2018 - Holiday Gift Guide - Part IV - Books, Music, and Anything I Missed
December 20, 2018
We’ve already talked about First-run Releases, TV on DVD releases, and Limited Releases / Classics / Foreign-Imports. This week we look at some books, music, movies that didn’t arrive in time to talk about before, movies I just forgot to mention, or screeners that arrived late and I won’t be able to get to.
For those who want to listen to the biggest domestic hit of the year...
For those who want to read about one of the wildest lives in movies...
For those who want to watch more than one movie, a lot more...
For those wondering how I missed this one...
At least I have an excuse here...
The screener arrived yesterday...
The screener also arrived late...
Hopefully the four installments of this guide have given you some ideas for suitable gifts. Have a very Happy Holidays!
Black Panther: Soundtrack - Buy from Amazon: CD or Vinyl
Description: The soundtrack to the biggest domestic hit of the year.
Pros: This album has already won seven awards and is nominated for eight Grammys, making it the most nominated album of the year.
Cons: I don’t know if people still buy CDs. I still buy CDs, but I don’t know if that’s something most people do or if they deal entirely with digital delivery for music.
Jackie Chan: Never Grow Up - Buy from Amazon: Hardcover, Paperback, or Audio
Description: Jackie Chan autobiography. I’m not sure what else I need to say.
Pros: Jackie Chan has lived an amazing life and even fans of his will learn about how wild his life has been.
Cons: Do people still buy books? Physical books?
Film Movement Plus - Subscribe
Description: Film Movement Plus has a huge collection of independent films, documentaries, short films, etc. and they just recently launched a SVOD service.
Pros: There’s a huge selection of films to watch and right now there’s a 50% sale on the first six months. That’s a bargain.
Cons: The value could depend on how many services you already subscribe to.
Searching - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Description: John Cho plays a father whose daughter goes missing. When the police can’t find any leads, he decides to go digging through his daughter’s computer and learns he didn’t really know her.
Pros: One of the best thrillers of the year. It uses what could have been a cheesy gimmick to tell a unique story. The extras are good, with an audio commentary track and three featurettes.
Cons: It is a movie where most of the screen time is looking at John Cho looking at a computer screen and that might not be for everyone.
A Simple Favor - Buy from Amazon: DVD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack
Description: Anna Kendrick begins looking into the life of her best friend, Blake Lively, after the latter woman goes missing.
Pros: One of the most stylish and intriguing thrillers I’ve seen in years. The Blu-ray is absolutely loaded with extras.
Cons: If you are not into Film Noir, then this Suburban Noir film might not be as engaging as it was for me.
The Unnamable - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
Description: This low budget horror film is based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft. It is about a group of college students who decide to stay in a house that was supposedly the location of a gruesome murder.
Pros: As far as low budget horror movies are concerned, this one is quite entertaining. It is also better than most Lovecraft adaptations, although that’s not saying a whole lot. There’s also a ton of extras on the Blu-ray, including an audio commentary track and interviews with a number of the cast and crew.
Cons: It is still a low budget horror movie based on H.P. Lovecraft short story. You have to enjoy one of these and at least tolerate the other.
Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo Pack
Description: Mark Chao stars as Di Renjie, who again gets mixed up in adventure and intrigue in Tang Dynasty China.
Pros: This is a very fun franchise that should appeal to fans of Wuxia movies.
Cons: It is not as good as the previous installments in the franchise, but still fun. Also, there are no extras.
We are going to end the Holiday Gift Guide here. I wanted to talk about You Were Never Really Here ( ) and Bound ( ), but I’ve already lost power here, twice, and I fear the third time will be the end of work for the day. They are both worth giving as gifts.
Filed under: Holiday Gift Guide, Bound, Black Panther, You Were Never Really Here, A Simple Favor, Searching, Di Ren Jie Zhi Si Da Tian Wang, The Unnamable, Detective Dee, Jackie Chan, John Cho, Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Mark Chao, H.P. Lovecraft