Film Intuition's 2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Shelter in Place with Shiny Physical Media

Easily packaged, overly commercial, and as synthetic as an economy-sized bottle of laundry detergent, the entertainment options on most streaming services leave a lot to be desired. And while this fact was easy to ignore in the past, now with so many of us still sheltering in place during the pandemic, it's become increasingly obvious to discerning film fans that in addition to a subscription to The Criterion Channel, the best way to protest against the insanity of Bad Content overload is by stocking up on your favorite physical media titles. 

Fortunately, from the brightest classic film and TV fare to the latest and greatest releases, this year has been a veritable bonanza of box sets and special editions, including these highly recommended offerings, which should delight the entertainment lovers in your life who are (rightfully) still holding onto their DVD and Blu-ray players like they're worth their weight in gold. It's safe to say that once you check out the wide array of titles available to add to your collection (where you can control when and if they're played, and need no longer worry about them disappearing from a service tomorrow) if you're not a physical media convert yet, you soon will be.

Saturday Night Live: The Early Years

(Buy It)

Featuring 30 of the most hilarious episodes of the first 5 seasons of SNL, this 2-volume, 12-disc DVD collection arrives just in the nick of time to make you forget about the stresses of 2020 for a little while. With a gorgeous 28 page booklet that goes into the history of the series and focuses on the key skits, characters, and legendary cast members like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Gilda Radner that made the series must-watch appointment television from its earliest days, the DVD set includes memorable episodes with hosts like George Carlin, Steve Martin, and Richard Pryor and serves up musical performances with iconic guests such as George Harrison, The Kinks, Blondie, and Paul Simon. Also available from TimeLife, who delivered outstanding releases of The Wonder Years and China Beach a few years back, is a 106 episode deluxe version of the series, complete with every single episode that SNL aired for its first 5 years.

The Trip: Four Course Meal

(Buy It)

There is no discernible reason why the release of my favorite film franchise of the 2010s is only available on DVD and not Blu-ray. But really, with all four of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon's witty, weird, and wonderful trips to the U.K., Italy, Spain, and Greece now available in one collection, how can you go wrong? Originally produced and broadcast overseas as a multi-episode series but released internationally as four individual feature films, I've reviewed a few of director Michael Winterbottom's Trips individually so if you're looking for a refresher, here's my latest piece on the final film in the series, The Trip to Greece.

Two from Universal: The Alfred Hitchcock Classics Collection (Buy It) 

& Focus Features: Spotlight Collection (Buy It)

Reviewed in extensive detail earlier this fall, Universal Studios quietly unveiled two of this year's best box sets with a jaw-dropping 4K Alfred Hitchcock collection (review) and 10 of Focus Features' most acclaimed films all packaged together in one offering (review).

A New Look at Old Favorites

One of the best things about physical media is that it celebrates the favorites you love instead of mindlessly churning out new lackluster content. With current restorations, upgraded technical specs, and/or in the case of The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, a whole new cut of the film that improves the pacing of the much-maligned trilogy ender, a quartet of releases I was particularly excited to bring home came not from The Criterion Collection this year but Warner Archive, Paramount, and Kino. In addition to the Coppola film, be sure to check out The Best Years of Our Lives and Grace of My Heart in Blu-ray and Collateral in 4K. Additionally, Kino has dished up new box sets celebrating the overlooked films of Cary Grant and Carole Lombard and Mill Creek Entertainment has given Rita Hayworth the same treatment.

The Criterion Collection

Still the ultimate destination for film snobs, physical media devotees, and art-house lovers du jour, three of the year's biggest multi-disc collections were unveiled by Criterion this year as Federico Fellini, Agnes Varda, and Bruce Lee earned the box set treatment. And while the sky's the limit when it comes to individual movies getting the Criterion treatment that you should add to your list, a few of this fall's titles that I've had my eye on include Moonstruck, The Irishman, Parasite, Pierrot Le Fou, Crash, and Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. Additionally, fellow novelty bag collectors will definitely want to visit the official Criterion shop to check out the new Agnes Varda tote that just hit the site.

