The 2021 /Film Holiday Gift Guide: Movies, Books, Toys, Collectibles & More!

Part 1 focuses on movies and TV series on 4K and Blu-ray. Physical media lovers rejoice! And while you're being thoughtful maybe grab a few flicks for yourself as well.

Criterion is the gold standard by which all other home video specialty labels are measured, and we are suggesting four new titles from this year as perfect cineaste stocking stuffers.

Just in time for Guillermo del Toro's new version, "Nightmare Alley" is the original noir classic from 1947 starring Tyrone Power as a con man who becomes a carnival mentalist.

"After Life" is director Hirokazu Kore-eda's beautiful and life-affirming meditation on the power of memory as the recently deceased are brought to an in-between world where specialists stage filmed recreations of their fondest memories to take into the afterlife.

The "Once Upon a Time in China" box set contains all six of producer/director Tsui Hark's late 19th century Chinese martial arts epics. The first three were directed by Hark and catapulted Jet Li to superstardom as folk hero Wong Fei-hung, and while Li sat out the fourth and fifth film to make way for Vincent Zhao, he returned for the sixth and final film.

Lastly is the gorgeous set of seven acclaimed films from cinema's great romantic, Wong Kar-wai. The box includes "As Tears Go By," "Days of Being Wild," "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," "Happy Together," "In the Mood for Love," and "2046," all recently restored and remastered by the filmmaker himself. (ME)

This is an odd collection since it excludes the final two movies in the six-film saga, the last of which ("The Undiscovered Country") is a perfect coda to all the films that preceded it. Yet it chooses to include the first movie, "The Motion Picture," which sticks out like a sore thumb both in pacing and aesthetics. Those crotch-hugging Starfleet costumes! Nevertheless, the chance to own these bad boys in 4K is too difficult to resist, and it does include the unofficial trilogy in the middle of all six of the Original Cast pictures that tracks the ruination, resurrection and redemption of the Starship Enterprise gang.

Then, why not top it off with all three seasons of "Star Trek: Discovery"? The modernized adventures of the title ship are currently bringing the world of "Star Trek" into the 21st century. Something old and something new, indeed! (ME)

Sweep the leg in Ultra HD as Daniel San and the mighty Mr. Miyagi become the most unlikely pair of action superstars the '80s could possibly conjure. This set includes all three films in the original Trilogy (sorry, Hillary Swank), including the classic original where they battle a corrupt dojo of California karate bullies. Then in the second one they fly to Japan and battle corrupt Okinawa karate bullies. For the amazing climax in "Part III," they battle the same Dojo of California Karate bullies from the first one. What's not to love? Fans of the current hit series "Cobra Kai" should absolutely grab this box set! (ME)

Daniel Craig has had a formidable run as 007 over the last 15 years, and the latest and last installment closing out the Craig era has proved to be a smash success with critics, audiences, and at the box office. In fact, the Cary Fukunaga-directed film is the highest-grossing Hollywood movie this year, coming in at number three on the worldwide charts. All are in agreement that this was a proper sendoff for one of the best — if not THE best — Bond actors ever. (ME)

Containing both physical and digital copies of all seven films, this priceless collection from Paramount gathers seven of the beloved British beauty's most celebrated films: "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Funny Face," "My Fair Lady," "Paris When it Sizzles," "Roman Holiday," "Sabrina," and "War and Peace." A must for classic film aficionados and Hepburn devotees all the same. (ME)

Lionsgate is putting out some slick new 4K transfers of two very different but equally important cinematic milestones: Akira Kurosawa's feudal Japanese take on Shakespeare's "King Lear" titled "Ran," as well as James Cameron's 1991 blockbuster sequel "Terminator 2." Both set a new high bar for action cinema, and both are available exclusively from Best Buy. There's also a new Blu-ray Steelbook of the 2017 feel-good coming of age movie "Wonder," starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson and available exclusively at Target. (ME)

