It's the Pictures 2022 Holiday Gift List
Get that special someone something awesome this holiday season
Finding a special gift for the person who has everything can be extremely difficult (that’s what my family tells me all the time!) Luckily I’m here to provide some great tips for movies, books, video games, and miscellaneous gifts that you can consider.
Now I know that not everyone wants to spend oodles of money on one gift, so I hope there is a good selection of some of my must-have choices below.
Disclosure: If you purchase something using the Amazon links attached to this article, It’s the Pictures will get a small commission with purchase.
Movies
Top Gun: Maverick ($30, Paramount)
One of the biggest surprises of 2022 was how good Top Gun: Maverick turned out to be. Tom Cruise refused to do a sequel to the ‘80s classic for more than thirty years, but it was well worth the wait. Now audiences can take the movie into their home theater systems and relive the action time and time again. (Also available on Blu-ray)
Get a copy of Top Gun: Maverick
Raging Bull ($40, Criterion)
It was difficult picking one Criterion movie that signified the best release of 2022 (so I decided on two), but Raging Bull is one of the finest titles that the boutique label has released. The B&W cinematography has never looked better and the movie holds up as one of Martin Scorsese’s best. (Also available on Blu-ray)
Malcolm X ($40, Criterion)
The Criterion Collection has spent the better part of 2022 adding titles that star Denzel Washington. Earlier releases included Mississippi Masala and Devil in a Blue Dress. Criterion has saved the best addition for last as they’ve added Spike Lee’s 1992 feature, Malcolm X to the collection. It’s a beautiful new restoration of the movie and is packed with special features and essays. A must-have. (Also available on Blu-ray)
Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture 6-Movie Collection ($125, Paramount)
Paramount has released all six of the original Star Trek movies in the 4K movie format. The set includes the restored Director’s Cut of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as well as, Director’s Cuts of Episodes II and VI. I’ve always been partial to the even-numbered entries, but this set is a good chance to reacquaint yourself with the first movie. This set is sure to excite any fan of Trek.
Get the Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection
Shawscope: Volume Two ($190, Arrow)
Do you have that person in your life that really loves old Hong Kong movies? Shawscope: Volume Two represents another collection of Shaw Brothers classics, with all the martial arts you can handle.
Get your copy of Shawscope: Volume Two
Books
Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin ($28, Knopf)
A fiction novel about people breaking into the video game industry? Sign me up. I was a big fan of Gabrielle Zevin’s previous book, The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, so I was already preordained to pick this one up. I’m happy to report it’s excellent and Zevin knows about video games without bashing you over the head with her knowledge. Highly recommended.
Get a copy of Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Fight, Magic, Items by Aidan Moher ($18, Running Press Adult)
One of the books I was happy to preview earlier this year, Aidan Moher’s Fight, Magic, Items is an in-depth history of Japanese RPGs. More specifically, Moher really goes deep into the franchises of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Even though I thought I knew a lot about this topic, I was impressed by how much more I learned and how entertaining it was. Get it for fans of retro gaming or role-playing fans.
Get a copy of Fight, Magic, Items
Cosplay: A History by Andrew Liptak ($25, Gallery/Saga Press)
If you ever wondered why people dress in fanciful costumes when attending conventions, then wonder no more. Andrew Liptak’s Cosplay: A History traces the beginnings of cosplay and how it has evolved over the years. There are even suggestions on how to get started with your own cosplay, so what are you waiting for? Pick up a copy today.
Get your copy of Cosplay: A History
Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema by Karen Han ($45, Abrams)
After director Bong Joon-Ho won the Oscar for his film Parasite, the door opened to explore a lot more of his cinema. Author Karen Han goes in-depth on each of his films providing additional insight and photos. If you’re familiar with Matt Zoller Seitz's best-selling Wes Anderson Collection, you’ll have an idea of what Han has created here.
Get your copy of Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema
Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan ($20, William Morrow)
One of my favorite movies, Mad Max: Fury Road, had a strenuous production to say the least. For the first time, author Kyle Buchanan has talked to many of the creatives involved (including Director George Miller) to get the details into what goes into making a movie and how this modern masterpiece managed to get completed.
Get your copy of Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road
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