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Text ©2020, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. https://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made off my site through ad links. FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy or screener link of this title in order to voluntarily decide to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique. Cookies Notice: This site incorporates tools (including advertiser partners and widgets) that use cookies and may collect some personal information in order to display ads tailored to you etc. Please be advised that neither Film Intuition nor its site owner has any access to this data beyond general site statistics (geographical region etc.) as your privacy is our main concern.

Film Intuition's 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

Beyond the Bad Ties & Fuzzy Socks:
Jen's Gift Guide for Every Pop Culture Fan

Women in Film 101: Introduce the aspiring filmmaker in your life to the filmography of early women pioneers and Ida Lupino, and then rock their world with the newly restored Blu-ray of Kathryn Bigelow's first film, The Loveless. Celebrate the achievements of women working behind the scenes in style with some amazing new shirts featuring Thelma Schoonmaker, Elaine May, Claire Denis, Amy Heckerling, and more from Tees-en-scène.

Gift Cards for Arthouse Lovers: Bring the film festivals of Cannes and Sundance home to your recipient's living room with a gift subscription to The Criterion Channel, Mubi, or Film Movement Plus.

For the Bookish Classic Film Fan: Turner Classic Movies has been releasing one knockout work of nonfiction after another, including Donald Bogle's Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers, Mark A. Vieira's Forbidden Hollywood: The Pre-Code Era (1930-1934): When Sin Ruled the Movies, and Sloan De Forest's Dynamic Dames: 50 Leading Ladies Who Made History. Also, "You Must Remember This" podcast host Karina Longworth's incredibly well-researched, critically acclaimed book, Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes's Hollywood is now available in paperback. And chronicling the histories of her parents, both before they were a couple in alternating chapters until they eventually married in the 1940s, author Victoria Riskin released one of the year's most fascinating biographies with Fay Wray and Robert Riskin.

Films off the Beaten Path: While The Criterion Collection is still the gold standard for physical media, home entertainment distributors such as Kino Lorber, Shout Factory, Arrow, Olive Films, Cohen Media Group, Film Movement Classics, Twilight Time, and Warner Archive are starting to give Criterion a run for their (and our!) money with lovingly transferred and/or restorations of cult favorites, out-of-print classics, and forgotten films from decades gone by. Often packaged with striking artwork, film school worthy extras, and thoughtful essays, you could easily spend hours happily perusing their sites for gifts (while also picking up a little something for yourself).

Pop Culture Art: A colorful, tongue-in-cheek book for auteur lovers, Now Playing: A Seek-and-Find Book for Film Buffs serves up page after page of illustrations devoted to some of the world's greatest filmmakers. If you're looking for art you can either hang up, wear, or live with, look no further than the stores of two of my favorite independent artists, Brianna Ashby and Kate Gabrielle, whose work offers everything from jaw-dropping portraits to classic film puns sure to make you smile.

Past Prestige TV: With the release of the Comic Genius: Robin Williams collection, along with their commitment to tracking down the music rights to release the phenomenal China Beach and The Wonder Years the way they originally aired in the late '80s through the early '90s, Time Life has raised the bar on box sets of TV on DVD. (Now if only they would release Ed!)
Twin Peaks: From Z to A, Paramount's incredible collection of all three seasons of David Lynch's iconic cult series serves up both the original event series as well as Showtime's acclaimed Return alongside a plethora of new featurettes, interviews, extended musical sequences, as well as 4K transfers of the pilot and 2018's instantly legendary episode eight.