Warren Beatty hit it out of the park for both his first and second films behind the camera. His first directorial outing (co-directed with writer Buck Henry) is the hit remake of the 1941 film "Here Comes Mr. Jordan," following a football quarterback who is prematurely taken out of his own body and put in that of a dead elderly millionaire. For his sophomore effort "Reds," Beatty sought to exercise his full ambitions with a three-and-a-half-hour epic about journalist John Reed and his coverage of the October Revolution in Russia. Both discs come with digital downloads as well. (ME)

Those looking for a break from the usual Disney animated fare this holiday season need look no further than GKIDS' beautiful box set release of these three gorgeously designed films: the magic-centric "The Secret of Kells," "Song of the Sea," about a seal-child's quest through the spirit world, and "Wolfwalkers," about the friendship between a huntress and a wolf girl. The environmentally-friendly packaging includes four discs as well as a 2,000-word essay by film critic Andy Crump. (ME)

Film Detective is issuing one of its most exhaustive releases ever with this four-disc box set that includes four classic Sherlock Holmes mysteries from Britain's golden age. Produced by Twickenham Studios, the four restored films in the set are "The Fatal Hour" (1931), "A Study in Scarlet" (1933), "The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes" (1935), and Silver Blaze (1937). Special features include a host of newly restored Sherlockian theatrical shorts from 1900 to 1928, plus "The Case of the Blind Man's Bluff" (1954), a Sherlock Holmes bonus TV-episode starring Ronald Howard. (ME)

Keeping with the Criterion theme, we have "Bringing Up Baby," a cornerstone film in the screwball comedy genre. It stars Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, and a leopard (yes, a leopard) and sits firmly in that screwball tradition of rapid-fire witty dialogue and surprisingly progressive gender politics (for its time). It's one of the classics, but the kind of classic that sometimes gets left out in broader film studies classes because it's ... you know ... funny and silly and not super serious. The Criterion transfer is based off of a new restoration and offers some new bonus features with some of the surviving crew members. (EV)

Yeah, I'm the Stephen King guy, so it's not surprising that I'll include "The Dead Zone" on this list. But it's not just my predilection for King adaptations that earns this movie a spot, it's legitimately one of the best King adaptations that never gets spoken about in the same breath as, say, "Stand By Me" or "The Shawshank Redemption." David Cronenberg directs, Christopher Walken stars, and Martin Sheen is the political hopeful who will one day blow up the world. What's not to love here? There's psychic powers, a tragic love story, and one of the best line deliveries of all time: "The ice! Is gonna break!" This release is done up all special-like by the good folks at Scream Factory, who are essentially the Criterion of genre releases. (EV)

If there's one thing you can count on in this world, it's that every year will deliver yet another edition of "Evil Dead" to buy on home video. This time out we have the "Groovy Collection," which is alllllmost the complete Bruce Campbell "Evil Dead" run, missing only "Army of Darkness" (thanks to a rights issue with Universal) and includes "Evil Dead," "Evil Dead 2," and the complete "Ash Vs The Evil Dead" series, all in 4K UHD. The set also includes digital codes for everything inside, really great package art, and a companion book. (EV)

Okay, this is a weird recommendation for the holiday season, but hear me out. "Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker" (also known as "Night Warning") is a forgotten '80s horror movie that has low-key inspired some great horror moments in more recent memory. That logging truck scene from the opening of "Final Destination 2"? Yeah, cribbed from this movie. It's about a teenage boy whose parents were killed in an accident when he was younger and now he lives with his creepy Aunt, played with an unhinged theatrical delight by Susan Tyrrell. Let's just say things get real weird real quick and in a just world Tyrrell would have her own horror action figure. Oh, and this also features an early on-screen turn from Bill Paxton. A great gift for a horror fan that has everything. (EV)

With the recent revival series "Dexter: New Blood" bringing everyone's favorite sexy serial killer with a conscience back to TV screens, it seems like a terrific time to revisit one of the most wildly talked about shows of the 2000's on gorgeous Blu-ray. Michael C. Hall is the title forensic technician who moonlights as a serial killer who hunts serial killers exclusively. Expect a lot of orange faces and tarps tossed onto cold storage box floors. (ME)

