For the film buff in your life, there are plenty of gift options that go beyond a ticket to the cinema. Here are some ideas to get the reels rolling.
(from $25)
Any cinephile worth their salt should have the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on their list of places to visit, and you could surprise them with tickets (starting at $25 for adults) or even an annual membership (which start at $100/year).
($40)
In conjunction with the Academy Museum’s new “Godfather” exhibit, which runs through March 17, the museum’s store has a trove of exclusive “Godfather”-themed merchandise like a limited two-LP set of the trilogy’s music, performed by the Prague Philharmonic. Cannolis not included.
($29.99)
You probably already caught “Top Gun: Maverick” in the theaters, maybe even multiple times, during its blockbuster 23-week run. Now that the dust has settled from Maverick’s Mach 10 test flight, it’s finally available to watch in your home theater in glorious 4K. Or, if you wait a little bit, on Dec. 6, Paramount Home Entertainment is releasing a two-movie SteelBook edition ($132.99) with 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs of both “Top Gun” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” with bonus behind-the-scenes features and Cruise’s Masterclass from the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.
(starts at $2/month)
Chances are if you love film, you’ve come across the podcast “You Must Remember This” in some way. Maybe it was the Charles Manson episodes that got you hooked, the dishy season about the life of Polly Platt, or the most recent installment analyzing what exactly led to the films of the “Erotic '80s." Film historian Karina Longworth has been churning out episodes of her addictive, insightful and deeply researched podcast about movies, movie stars and the culture around them since 2014, for free. YMRT also offers bonus content for Patreon subscribers, including posts about what Longworth is consuming and previews of upcoming seasons that help support its behind-the-scenes operations.
($22)
Culture writer Esther Zuckerman takes a fun and novel approach to the Oscars red carpet in her coffee-table book “Beyond the Best Dressed: A Cultural History of the Most Glamorous, Radical and Scandalous Oscar Fashion” (Running Press). In 25 essays, with illustrations from Montana Forbes, Zuckerman looks at everything from Hattie McDaniel’s turquoise gown, worn to the segregated ceremony in 1940, to Sharon Stone’s white Gap T-shirt, to the dress Rita Moreno wore in both 1962 and 2018.
($34)
The cool kids know to keep an eye on the A24 store for some of the best film merchandise out there. Their vintage editions tend to sell out immediately (as did the “Everything Everywhere All At Once” Hot Dog Finger Gloves), but they also have a lot of other options for film fans, including a movie-themed book of 99 crossword puzzles with themes running the gamut “from stoner movies to Soviet cinema.” Anna Shechtman edited contributions from the likes of Jenny Slate and filmmakers Lulu Wang and David Lowery. There’s also hats, water bottles and a Marcel the Shell pin.
(starting at $349)
Dust off that fedora and break out the screen siren red lipstick. The TCM Classic Film Festival is coming back to Hollywood Boulevard from April 13-16, in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studios. Passes go on sale Dec. 8 with some early bird discounts, which tend to go quickly.
(ÂŁ25.00)
Broadcast your favorite female filmmaker, from Norah Ephron to Ava DuVernay, and support the next generation with a Girls on Tops T-shirt. Timely options include Sarah Polley (whose “Women Talking” arrives in November), Greta Gerwig (starring in “White Noise” and putting the finishing touches on her “Barbie” movie), Joanna Hogg (who has “The Eternal Daughter” coming in December) or Sofia Coppola (currently filming a movie about Priscilla Presley). And you’ll be in good company: These soft shirts have been worn by the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Rooney Mara and Laura Dern, who has her own tee too.
($76)
If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s “Infernal Affairs,” or its two follow-ups, just know that the 2002 film from Hong Kong inspired Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” Tony Leung and Andy Lau star in the crime saga, which got a 4K restoration and a Criterion Collection box set.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press