Holiday Gift Guide 2014 — For Movie Lovers and Their Families

Happy holidays to one and all! Whatever you are celebrating at this time of year, these films will race your pulse, warm your heart, and delight any friends and family members lucky enough to receive them.

For the lover of quirky indie romances:

Musical Chairs, directed by “Desperately Seeking Susan’s” Susan Seidelman, this is the story of Armando (E.J. Bonilla) from the Bronx and Mia (Leah Pipes) from the Upper East Side, who share a passion for dance. They meet at a midtown Manhattan studio where Mia is an instructor and Armando is a part-time janitor, putting aside his duties to give cha-cha lessons. When a tragic accident leaves Mia in a wheelchair, Armando dedicates himself to helping her learn to dance again.

For the sports fan:

Get Coached by Mike Ditka If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be coached by the legendary Mike Ditka, one of only two men ever to win Super Bowls as player, assistant coach and head coach, this is your chance. Delivered in rapid-fire, tell it like it is Ditka style, 25 topics like Define Success, Own Your Actions, Adapting to Change, Yours for the Taking and Fight Another Day give you instant access to a lifetime of experience and solid strategies for success.

ESPN Films 30 for 30: Slaying the Badger You can’t go wrong with this great series from ESPN. This one is the story of Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France.

For fans of costume drama about love and money:

Masterpiece: Downton Abbey Seasons 1, 2, 3, & 4 The first four seasons of the PBS blockbuster are collected in this terrific box set.

Belle One of the best movies of the year is this whip-smart true story with a dazzling performance by Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

For the rock music fan:

Sound City Dave Grohl of Nirvana and the Foo Fighters bought the legendary custom-built Neve 8028 recording console from Sound City Studios. The board, built in 1972, is considered by many to be the crown jewel of analog recording equipment, having recorded such artists as Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Guns and Roses, Metallica, NIN, Rage Against The Machine and countless other musical legends over the past 40 years.

Muscle Shoals It’s easier to make a list of the legendary performers who did not record at tiny Muscle Shoals than those who did. This is the story — as searing as a blues song — of the recording studio used by artists from Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones.

For the fanboy and fangirl: Guardians of the Galaxy

For the blockbuster fan: Guardians of the Galaxy

For the lover of thrilling adventure: Guardians of the Galaxy

For the lover of comedy/action/romance with a retro soundtrack: Guardians of the Galaxy

For the whole family:

Dolphin Tale 2 A warm-hearted story based on the real-life dolphin with the prosthetic tale whose story inspired the world and her new friend, Hope.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 More dragons!  Lots more dragons!

Harry Potter: Complete 8-Film Collection  Get all the Harry Potter movies in one gorgeous collection and marvel again at one of the greatest achievements in the history of film, a remarkably unified and consistent vision for bringing these stories to screen.

Some great books about movies:

My First Movie Kevin Smith, Ang Lee, Mira Nair, the Coen brothers, and more give us the inside story of their first movies, what went right, what went wrong, and what they learned.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride Speaking of inside stories, Carey Elwes and the rest of the cast and crew tell all about what happened in the filming of one of the most beloved movies of all time.

The Wes Anderson Collection No fans are more obsessed than Wes Anderson’s and this spectacularly gorgeous book is just as obsessed as they are.

Universal Studios Monsters: A Legacy of Horror Universal is the home of the classic monster movies. As they get ready to relaunch, it’s a good time to catch up.

Film in Five Seconds Some of the greatest movies ever made are transformed into very clever and often hilarious infographics. How many can you and your family recognize?

Edith Head: The Fifty-Year Career of Hollywood’s Greatest Costume Designer Talk about the inside story — this is the inside story of the lady who knew all the secrets of all the stars because she literally saw them in their underwear. Multiple Oscar-winner Edith Head is responsible for such iconic looks as Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief” and Charlton Heston in “The Ten Commandments.”