{"id":28104,"date":"2025-11-26T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/?p=28104"},"modified":"2025-11-25T18:34:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T02:34:59","slug":"crooked-marquees-ultimate-gift-guide-for-the-movie-lover-in-your-life-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/crooked-marquees-ultimate-gift-guide-for-the-movie-lover-in-your-life-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Crooked Marquee\u2019s Ultimate Gift Guide for the Movie Lover in Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I started writing an annual holiday gift guide for cinephiles over a decade ago, first for Flavorwire<\/a> and then for The Playlist<\/a>, for the simple reason that movie geeks are hard to shop for<\/em>. If you\u2019re not totally looped in on new releases (as we are) then you may not know what\u2019s fresh to the market and what\u2019s been knocking around forever.. So with that in mind, Crooked Marquee is proud to present some of the year\u2019s best box sets, books, discs, and more\u2014just click on any bold-faced item to grab it and go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BOX SETS:<\/strong>
<\/strong>
<\/strong>The biggest news in the physical media space this year may well have been the launch of Shout Factory\u2019s Hong Kong Cinema Classics line, offering up titles from the golden age of Hong Kong action cinema \u2014 movies long difficult to see on our shores, at least in quality restorations and presentations \u2014 in a series of 4K box sets and stand alone releases. First out of the gate was The Jet Li Collection<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, assembling five early \u201880s classics from the lightning-fast martial artist: Fong Sai Yuk, Fong Sai Yuk II, Tai Chi Master, The Bodyguard from Beijing<\/em>, and the best of the bunch, Fist of Legend<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other essential sets from HK Cinema Classics include A Chinese Ghost Story Trilogy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, featuring the three devilishly entertaining mash-ups of fantasy, melodrama, comedy, and romance (released between 1987 and 1991) plus audio commentaries, documentaries, interviews, and all sorts of other goodies; and A Better Tomorrow Trilogy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, featuring director John Woo\u2019s breakthrough policier A Better Tomorrow, <\/em>its somehow-even-better follow-up A Better Tomorrow II<\/em>, and Tsui Hark\u2019s not-quite-as-great-but-still-pretty-good A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Shout continued the backbreaking pace of their first-rate series of Shaw Brothers sets. Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 5<\/em><\/strong><\/a> went heavy on wuxia, with highlights including Twelve Deadly Coins, The Fastest Sword, The Iron Buddha<\/em>, and the previously unavailable on Blu Mission Impossible <\/em>(no, not that one). Shaw Brothers Classics, Vol. 6<\/em><\/strong><\/a> features my favorite Shaw picture to date: Chor Yuen\u2019s 1971 Duel for Gold<\/em>, a blood-soaked and badass banger with an ingenious start-at-the-beginning structure, a slyly self-aware narrator, and a narrative that starts as a wire-fu wuxia and pivots, deliciously, into a riff on Treasure of the Sierra Madre<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow Video hasn\u2019t been quite as prolific with their Shaw boxes, but Shawscope: Vol. 4<\/em><\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>hits shelves on December 9th, boasting a stellar restoration of Super Inframan<\/em> and several other titles that fall outside the typical Shaw boxes of kung fu and wuxia, with an emphasis on sci-fi and horror. And don\u2019t sleep on Vinegar Syndrome\u2019s contributions to the bustling Asian cinema market: their collection of the Iron Angels<\/em><\/strong><\/a> movies, a killer trio of late \u201880s Hong Kong action flicks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shout hasn\u2019t just been doing the Lord\u2019s work in the realm of Asian cinema \u2014 their two \u201cBlaxploitation Classics\u201d 4K sets finally give the Black action cinema of the \u201870s the deluxe treatment it deserves. Blaxploitation Classics, Vol. 1<\/em><\/strong><\/a>‘s highlights include Coffy<\/em>, Truck Turner<\/em><\/a>, and Across 110th Street<\/em><\/a>, while\u00a0 Blaxploitation Classics Vol. 2<\/em><\/strong><\/a> gives us Foxy Brown<\/em><\/a>, Cotton Comes to Harlem<\/em>, and Slaughter<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The must lusted-after box set of the fall is likely Criterion\u2019s super-deluxe, super-high-priced The Wes Anderson Archive: Ten Films, Twenty-Five Years<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/em><\/strong>featuring the distinctive director\u2019s full filmography through The French Dispatch. <\/em>But if you\u2019re looking for something a little less budget-busting, the label has thankfully brought back its Eclipse line, box sets of lesser-known titles from acclaimed filmmakers, and its first release since 2018: Abbas Kiarostami: Early Shorts and Features<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which includes a total of 17 films from the Iranian master, from his first short Bread and Alley<\/em> through his 1989 documentary feature Homework<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KL Studio Classics hasn\u2019t slouched with box sets either; their Alec Guinness Masterpiece Collection<\/em><\/strong><\/a> features four comedy classics from the future Obi-Wan Kenobi\u2019s time at the immortal Ealing Studios (Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Lavender Hill Mob, The Man in the White Suit<\/em>, and The Ladykillers<\/em>). They also just released Airport: The Complete Four-Film Collection<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and while not every movie in it is a gem, it\u2019s a sharp, fun box, with the four films housed in a cardboard booklet, with each page spread consisting of a beautiful reproduction of each film\u2019s original poster (lots of movie stars in little boxes!