Welcome to 4K: Streaming in 4K Ultra HD is one thing but watching a film on 4K Blu-ray — without buffering and dips in quality — is an altogether different experience. With crisp detail and richness in color, contrast, and sound, the recent flood of collectible quality 4K restorations of the films of the '70s and '80s including Coppola's Apocalypse Now, and The Cotton Club as well as De Palma's Scarface, and Kubrick's The Shining are reason enough to convince a habitual streamer to buy and plug a top notch Ultra HD player into their TV. If you're longing for something more modern to break in your new player, look no further than the jaw-dropping transfers of last year's Mission: Impossible – Fallout and this summer's Toy Story 4. Sure to be on many holiday lists this year is the release of Quentin Tarantino's smash summer hit Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which arrives this week both on its own as well as in a mega 4K collector's edition set.

Kids and Teens: With vibrant pop-up artwork and adorable collectibles sure to evoke strong feelings of nostalgia, Warner Bros has unveiled an enviable selection of new TV on DVD/Blu-ray box set releases. This year's titles include a 50th anniversary Scooby-Doo collection with every single episode of the perennial favorite, the 70th anniversary celebration of the Peanuts Holiday Collection, the full series release of the animated Batman Beyond, and a surprisingly sturdy, limited edition Blu-ray and digital series collection with a collectible book (and cool pop-up art!) of my cousin's favorite, The Big Bang Theory, which has become this generation's answer to Friends. Joining in the family fun with a nice compact release, Dreamworks has created an entertaining holiday gift set of Rise of the Guardians packaged together with their animation studio's surprisingly funny holiday shorts, including a handful of film worthy Madagascar standouts featuring my favorite movie penguins.

Text ©2019, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. https://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made off my site through ad links. FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy or screener link of this title in order to voluntarily decide to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique. Cookies Notice: This site incorporates tools (including advertiser partners and widgets) that use cookies and may collect some personal information in order to display ads tailored to you etc. Please be advised that neither Film Intuition nor its site owner has any access to this data beyond general site statistics (geographical region etc.) as your privacy is our main concern.

Shop It: Barnes and Noble's 50% Off Criterion Collection Sale -- Ends Monday

Film Buffs, Take Note:

Barnes and Noble's 50% Off Criterion Collection Sale
Ends This Monday

Use the remaining days wisely to peruse the Criterion catalog and relish in the deep discounts of expertly restored, painstakingly remastered and scholarly research-filled releases. Titles run the gamut from single discs to thematic box sets and career spanning collections.

From cult classics to award-winning crowd pleasers, new debuts and old selections alike (along with other tie-in sales on non-Criterion arthouse, foreign and/or classic fare), whether you're truly going back to school or just turning your living room into your own film school, look no further than these extra credit worthy options for extracurricular study.

(Click on the cover art below to take you to the sale!)

 

Click Here to Dive Into Our Criterion Reviews

Text ©2014, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

Movie Art: Happy National Record Store Day (A Rock & Record Film Collage)

Saturday, April 19 is National Record Store Day!



Support small businesses in your community still selling vinyl and when you're finished shopping, kick back with a movie that revolves around playing, selling and/or making records.

For those about to rock, Film Intuition salutes you!

Films Included in Collage

(Alphabetical Order)

Almost Famous

American Graffiti

The Buddy Holly Story

Cadillac Records

Empire Records

Good Morning Vietnam

Grace of My Heart

Great Balls of Fire

Grosse Pointe Blank

High Fidelity

Jailhouse Rock

La Bamba

Once

Pirate Radio

Pretty in Pink

Ray

That Thing You Do

Walk the Line

   

Text ©2014, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

Shop It: Sweetheart Valentine's Day Deals for Film Fans

Fandango's Valentine's Day Special:

$1 off 2 tickets now!

Today's Groupon Deal:

Unlimited Streaming Subscription to IndieFlix; 

1 or 2-Year Subscription from $14.99–$19.99 

 

Film Movement Streaming Subscriptions:

STREAM ALL FILMS FOR $99 

 For a limited time purchase our 12 month stream-only subscription that comes with unlimited streaming of our entire catalog for only $99. This means you can binge watch over 300 features and shorts for only $99. 

