It's the Pictures 2024 Holiday Gift List
Movies, Books, Videogames, and everything else for your holiday shopping
Now updated for 2024! A brand new list of movies, books, video games, and fun miscellaneous stuff you can buy your loved ones. Finding a special gift for the person who has everything can be extremely difficult (that’s what my family tells me all the time!)
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 ranging in prices from understandable to crazy.
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Movies
Seven Samurai ($60, Criterion)
Earlier this year I wrote about Seven Samurai. If you’ve never seen it, now is the time.
Dune: Part Two ($30, Warner Bros.)
When director Denis Villeneuve set Dune as his next project, I instantly picked up a copy of the book and enjoyed it cover-to-cover. Then came David Lynch’s film in the ‘80s which I felt did a great job of capturing the first half of the book, but the second half felt rushed. Not only did Villeneuve successfully adapt the iconic Science-Fiction novel into two parts, but he expanded on the material giving Zandaya’s Chani a lot more agency. It’s a marvel of a movie.
Get your copy of Dune: Part Two
The Abyss ($40, Disney)
One of three titles that James Cameron and Disney released in the 4K format earlier this year, this one is the most notable. The Abyss has often felt like a movie that was lost to time, this claustrophobic adventure with Ed Harris as the lead. If somehow you’ve never seen it, it’s worth checking out. There was a lot of disappointment with how exactly Cameron handled the restoration of his movies, but it still looks better than it has in almost thirty years.
Deadpool & Wolverine ($30, Disney)
The biggest R-rated movie of all time is available to own on home video. The Reynolds/Jackman superhero movie has been teased for years but finally came to fruition over the summer. While I don’t believe it’s anywhere close to being the best movie of the year, it’s undoubtedly a fun way to spend a few hours with a non-stop barrage of jokes and snappy one-liners. The hope is that if one joke doesn’t work, wait a minute and there will be another. The movie works not only by recognizing the recent troubles in superhero movies but also as a goodbye to the Fox era of superheroes.
Get a copy of Deadpool & Wolverine
Arcane: League of Legends Season 1 ($60, GKids)
While the second and final season of Arcane is finishing up on Netflix, this boxset represents the best way to watch one of the most expensive animated shows of all time. I’ve been working my way through this first season and thankfully you don’t need to know anything about the videogame series League of Legends to enjoy the show. With top-notch animation and high-quality voice acting, Arcane comes highly recommended.
Get a copy of Arcane: League of Legends Season 1
Project A Collection ($75, 88 Films)
Having watched the first Project A feature in this set, the restoration from 88 Films is top-notch. This is easily one of the most anticipated Jackie Chan features this year.
Get a copy of Project A Collection 4K
CC40 ($800, Criterion)
A curated selection of forty-five movies from the Criterion Collection. Not for people who’ve been collecting, but if you are new to the collection and want some of the best films available, this might be what you’re looking for.
More recommended movies:
Books
Dare to be Daring by Chelsea Lin Wallace ($19, Harry N. Abrams)
I’ve bought this book for a lot of preschoolers this year. It’s most suitable for that age with lovely artwork and a kind message about facing your fears. There’s a running gag of a child afraid to go downstairs that’s delightful.
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman ($35, Viking)
This new tale based on the King Arthur stories comes from author Lev Grossman. Or put simply, a reimagining of the Arthurian legend by the author of The Magicians trilogy. Some of the classic characters are reimagined for this story making many of these characters more interesting than they’ve been in a long time. It’s a hefty novel as well clocking in at well over 600 pages.
Horror for Weenies: Everything You Need to Know About the Films You're Too Scared to Watch by Emily C. Hughes ($26, G.P. Putnam's Sons)
The Ministry of Time ($29, Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster)
I’m almost finished reading this buzzy novel from earlier this year. It’s a mixture of science-fiction and romance, with a historical figure who has been teleported to the modern day. His “bridge” is a woman who is supposed to acclimate him to his new environment.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness ($30, Penguin Press)
This is the kind of light reading that might be worthy of a cozy read over the holidays. Jonathan Haidy explores the causes and consequences of the mental health crisis among young people in the developed world.
Games
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom ($60, Nintendo)
The latest entry in the Legend of Zelda series is also the first that features Princess Zelda as the lead character! Borrowing the art style from another recent Zelda remake, Echoes of Wisdom is best described as a light version of the open-world behemoths that Nintendo has released lately. As the likely swan song of Nintendo’s Switch console, Echoes of Wisdom might just be the last must-have title.