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you didn\u2019t love each installment equally (hello<\/a>), A24\u2019s X Trilogy: Collector\u2019s Edition Box Set<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a killer box set, collecting all three of director Ti West and star Mia Goth\u2019s adults-only horror collaborations with a sharp accompanying booklet full of production art and other ephemera. And those who are really<\/em> into trash cinema don\u2019t have to be told why The Ninja Trilogy<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is a must-own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally, if you\u2019re looking to give in bulk without breaking the bank, Warner Archives\u2019 Blu-ray collections of star- and genre-centered classics offer up all-timers and B-sides for a nice price; we particularly recommend their collections of Elizabeth Taylor<\/strong><\/a>, Judy Garland<\/strong><\/a>, James Cagney<\/strong><\/a>, Gene Kelly<\/strong><\/a>, and classic horror<\/strong><\/a> titles. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

BLU-RAYS AND 4Ks:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warner Archive finally dipped their toe into the waters of 4K this year, and their inaugural release is a beaut: a gorgeously restored version of arguably the finest of all Westerns, John Ford\u2019s The Searchers<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. The colors are vibrant, the vistas are awe-inspiring, and that last shot still gets you every time. They followed it up with High Society<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Charles Walters\u2019s 1956 musical adaptation of The Philadelphia Story; <\/em>the music is charming, the performers are charismatic, the chemistry is electric, and the 4K transfer is a stunner, particularly when you\u2019re gazing upon people as beautiful as Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Bing Crosby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal\u2019s going all out with the 4K collector\u2019s editions this year, and if you have a combination movie buff and classic lit fan on your list, the one to grab is their knockout twentieth anniversary edition of Pride & Prejudice<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, featuring a glorious 4K edition and a handsome accompanying hardback DiscBook. Also impressive: their Ultimate Collector Series editions of Brian De Palma\u2019s 1983 remake<\/a> of Scarface<\/em><\/strong><\/a> and sure, why not, Five Nights at Freddy\u2019s<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, each with a 4K Steelbook, a metal poster, a numbered certificate of authenticity, and a collectible box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collectors with new 4K players and shiny new high-def TVs love to have some nature photography to show off the set-up, and if you\u2019re looking for an alternative to Planet Earth<\/em> and the like, Universal just released a 4K edition of the 10-part series The Americas<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, narrated by Tom Hanks and scored by Hans Zimmer; it looks and sounds immaculate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t want to splurge for the box sets, Shout\u2019s Hong Kong Cinema Classics has released several stand-alone titles, all of them worth grabbing: City on Fire<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, the Ringo Lam-directed Chow Yun-fat vehicle that served as them, ahem, inspiration<\/em> for Reservoir Dogs<\/em>; Peking Opera Blues<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Tsui Hark\u2019s frisky, playful, and frequently sexy story of intrigue and action in and around the Peking Opera; John Woo\u2019s The Killer<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in which John Woo apparently set out to answer the question \u201cIs Chow Yun-fat the coolest man who\u2019s ever been in a movie?\u201d (the answer is yes); and my pick for the greatest of all Hong Kong action movies, Hard Boiled<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, with Woo operating at the peak of his abilities, stacking one bullet-blasting, bone-crunching set piece on top of another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m a little biased towards Welcome to Fun City<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, since I\u2019m one of the contributors to its audio commentaries, but I\u2019d still recommend Fun City Editions\u2019 collection or original trailers and TV spots for films set (and shot) in New York City\u2019s grimy golden era \u2014 dozens of movies, from classics to obscurities, spanning from the 1960s through the 1990s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the most adventurous viewers out there, we must note that this year saw the fine folks at Severin make a deal for the long-neglected films of Russ Meyer, releasing razor-sharp editions of Vixen!<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Supervixens<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Beneath the Valley of the UltraVixens<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>Motorpsycho<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,<\/em> and Up!<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, so if you\u2019ve got a perv on your list, you\u2019re all set.  