Here's a box set that contains both Blu-rays and a toy! Funimation has put together a package containing all 85 episodes of the original anime classic "Robotech," which comes with transforming Veritech, Roy Fokker's VF-1S to be specific, as well as Fokker himself in pilot uniform. There's also a set of four three-inch patches plus 7-hours of special features for fans of big-ass mechs. (ME)

Now Sex and the City fans can get their fill of handsome rich dudes, acrobatic lovemaking, and, of course, cosmos with this special 18-disc collection that packages all 94 episodes of the groundbreaking HBO show. The set also includes the two theatrical feature films from 2008 and 2010, plus three-hours of previously released special features, all in time for the premiere of the new series "And Just Like That..." on HBO Max. (ME)

Your partner or loved one's wish is your command when you pick up the complete run of classic '60s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie" on Mill Creek Blu-ray. All 139 episodes starring Barbara Eden are presented in high definition, the perfect gift for the fan of 1960's kitsch in your life. Camp it up with the blink of your eyes and a nod of your head. (ME)

We got your perfect X-Men statue right here, bub. Get ready to SNIKT with style as the fine folks at Sideshow Collectibles bring you this brilliant 15.5-inch tall statue depicting a Jim Lee-era Logan in full yellow regalia, with some incredible textures on the suit and the usual flawless color work. He stands on a base that's a giant Sentinel hand, which is super cool. (ME)

Now there's a Batman for ya. Sideshow outdid themselves by combining elements of all the coolest Batmen from comics, movie and video game history and melding them into this one stunning 23.5-inch statue. Yes, he has chaps, which have been poked fun of in some of the less mature sections of the internet, but it all comes together beautifully in one of the best Batman statues ever designed. (ME)

Sideshow doesn't just stop at IP. That's right, they have their own line-up of original statues including the Court of the Dead line, but this year they debuted three beauties in a lady-centric series that depicts their take on specific genre tropes. This lovely woman is in the sci-fi vein, with a sweet gun and some nasty looking aliens nipping at her toes. She also sports a sweet hairdo. This polystone statue stands 19-inches tall. (ME)

Continuing with "The Mandalorian" theme we have going here, the Disney+ show gets a super cool mini-bust measuring approximately 6-inches tall. The 1/6 scale bust has Din Djarin's original armor with blaster and flamethrower at the ready. The detailed paint job really sells this excellent smaller piece. (ME)

Up to 15 phrases can be summoned from this talking Sorting Hat once you place it on your head or press the brim's button to activate it. It will also randomly choose a house for you, so maybe don't have your heart set on a certain one. (ME)

Universal is also putting out "Jurassic World: Dominion" next year, so you can start building your own dinos at home with these two LEGO sets that feature iconography from the new trilogy. (ME)

Designed for kids ages five and up, these stylish fashion dolls of some of Disney's most memorable villains give a sinister edge to the doll market. Each is approximately 11-inches tall with a stunning outfit and matching accessories. (ME)

If you're in the market for something even bigger from Yogibo, you're in luck. The Grogu Hugger measures 3.5 feet tall (around 67 inches in diameter), and is the perfect bean bag chair for your child's room or living room. It's also cute as all get-out, so there's that. (ME)

Can't get enough Baby Yoda goodness? This animatronic toy comes complete with four interactive accessories (bowl with tentacles, cookie, shifter knob, and spoon) which the little guy will react to with sound effects and movement. (ME)

​​Get big big sound from a small place with these Bluetooth speakers featuring the likenesses of both Grogu and T'Challa. Each one gets over four hours of music playing on a single charge, and they're cute as all heck. (ME)

ArtFX always brings it with their attention to geeky detail and this set is no exception. Behold: Mando and The Child in 1/7 scale. Little Grogu isn't locked into place here, by the way. He can be positioned anywhere on the base, hiding behind The Mandalorian or out front ready to pitch in with his little force powers. This piece stands 10.5 inches tall, comes with Grogu and Mando, and the base and is made from PVC and ABS. This is the way. (EV)

