I know, increasingly everyone watches what they want online - Hulu or Netflix - but at this time of year, it can still be a great gift to give a DVD or boxed set, especially of the things that are destined to be classics.
HUNGER GAMES: About $22
Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen
Jennifer Lawrence, who is selected to compete in a vicious televised
tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight
to the death for the entertainment of the masses. The newest movie installment is just out in theaters, so going back to the first might be a great gift.
FIREFLY - Only $14.99 for the Complete Series. For grown up cultists - the kids are just used to watching this on streaming digital TV like Netflix or Hulu. This Sci Fi series was short lived, and you'd think it looks a little dated, but it seems everyone still talks about it and it continues to gain new fans...
MY fave, Battlestar Galactica. Not even a big Sci Fi Fan, I got addicted to this a few years ago. No longer on TV, you have 6 full, well written seasons to get invested in. Great entertainment!
ON TO MOVIES: I can't hyperlink each one, but you can google to read more about them and buy or find them at your local stores. Perhaps you've seen these next suggestions, but have a teenager or college kid who hasn't seen most? Give this gift and take some family time during the holidays or the dull winter months turning them on to these classics: Metropolis, 2001, Alien, Gattica, the Matrix Trilogy, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Total Recall, The Fifth Element, Serenity, Avatar, MOON, District 9. Just give a Google to all of these and give them...
War of the Worlds: Forget the one with Tom Cruise, let them see the COOL first version that scared the bejeezes out of us all.... Close Encounters of the Third Kind- Even if it looks dated to them, the story is still gripping. Bladerunner - My #1 favorite film, starring the hot Harrison Ford.
Inception - I cannot say enough about this film - a concept that has never been done, it's smart and dazzles both visually and viscerally. Can't even begin to describe it. AMAZING!
Cloverfield - A monster attacks NY as seen through the eyes of a small group of 20-somethings. I am NOT a big fan of scary movies but this one was done so well it's unforgettable. Completely engaging.
Brazil- 1985 British film directed by the amazing Terry Gilliam, The film stars Jonathan Pryce and features Robert De Niro, Kim Greist, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm.
Wikipedia describes it as: The film centers on Sam Lowry, a man trying to find a woman who appears in his dreams while he is working in a mind-numbing job and living a life in a small apartment, set in a dystopian world in which there is an over-reliance on poorly maintained (and rather whimsical) machines. Brazil's bureaucratic, totalitarian government is reminiscent of the government depicted in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, except that it has a buffoonish, slapstick quality and lacks a Big Brother figure. On Sale on Amazon for $10.93
BOOKS: There are zillions, and chances are your Sci Fi fan has read them all, unless they are newly budding in their interest. Here, for the heck of it, are a few classics, and at the end, some reference books that should be good for the one who's read all the other stuff. Here are a few classics I loved:
Farenheight 451 by Ray Bradbury for $4.51. Set at an unknown time in the future, this is the story of Guy Montag, a professional book burner. In his society, anyone looking for more meaning or deeper discussion is in trouble - and all books are banned and burned (People memorize passages of books to preserve them). He meets someone who makes him dig deeper... A classic.
Stranger in a Strange Land for 13.65. The story of Valentine Michael Smith, born during, and the only survivor of, the first manned mission to Mars. Michael is raised by Martians, and he arrives on Earth as a true innocent: he has never seen a woman and has no knowledge of Earth's cultures or religions. But he brings turmoil with him
The Dune Chronicle Series - I have not read it but it's highly addictive, says those who are fans. "Set on the desert planet Arrakis, the story of the boy who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics."
How about just giving this great guide to Sci Fi Films: The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies.
Here's a a comprehensive guide explores our fascination with space exploration, time travel, fantastical worlds and alternative futures. This guide explains how everything from the philosophy of Plato to classic Victorian tales and cult comic books have helped to create one of cinema''s most engaging genres. Discover the classics from Mexico, Russia and Japan, not forgetting the Anime science fiction tradition, along with everything else you need to know.
101 Sci-Fi movies you must see before you die. Self explanatory, but you can get all the details by clicking the link: On Sale on Amazon for $10.19
And CLICK HERE for about 10 great titles of the best of the latest Science Fiction, according to Goodreads.com.
Please add your faves that are not listed here for others to see in the comments.
HUNGER GAMES: About $22
Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen
Jennifer Lawrence, who is selected to compete in a vicious televised
tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight
to the death for the entertainment of the masses. The newest movie installment is just out in theaters, so going back to the first might be a great gift. FIREFLY - Only $14.99 for the Complete Series. For grown up cultists - the kids are just used to watching this on streaming digital TV like Netflix or Hulu. This Sci Fi series was short lived, and you'd think it looks a little dated, but it seems everyone still talks about it and it continues to gain new fans...
ON TO MOVIES: I can't hyperlink each one, but you can google to read more about them and buy or find them at your local stores. Perhaps you've seen these next suggestions, but have a teenager or college kid who hasn't seen most? Give this gift and take some family time during the holidays or the dull winter months turning them on to these classics: Metropolis, 2001, Alien, Gattica, the Matrix Trilogy, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Total Recall, The Fifth Element, Serenity, Avatar, MOON, District 9. Just give a Google to all of these and give them...
War of the Worlds: Forget the one with Tom Cruise, let them see the COOL first version that scared the bejeezes out of us all.... Close Encounters of the Third Kind- Even if it looks dated to them, the story is still gripping. Bladerunner - My #1 favorite film, starring the hot Harrison Ford.
Inception - I cannot say enough about this film - a concept that has never been done, it's smart and dazzles both visually and viscerally. Can't even begin to describe it. AMAZING!Cloverfield - A monster attacks NY as seen through the eyes of a small group of 20-somethings. I am NOT a big fan of scary movies but this one was done so well it's unforgettable. Completely engaging.
Wikipedia describes it as: The film centers on Sam Lowry, a man trying to find a woman who appears in his dreams while he is working in a mind-numbing job and living a life in a small apartment, set in a dystopian world in which there is an over-reliance on poorly maintained (and rather whimsical) machines. Brazil's bureaucratic, totalitarian government is reminiscent of the government depicted in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, except that it has a buffoonish, slapstick quality and lacks a Big Brother figure. On Sale on Amazon for $10.93
BOOKS: There are zillions, and chances are your Sci Fi fan has read them all, unless they are newly budding in their interest. Here, for the heck of it, are a few classics, and at the end, some reference books that should be good for the one who's read all the other stuff. Here are a few classics I loved:
Farenheight 451 by Ray Bradbury for $4.51. Set at an unknown time in the future, this is the story of Guy Montag, a professional book burner. In his society, anyone looking for more meaning or deeper discussion is in trouble - and all books are banned and burned (People memorize passages of books to preserve them). He meets someone who makes him dig deeper... A classic.
The Dune Chronicle Series - I have not read it but it's highly addictive, says those who are fans. "Set on the desert planet Arrakis, the story of the boy who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream. A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics."
Here's a a comprehensive guide explores our fascination with space exploration, time travel, fantastical worlds and alternative futures. This guide explains how everything from the philosophy of Plato to classic Victorian tales and cult comic books have helped to create one of cinema''s most engaging genres. Discover the classics from Mexico, Russia and Japan, not forgetting the Anime science fiction tradition, along with everything else you need to know.
And CLICK HERE for about 10 great titles of the best of the latest Science Fiction, according to Goodreads.com.
Please add your faves that are not listed here for others to see in the comments.
Comments