these aren’t tremendous works of art. A gift of a Mondo movie poster for a movie geek is like a cute, cuddly puppy or a pretty pony on Christmas morning for a little girl or boy… except, the posters won’t make a mess and don’t cost a fortune in food and veterinarian bills.

Price Range: from $35.00 up to $65.00 (or, much, MUCH higher if it sells out!)

01. Movies… but, isn’t this obvious?

The idea of giving a movie geek movies for Christmas may seem obvious, even dull, but the truth is… nothing beats getting a good movie. However, there’s a trick to selecting just the right movie as a gift. First of all, have an idea what titles or types of movies interest your movie geek. First of all, if the person is into, say… Italian horror, chances are they won’t appreciate getting a sappy, romantic comedy. Secondly, for most movie geeks, DVD is dead. With the exception of hard-to-find cinematic gems, blu-ray is typically the format of choice these days. Finally, try finding a gift that is more unique than the typical movie off the shelf at a big box retails tore. Every year, there are a number of special limited editions and collector’s set that become available. These are always a treat for the serious movie geek. Movie geeks like “stuff,” so the more cool “stuff” that comes with the movies, the better. The same theory goes for discs. The more discs the better, whether it’s a single movie with 2 discs full of special features, or a box set with multiple films, there’s a reason studios market these as “collector sets.”

Recommended New & Recent Box Sets & Special Editions:

Price Range: from $29.99 up to $169.99

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Hopeless film enthusiast; reborn comic book geek; artist; collector; cookie connoisseur; curious to no end