 

Text ©2014, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.  FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I may have received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

Film Buff News: Barnes & Noble's 50% Off Criterion Collection DVD & Blu-ray Sale is Here

Criterion Collection Fans, Get Ready for Some Broadcast News:

For Discerning Film Buffs (and for a limited time), the Biggest Blu-ray and DVD Sale of the Year is Back at Barnes & Noble as gorgeous box sets and standalone collectible discs new and old hit the 50% off Sale Shelves once again in-store and online.

That's right, get your Criterion fix without having to Blow Out your bank account by indulging in BN's cinematic Days of Heaven to find yourself Something Wild.

But with so many titles going so fast that that it can leave you Breathless, relish in the Sweet Smell of Success of getting what you want in your time from the comfort of your computer since you don't need a Mystery Train to visit BN's Criterion Sale in these Modern Times online.

Explore New Movements and New Waves from around the World (including French, Japanese, and Australian oh my!), check out classics and cult hits such as forgotten films and flicks you'll never forget. It's a Bigger Than Life Criterion Celebration all around!

Read Criterion Collection Reviews on Film Intuition

Text ©2010, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited and in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. FTC Disclosure: Per standard professional practice, I received a review copy of this title in order to evaluate it for my readers, which had no impact whatsoever on whether or not it received a favorable or unfavorable critique.

Book Review: Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel -- 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets by Phil Villarreal

Laugh and Learn

In PBS terms, the publication and success of journalist Phil Villarreal's humorous Money-Grubbing how-to guide was made possible by the recession along with the generous comedic support from banking industry bail-outs, corporate greed and mistreated consumers like us.

Back in the '80s, Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gecko proclaimed that “greed is good." But then again, Gecko was addressing Wall Street as opposed to Main Street USA wherein values like The Golden Rule were deemed the road-map to the type of American Dream sung about by the working class hero we proudly (but ironically) called “The Boss.”

As evidenced in his witty Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel, it appears that Villarreal came of age refusing to drink either brand of Kool-Aid. Instead, he did the unthinkable of applying Gecko’s mantra to life as a working class, college educated, underpaid reporter, husband, and father of two both unafraid and damn proud “to make a dollar out of fifteen cents.”

But what about individuals, like yours truly who are so polite (and in my case, Midwestern) that we trip and apologize to the sidewalk even without worrying about what profiting from fifteen cents says about us?

Luckily we discover in Villarreal’s “Threeword (Because I’m Too Stingy for a Foreword)” that there is a solution! If we can’t ditch the attributes of “honor, integrity, honesty, and dignity” that Villarreal informs “don’t give you a decent return on your investment,” then role-playing can work wonders in the pursuit to not only save but actually make a few bucks.

The University of Arizona business management major turned film critic advises overly ethical readers to take a cue from the celebrities who star in the movies he critiques. So whether you’re “imagining yourself as someone to whom society’s rules don’t apply,” or just reading Scoundrel for an escapist kick in a time when laughs are scarce, you may be surprised by some of the sound advice packed within this 244 paged paperback ("Threeword" and table of contents not included).

Throughout, he puts his own uniquely witty spin on practical advice including: using one credit card with a solid rewards program that you pay off, always being willing to walk away from a car dealer even if you’ve spent a day in their office playing the waiting game, along with canceling your obsolete land line in favor of your cell phone (which he reminds should never include text messaging).

Likewise, he discusses everything from walking right past ATM machines over the insanity of paying bogus charges to retrieve your own hard-earned money to phoning banks and threatening to close your account unless they remove fees. And in one inspiring account that showcases Villarreal’s perseverance as a man on a mission, he describes the way that he successfully bargained with medical offices to knock 25% off bills paid-in-full.

However, Villarreal’s creativity shines through even more when he takes the practical fiscal advice we hear all the time all the way around the board, past go in order to collect $200 more dollars. Memorably, he asks why watches are necessary when a cell phone can do just fine and encourages would-be parents to time a pregnancy so that they can reap the rewards of hand-me-downs.

