Gift Guide 2013

One of the great pleasures of the holiday season is finding just the right gift for someone special in your life.  These are some of my favorites.

For the sports fan:

2013 World Series Collector’s Edition Relive the Cardinals vs. Red Sox games of 2013.

42 Chadwick Boseman shines as Jackie Robinson in this story of the integration of Major League Baseball.

ESPN 30 for 30 Gift Set Collection Season II – Volume I, with Bonus Disc ESPN lets great directors tell great sports stories in their 30 for 30 series, and this is the latest.

Venus and Serena The extraordinary story of the sibling tennis champs as they both fight their way back to the top.

For the comedy fan:

Galaxy Quest The more you know about sci-fi television and the fans, the more you will enjoy one of the funniest comedies of the last 20 years.

Much Ado About Nothing Joss Whedon got his friends to come over to his home for two weeks and film a modern-day version of Shakespeare’s most romantic comedy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUWlPjXvFZU

The Big Bang Theory Complete Season 1-5 The top comedy on television is twice as funny with the addition of Bernadette and Amy.

For the PBS fan:

Doc Martin Series 6 This is the latest from the beloved series.

Last Tango in Halifax Inspired by a real life story, this late-life romance is utterly endearing.

Masterpiece: Downton Abbey Seasons 1, 2 & 3 Deluxe Limited Edition Get ready for the new season starting in January with a recap of this international favorite.

For the sci-fi fan:

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series Its “Battlestar Galactica” and it’s on Blu-Ray. Enough said.

Star Trek Into Darkness More wrath! Kahn is back again!

Pacific Rim If you want to see giant robots fighting aliens, this is the movie.

Firefly: The Complete Series This cult classic keeps getting more fans.

Farscape: Complete Series Jim Henson Productions and Hallmark are behind this Australian series about Peacekeepers who travel inside a giant creature.

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special: The Day of the Doctor Celebrate Dr. Who’s first half-century!

Superheroes: A Never-Ending Battle This is a fascinating documentary about the real origins of the super-heroes.

For the martial arts fan:

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (Criterion Collection) Martial arts don’t get any better than this series.

The Grandmaster and Man of Tai Chi Tribute to the man who popularized martial arts in the modern era.

For the binge-watching TV fan:

Taxi: The Complete Series This classic series has one of the all-time best ensembles in television history.

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series It’s over, but you can start from the beginning.

For the indie fan:

The Way, Way Back One of the best indies of the year is a coming of age story with Steve Carell as the bad guy and Sam Rockwell as the good guy.

Before Midnight The third in what I hope will be a never-ending series about Jesse and Celine.

Stories We Tell This documentary about the director’s own family will surprise you — and then surprise you again.

The Kings of Summer

For the classic movie buff:

Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project (Touki Bouki / Redes / A River Called Titas / Dry Summer / Trances / The Housemaid) For the one who shuns the multiplex.

John Cassavetes: Five Films One of my favorite indies of the year is the story of three teenagers who run away from home and build a house in the woods.

For the music fan:

20 Feet from Stardom Backup singers take center stage at last.

The Rolling Stones: Crossfire Hurricane Scorsese. Stones. It rocks.

Ain’t In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm The story of the drummer from The Band.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hear My Train A Comin’ One of the most incendiary and influential performers of all time.

For the family:

Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection Harry Potter vs. He Who Must Not Be Named

The Wizard of Oz: 75th Anniversary Edition The greatest family movie of all time in a gorgeous anniversary edition.

The Magic School Bus: The Complete Series Ms. Frizzle takes the class on the greatest field trips ever!

Mary Poppins: 50th Anniversary Edition It’s just plain supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!