And AGFA continued to provide us with deliciously outre collections, including The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Scare Film Archives Volume 2: Danger Stories<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Drug-o-Rama Video Party<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, True Crime Triple Ripper<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and Krazee Kidz Video Party<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there\u2019s not much to say about this last batch of titles, except that they\u2019re great movies that made their domestic 4K debuts this year: Night of the Juggler<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Jackie Brown<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Winchester \u201973<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Grifters<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Amadeus: Theatrical Cut<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Crossing Delancey<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Looking for Mr. Goodbar<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Night Moves<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Thief<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Choose Me<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Chungking Express<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Blue Sunshine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Anora<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Last Tango in Paris<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, King of New York<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Good German<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Sneakers<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Vice Squad<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Three Musketeers \/ The Four Musketeers<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Killer of Sheep<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Re-Animator<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Brazil<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Sorcerer<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, The Adventures of Antoine Doinel<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Barry Lyndon<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Lethal Weapon<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Let\u2019s Scare Jessica to Death<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, A New Leaf<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Carnal Knowledge<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Danger: Diabolik<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Shoeshine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, High and Low<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, This is Spinal Tap<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Get Carter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, MS. 45<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, King of the Gypsies<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Jacob\u2019s Ladder<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, One Flew Over the Cuckoo\u2019s Nest<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and Freaked<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

BOOKS<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The must-have coffee table book for cinephiles this year is undoubtedly Reflections: On Cinematography<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, the lovingly designed and thoughtfully written combination of memoir and portfolio from the peerless cinematographer Sir Roger Deakins. Using copious film stills, storyboard drawings, and behind-the-scenes photos, Deakins details the photographic strategies behind his collaborations with the Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, Denis Villeneuve, Sam Mendes, and more, and doesn\u2019t talk down the reader \u2014 this is high-level, nerdy, hyper-detailed shop talk, and god bless him for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most fun film book of the year is a reissue, but even if they already have it, you\u2019ll want to grab them the new revised and expanded edition of These Fists Break Bricks: How Kung Fu Movies Swept America and Changed the World.<\/em><\/strong><\/a> This essential compendium by Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali \u2014 who\u2019ve forgotten more about martial arts movies than you or I will ever know \u2014 is a fast-paced and fun history of kung fu movies and a detailed analysis of how they migrated to the States and found their passionate audience. (Consider it a complimentary gift to one of those Shaw collections.) And speaking of essential expansions, critic and Christmas movie expert Alonso Duralde has released a new revised and updated edition of his excellent Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, adding tons of newer releases and hidden gems to the holiday canon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also recommended on the coffee table book front:\u00a0<\/strong>Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Words<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in which Crooked Marquee contributor Marya E. Gates profiles, interviews, and analyzes the work of several of our foremost women filmmakers;\u00a0 David Cronenberg: Clinical Trials<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Violet Lucca\u2019s thematically dense but linguistically frisky rundown of the career of the Canadian horror master; Dark City Dames<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, the celebration of film noir\u2019s femme fatales from the czar of noir himself, Eddie Muller; TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>in which the network\u2019s ever-knowledgeable Alicia Malone walks through the must-see movies from outside our borders; and Rewinding the \u201880s: Cinema Under the Influence of Music Videos, Action Stars, and a Cold War<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, John Malahy\u2019s high-spirited but thought-provoking celebration of the movies of the Reagan Era.