Additionally, he tackles imaginary problems you could encounter by cutting down on some of your staples in advocating the free Wi-Fi to be enjoyed all for the price of the cheapest beverages possible in coffee shops. Repeatedly answering questions you may have-- in one ingenious chapter, Villarreal deduces the most inexpensive VOIP solution possible by buying a cheap game and a Nintendo DS System to chat with friends internationally under the guise that you’re playing Pokemon together (provided of course, that they’ve made the same purchase).

Throughout, he breaks up the nitty-gritty advice with earnest and witty wishes that it would finally be acceptable for men to clip coupons or wear the free fanny packs you can get from credit card company stands set up on college campuses to lure freshman into monstrous debt. Yet you’re always keenly aware of just how much work, research, careful planning and knowledge of escape routes was and still is required to be a “Stingy Scoundrel” let alone write about it.

For the escape routes and potential for danger is the reason Villarreal's humorous tome was mistaken for gospel when a group of waitresses ignored his "Threeword" admission that he’d included “a few splashes of innovation… often stretched beyond reason to the deranged extreme,” for actual truth.

Staging a small protest at a Scottsdale Barnes and Noble reading last Fall, the waitresses gave Villarreal their two cents plus office supplies regarding the book’s Reservoir Dogs-like section wherein the creative nonfiction work’s semi-autobiographical first person character recommends tipping based on how badly one wanted to sleep with their server.

Let’s just say, it’s a good thing the women-- who obviously were just not into Villarreal’s humor-- didn’t get to his extremely witty but dicey chapters on dating. Clearly establishing that the happily married author isn’t talking about his wife Jessica except in certain occasions and always flatteringly, he walks you through courtship on a budget.

Dating advice, Scoundrel-style includes behaving like a jerk at a country music concert so you never have to go back to taking advantage of the win-win situation of purchasing WNBA tickets since-- not only do they cost less than NBA seats but a man’s scoring potential may increase right along with the team because of his willingness to attend a women's sporting event.

Similar to the way he weaves in true disclaimers when discussing issues that one could mistake for anecdotes about his wife, friends and children, you’re able to clearly establish Villarreal the reporter and the character throughout. And this is especially apparent during the book’s most notorious chapter as he advises the more daring to speak foreign-language sounding gibberish at the hospital in order to get your life saved before immigration arrives and you end up deported to wherever it is they think you’re from. (Side Note: Why Villarreal doesn't use this chapter as a screenplay jumping-off point is beyond me!)

Refreshingly upbeat and lighthearted, Villarreal may pretend he’s Scrooge McDuck or Mr. Grinch, but there’s no fooling astute readers who can see through exaggeration and appreciate the value of the Stingy Scoundrel whose true currency is laughter.

Needless to say, I’ll take creative jokes about sticking it to the corporations over the reality of corporations doing the opposite to us or financial experts asking us to sign up for their outrageously expensive seminars any day of the week. Moreover, Villarreal’s book, which was turned down dozens of times before our economic downturn made it timelier than ever, made me extremely aware of yet another Dirty Little Secret in particular.

Honestly in the end, Scoundrel marked one of the few instances in recent memory wherein I actually looked forward to dwelling on money and consumer issues. Always on our side, even when he's doing a sideways wink in the text, again and again Villarreal reminds us that it's acceptable to consider our national financial situation with an escapist smile rather than the flood of tears on display during the evening news.

Profile on Phil Villarreal from LaFusionOnline

Text ©2010, Film Intuition, LLC; All Rights Reserved. http://www.filmintuition.com

Unauthorized Reproduction or Publication Elsewhere is Strictly Prohibited.

FTC Disclosure: Per standard critical practice and per Phil Villarreal's Stingy Scoundrel practice, you bet I received a free copy of this book for review. Receipt of such swag has zero impact on whether or not the book received a positive or negative write-up but I can admit that it did make my mailbox happy.