Buy The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
Astro Bot ($60, Sony)
One of the most exciting games on the PlayStation 5 finally has a full-featured version. The last time PlayStation audiences saw the tiny Astro Bot was in its pack-in title Astro’s Playroom. Now, Team Asobi has made a fully featured platformer bringing joy and excitement that audiences typically only expect from Nintendo. Imagine! You can get a Super Mario quality platformer on a Sony system. It’s beautiful to look at and an absolute joy to play. If you have a PlayStation 5, I wholeheartedly recommend Astro Bot.
Balatro ($20, Playstack)
Card games can be addicting. Balatro is on a whole other level, but thankfully it doesn’t empty our wallets. The only thing you’ll be missing is your time as this delightfully addicting card game continues to showcase levels of complexity. Balatro follows Poker's rules in that players use a set of cards to make a Straight, Flush, or four-of-a-kind, etc. The trick is that these cards can be manipulated using unique Joker cards that make every game different.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription 1 Month ($17, Microsoft)
This continues to be the best deal in gaming. This year the biggest games on Game Pass include the newest Call of Duty which Microsoft now owns and the upcoming Indiana Jones game that launches in December.
Buy an Xbox Game Pass for 1 Month
Miscellaneous
Kernel Katcher ($25, Kernel Katcher)
Since this is a movie newsletter, I assume you might eat some microwaved popcorn with your choice of movie or TV series. While I’ve never found a need to dodge the kernels from a bag of popcorn, this little bowl might solve all your problems!
“I’m the Eldest Boy” Hat ($30, Read Receipts)
Buy yourself a Kendall Roy-approved Succession hat
Hey Kids, Watch This! ($38, A24)
Are you looking to watch a movie with the family? Are the kids a little too young, and you’ve watched every movie on Disney+? Well, this new book published by A24 comes with over 100 suggestions for those movie nights. Chapters are separated by grade level, such as Preschool, Little Kids, Big Kids, and Tweens.
Buy a copy of Hey Kids, Watch This!
Christmas Tree Ricky Rain Frog ($50, Jellycat)
Jellycat says “Bring the 'Bah, humbug', big-style, with Christmas Tree Ricky Rain Frog! Our squat, mossy frog wears a Christmas tree costume, with a star-topped hat and matching scalloped dress, all embroidered with baubles. Bring Ricky to the party and everyone smiles.”
I say get that Christmas Tree frog into my life!
Wicked Nails ($50, OPI)
Not to be confused with the Wicked movie doll fiasco, this 12PC mini pack of nail lacquer promises “spellbinding shimmers and enchanting cremes.” While I’m not sure all the colors in the set scream Wicked, there could be worse Wicked movie-themed presents to get this season for sure.
Get your own Wicked holiday nail set
Arcs + Campaign ($130, Leder Games)
One of the most acclaimed board games of the year is now available at retail. Please don’t take my word on it, IGN gave the game a perfect score and has deemed it a masterpiece. Not only is it a fascinating board game, but the cards all feature the art that Leder Games has become known for in their previous titles Root and Oath.
LEGO Jaws ($150, Lego)
Lego has released plenty of great sets this year with new entries in fan-favorite franchises like X-Men, Lord of the Rings, Animal Crossing, and Star Wars. My favorite set came out earlier this year and it’s themed after the movie Jaws. It comes with the famous boat, three mini-figs, and a shark!
Get your own Jaws Lego set today
Meta Quest 3S ($300, Meta)
I’m as surprised as you! I never thought I’d recommend a VR device since I wholeheartedly believe that VR is still in its novelty era. But $300 is a great price to explore that novelty. More powerful than its predecessor in the Meta Quest 2, but trimmed a few features to be priced less expensive than the Quest 3. Just to try Beat Saber this might be worth it.
Panasonic DP-UB820-K 4K UHD Player ($500, Panasonic)
I’ve recommended a lot of 4K UHD releases this year. If you want the best player for these expensive discs, this is the player I’ve seen recommended the most. This Panasonic is the best in class and shouldn’t have those issues. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
Frank Lloyd Wright Rockford Chair ($2,105, Steelcase)
According to Steelcase, “The Frank Lloyd Wright Rockford Collection revisits the purposeful geometry and modern engineering of Wright’s Usonian style to create striking shapes that appeal – and can be accessed – from any angle.” Listen I like myself a good chair and this fits the bill.
Buy a chair. A very expensive chair.
LG G4 65” ($2,300, LG)
This year I’m following the guidance of Tomsguide.com to recommend the OLED TV of the season. The LG G4 OLED comes in 55, 65, 77, or 83 inches and has just about everything you (or I) might want from an OLED set in 2024. Tomsguide knocks the audio, but if you are buying a TV set at this price, please consider adding a soundbar or equivalent sound system.
If you’ve made it this far, you must’ve enjoyed the shopping list. It took a little while to put it together, but I’m glad you liked it. Don’t forget to subscribe for 50% Off.