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the non-illustrated realm, the most intellectual cinephile on your list will appreciate In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: A Jonathan Rosenbaum Reader<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, the latest collection from one of the giants of contemporary film criticism; The Black Book: An Anthony Mann Reader<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in which critic, historian, and video essayist Scout Tafoya examines the seemingly disparate work of the great journeyman director Anthony Mann; Charles Chaplin\u2019s The Freak: The Story of An Unfinished Film<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, where the great man\u2019s finest biographer David Robinson details The Freak, <\/em>the mysterious movie Chaplin wrote, planned, and very nearly made late in his life; Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, Crooked Marquee contributor Kristen Lopez\u2019s personal and historical walk through the various onscreen depictions of disability; and <\/strong>Criss Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece \u2018Strangers on a Train’<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, in which the great Stephen Rebello, who all but invented the currently in-vogue \u201cnon-illustrated book about one iconic movie\u201d subgenre with Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of \u2018Psycho,\u2019 <\/em>returns to the Master of Suspense with an impeccably researched look at the making of another classic.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also highly recommend the work of author, historian, and podcaster John Bleasdale, who put out not one but two great studies of important filmmakers this year:The Magic Hours: The Films and Hidden Life of Terrence Malick<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which does much to puncture the myths surrounding one of our most (seemingly) elusive directors, and Darkness Visible: The Cinema of Jonathan Glazer<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, and if you think his comparatively slender filmography would make him a less juicy subject, you\u2019d be wrong. Another must-have work that combines biography, history, and criticism is New York Times<\/em> film critic Alissa Wilkinson\u2019s beautifully crafted We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, which examines the life of iconic writer Joan Didion through the lens of the movies, which first shaped her, and which she then helped shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And on the biography front, we must recommend Joan Crawford: A Woman\u2019s Face<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, the latest from the unmatched classic Hollywood chronicler Scott Eyman, who penetrates the many masks of one of the quintessential movie stars, revealing the insecure but determined trooper underneath. The posthumous memoir I Killed Bette Davis<\/em><\/strong><\/a> lets the late, great Larry Cohen tell his stories of guerilla and exploitation filmmaking in the \u201870s and \u201880s. Also, our favorite biography of last year, Carrie Courogen\u2019s Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood\u2019s Hidden Genius<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,<\/em> is now out in paperback. Oh, and I published a biography this year as well \u2014 Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend<\/em><\/strong><\/a> \u2014 if, ya know, that\u2019s of interest. No big deal if not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUBSCRIPTIONS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best streaming service, at least for the movie geek, remains\u00a0The Criterion Channel<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 but if your gift recipient already has a subscription (and there\u2019s a good chance they do), we love to steer folks towards Night Flight Plus<\/strong><\/a>, which offers a wide array of cult movies, music documentaries, and original episodes of the titular \u201880s basic cable standby at the insanely low price of $6.99 per month. It\u2019s the best value for the streaming dollar, no competition.\u00a0Shudder<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0continues to be a must-have for horror heads, supplementing the classics with an ever-expanding array of new movies and shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for other off-the-beaten-path picks, nab a subscription to\u00a0MUBI<\/a>,\u00a0Kino Film Collection<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Metrograph at Home<\/strong><\/a>, OVID<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0Cultpix<\/strong><\/a>, and\u00a0Arrow Player<\/strong><\/a>. And if you\u2019re shopping for someone wise enough to use the free service\u00a0Plex<\/a><\/strong>, be advised that they offer additional features via their paid \u201cPlex Pass<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there you have it! Happy hunting, and happy holidays. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our suggestions for the best box sets, Blu-rays, 4Ks, books, and more for the movie geek on your list.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":531,"featured_media":28110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1381],"tags":[1806],"class_list":["post-28104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies","tag-gift-guide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/531"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28104"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28111,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28104\/revisions\/28111"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crookedmarquee.com\/stage8\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}