You gotta have deep pockets to afford this sucker, but man is it gorgeous. This huge Premium Format statue from Sideshow features an incredibly detailed recreation of Heath Ledger's Joker from "The Dark Knight" as he's giving Gordon a rousing round of applause for his promotion. This sucker stands 20" tall, weighs 20lbs, and comes with a few set of arms depending on how you want him to be positioned. The clothes are custom tailored with real fabric. Very fancy and limited to 1000 pieces. (EV)

While you're at it, slip on some of these "Elf" branded long john PJs from Hanna Anderson, with a fun "Raised By Elves" pattern and even some spaghetti with maple syrup on there for good measure. (ME)

To help kids keep their tablets or laptops in place while reading, this Yogibo Disney lap board has a designated groove for your tablet or phone and is compatible with iPads. (ME)

In a year that brought us director James Gunn's gonzo big budget splatterpiece "The Suicide Squad," why not return to the filmmaker's origins with a humble, slow burn psychotic comedy thriller called "Super," where Rainn Wilson played a delusional wannabe superhero vigilante. This 18" x 24" print by Leslie Herman captures the absurdity of the film beautifully. (ME)

Patton Oswalt brought Jack Kirby's infamous Mechanized Organism Designed Only for Killing to life this year in his animated series, and now Alamo is immortalizing him in tiki form. Designed by Mike Bonanno and sculpted by Tufan Sezer, the glass holds 36oz for you to kill your thirst with! (ME)

In space no one can hear you scream with delight as you play this game where crew members Ripley, Brett, Dallas, Lambert, or Parker work together to move through the ship, gather supplies, and craft items to complete objectives in order to evade the Alien. The box includes: 1 Nostromo game board, 5 player reference cards, 5 Crew placards, 5 Crew figures, 1 Alien figure, 1 Morale marker, 21 Encounter cards, 10 Objective cards, 5 Final Mission cards, 20 Scrap tokens, 12 Item tokens, 6 Coolant Canister tokens, 13 Concealed tokens, 1 Self – Destruct track, 4 Countdown tokens, 1 Ash standee, and a rulebook. (ME)

Ring in the new year with the popular Netflix series that chronicles the ambitions of Tommy and his family and their struggle to go from criminals to legitimate businessmen. For fans of the gritty British crime dramam this calendar features 12 images and quotes from the past five seasons. (ME)

Mondo has dominated the pop culture print market for years, but let's not let that overshadow its massive contribution to the resurrection of vinyl. Oftentimes their offerings are limited and that's just the case here with this incredible-sounding 3xLP set of all the music from "The Wizard of Oz." We're talking about the full originally released soundtrack as well as outtakes, extended versions, and alternate takes of some of the most famous movie music of all time. And it's all bundled in a pop-up style gatefold with art by Alan Hynes. Colored vinyl, limited edition of 3,000. To add this to your collection, you don't need courage, a brain or a heart, just 80 bucks. (EV)

This isn't a clock, although it'd be really sweet to have a "Back to the Future" clock designed this way. It is, however, an affordable geeky 3D lamp. It's not projecting 3D holograms or anything, it's just a dimensional lamp, but they call it 3D so we're just going to roll with it. Based on the DeLorean dashboard feature that sets the time period for each jump, this sucker can be mounted on a wall or rest comfortably on a desk or nightstand. Jumpin' gigawatts and all that jazz. (EV)

If you want a creepier Christmas sweater, here's one with a child-killing clown on it! Nothing says Merry Christmas like bloody balloons and an interdimensional monster that can take the form of your worst nightmares. Just like the above "Jaws" Christmas sweater, this is 100% knitted, not printed and built for comfort. Considering that my residence of Austin nearly froze to death earlier this year and predictions are we're going to get another big freeze/power outage again this winter, it might be smart of me to load up on these warm boys. I may need Pennywise and Bruce to keep me toasty this season... (EV)

The Bradford Exchange is offering this incredibly geeky cuckoo clock and I am here for it. Yes, this "Ghostbusters" Cuckoo Clock is hand-painted, stands over a foot tall, and the pendulums are replaced with ghost traps. How rad is this? It's an accurate clock that lights up, plays authentic sounds from the films, and has the likeness of our favorite OG Ghostbusters doing their thing. Egon, Ray, Winston and Venkman face off against Mr. Stay Puft and Slimer while careful to not cross the streams and will accurately keep the time. How's that for service? This cuckoo clock is not cheap, but not nearly as expensive as you might think. (EV)

The folks at Mondo have two great offerings this holiday season starting with "Warped and Faded," which collects capsule reviews of all the offerings from the first decade of the Alamo Drafthouse's acclaimed Weird Wednesday series, which is known for showing real prints of some of the strangest genre cinema ever created. Also out now is "These Fists Break Bricks," a fascinating overview of martial arts movies from movie historian Chris Poggiali and famed author Grady Hendrix ("My Best Friend's Exorcism"). (ME)

God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man makes Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park makes Steven Spielberg a God. The greatest movie about dinosaurs ever made (and its two sequels of debatable quality) get the spotlight on them in this comprehensive book covering the full history of the trilogy, including "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" and Joe Johnston's "Jurassic Park III." It also features sections covering video games, toys, comics, and other aspects of the franchise's continued popularity. (ME)

Author and all around cool guy Mike Avila wrote this comprehensive tome covering 40 years of Marvel's meanest mutant. The hairy Canadian named Logan finally gets his due, from his first appearance in "The Incredible Hulk" #180 in 1974 to the comics of today, you can peruse all the stunning art and watch one of the most unique characters ever devised evolve over the decades. (ME)

Running from 1966 to 1969, "Star Trek: The Original Series" not only had a profound effect on pop culture, but also reflected the design sense of that era. Now midcentury modern design experts Dan Chavkin and Brian McGuire have created a new book exploring how the aesthetics of the time influenced the look of Gene Roddenberry's future and led to iconic designs like the starship Enterprise. (ME)

Fans of James Cameron may have seen all of the man's films, but they could be totally unaware that the director is also a pretty accomplished artist in his own right. This 300-plus page tome collects illustrations and paintings from Cameron's childhood to his time as a production designer for Roger Corman all the way through "Avatar." One of the biggest surprises is the many trashy B-movies he painted posters in the early '80s before his "Terminator" success. (ME)

It wasn't all that long ago that novelizations were the norm. I vividly remember tearing through the "Terminator 2" novelization and soaking up every little detail that was different (we actually saw the process of John Connor sending Kyle Reese back in time and reprogramming the T-800 to send back right after). It's not as prevalent these days, but Quentin Tarantino has personally knocked out his own novelization for "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood." It's now out in hardback and any film fan would want to add this to their shelf. (EV)

Here's a book that examines the work of David Fincher, but it's not just a wordy collection of stuffy essays. Yes, the insight is there, but it's also filled with a ton of artist interpretations of Fincher's characters, settings, and locations. Breaking up the written insight with gorgeous pop culture art takes a lot of the "homework" feel out of a book like this. You also get a lot of exclusive behind-the-scenes images, as well as interviews with a bunch of frequent David Fincher collaborators. (EV)

Stephen King has comfortably slid into crime fiction in recent years and "Billy Summers" is King at the top of his game. The story follows the title character, a hitman who is hired for a job that is too good to be true. The pay is big, the target deserves to be bumped off, and the odds of a clean getaway are good. Of course, that means things don't go smoothly and it's up to Billy to fix his situation. This one's a real page-turner with a great set up and a banger ending. (EV)

What we have here is a coffee table book that complements Peter Jackson's Beatles documentary "Get Back" and it's filled to the brim with high quality images of all of the Fab Four from the contentious creation of "Let It Be." There's John, Paul, George, and Ringo in high quality color and black and white images, many of which have never before been published, all in one beautiful, heavy tome that would make a gorgeous centerpiece to any coffee table. A perfect gift for any rock and roll fan. (EV)