For Film Buffs Who Feast: My Best Gifts Ideas
Many under $100, and most on sale! What I'd gift film + food lovers...
‘Tis the season! I write to you as I stare at my small but mighty Christmas tree we chopped down and brought home last weekend, with a trunk so tiny it refuses to stay put in the stand. It now only stays upright through a delicate balance of cardboard scraps and hope (and maybe some slight support from the adjacent wall… needless to say, a new and improved tree stand is on its way.)
I’ve also been busying myself with other December holiday affairs, such as reviewing my Yuletide Spotify playlists (am I the only one who has an unreasonable affection for Christmas songs about love lost?) and stalking r/whatismycookiecutter.
Of course, I, like many of you, am currently in the trenches of holiday shopping, popping into Christmas market after market, schlepping to multiple Target stores with differing inventories, and scoffing at the price of Christmas tree ornaments (and buying them anyway).
While I’ve been researching a special Film Flavor Deep Dive (as you all fervently requested last week, thank you!), I thought it best to be practical and publish this gift guide first. After all, if you haven’t purchased gifts for your loved ones by the end of this week, shipping times get dicey. While some of the gifts I’ve listed below can be found at your local shops, the earlier you can get your gift shopping done, the better.
And so, today I wanted to share whatever tidbits of gift-giving wisdom I had, and the knowledge I possess is that of a food and film lover. All gifts below are things I — and many people I know — would genuinely be happy to receive. All but one are under $100, too, and many under $50 — yet they come off as thoughtful and expensive.
Full Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, from which I may earn a small percentage of any purchases generated. Honestly, I have yet to ever make a dime off of affiliate links, but I had the ability to create them, so I figured, why not throw them in? I don’t expect them to make a regular occurrence. Please don’t be mad! Okay, let’s dig in!
For your favorite zillennial
Thanks to the official Film Flavor reader survey, we confirmed the majority of our readers are in the 25-34 age range. Those lucky enough to count themselves a part of this nonpareil demographic have a near-one-hundred-percent chance of being acquainted with the 1994 smash hit The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen.
There’s also a near-one-hundred-percent chance you were captivated by the hot chocolate elf Judy serves Scott in the film's first half, which took her “twelve hundred years” to get right.
Now, if you’ve been reading the mainstream gift guides this year, you’ll notice many outlets are peddling expensive (ahem, overpriced) so-called “hot chocolate makers” to cozy drink lovers big and small. If you would allow me to peel back the curtain — all you need to make great hot chocolate is a milk heater and frother. This one from Bodum is a powerhouse and looks great on a countertop. (There are other versions made by Bodum sold by the usual purveyors, but they don’t have this sleek silver-and-blue look going on, so best to buy it straight from the manufacturer.)
To pair with the Bodum, my local hot chocolate house sells this great Thomas Jefferson-inspired hot chocolate mix, and Dandelion Chocolate’s gingerbread and classic blends both look divine.
For Anglophiles + British movie buffs
Astute readers will note I am an unabashed Jaffa cake adorer. The orange-chocolate British cake (or is it a biscuit?) found in corner shops across the UK, was heavily featured in the recent Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield film We Live In Time, and has been a favorite of mine ever since I took a trip to England as a teenager.
This turned out to be both a blessing and a curse, as I am now forever obliged to stop in every British-themed gift shop I see on the hunt for these elusive treats. Regrettably, by the time Jaffa cakes make their way across the Atlantic and into my kitchen, they are often on their last leg. To spare the disappointment of biting into a stale cake (or, ahem, cookie), I’d love to start baking more orange-chocolate goods myself, and this orange-chocolate cookie mix may be just the fix!
Finally, if the anglophile in your life doesn’t already have a subscription to BritBox, you’ve got a homerun gift ahead of you! While any streaming service is a great gift for a food-and-film lover, there’s a high chance the cinephile in your life subscribes to the bigger streamers already. Britbox gives folks access to hundreds of their favorite British movies and shows, and the service allows you to easily gift subscriptions. Done and done!
For modern horror movie lovers
Ever since A24 began selling gilded miniature Furbies and aspect ratio beach towels, other distribution companies have scrambled to level up their movie merchandise shops. After half a decade or so, they might finally be catching up.
While Searchlight Pictures has some great movie merch for Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness, and Sideways, Mubi may officially be giving A24 a run for its money with its merchandise for The Substance, including this bright lime “activator” Nalgene bottle — BPA-free, of course.
And — while most of their products are sold out, A24 still has its fair share of great products up for grabs, including this Hereditary Gingerbread Treehouse Kit.
Remarkably, this set includes a mold for freshly baked gingerbread, as opposed to stale pre-baked goods. As we’ll learn in the next section, this literally fresh take on a gingerbread gift set is far too uncommon in today’s day and age.
For those who have fallen asleep during every movie they’ve sat down to watch in the past decade
These people need 1) comfortable yet chic pajamas and 2) an introverted activity that sparks childlike wonder, and in turn generates enough mental energy to finish a movie.
On the first point: I know, sleepwear might seem like a boring gift at first glance. This is likely because you simply have gifted, or have been gifted, the wrong kind of pajamas. When it comes to straight men, flannel is a cozy option. For the girls, gays, and theys, crisp 100% cotton poplin pajamas are what you need.
Moving on to childlike wonder-generators, gingerbread kits are the way to go. So long as they’re of the bake-it-yourself variety, these kits are the perfect gift for downtrodden adults. The recipient will get all the pleasure of figuring out a difficult toy or game, an injection of holiday spirit, a great little snack, and something cute to take a picture of and post on social media. The holy quaternity.
For Beginner Bakers: Sur La Table Winter Village Cookie Cutters (3D satisfaction without the structural complications of a full gingerbread house)
For Intermediates: Nordic Ware Gingerbread House Bundt Pan (A full gingerbread house in bundt cake form!)
For Advanced Pastry Chefs: 1988 Williams Sonoma John Wright Cast Iron Traditional Gingerbread House Plaque (via Ebay, because finding a non-horror-movie-themed new cast iron mold for gingerbread house walls is apparently impossible!)
For those who pay for the top Letterboxd membership
Millennials, especially, will appreciate the limited-edition, 20th anniversary 4k blu-ray set for Shaun of the Dead. Selling out quickly, the discs come with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and a handful of commentary featurettes and other exclusive media.
Additionally, if your Letterboxd-lover wears makeup, I can all but guarantee you they want a Pat McGrath eyeshadow set. The one I’ve linked here has some of this year’s trendier colors.
Whether they wear makeup or not, trust me when I say Letterboxd users strongly desire holiday treats that come in nice tin containers. Not only do they like sweets to eat with tea and coffee, but they also want a tin to reuse, since a huge portion of their discretionary income is going toward their Letterboxd fees, streaming service subscriptions, and movie tickets. This tin o’ biscotti from the Boston General Store looks divine, and you’ll probably be able to knock out the rest of your last-minute gift shopping at the Boston General Store, because they have some of the most giftable items around!
For the student who prefers to handwrite their notes…
Did you know Moleskin makes film & tv watching log journals? Pre-formatted with spaces to write initial reactions and movie ratings, this journal may be a little too formulaic and overt for some. But for the straight-A high schooler or college freshman in the throws of a bullet journal obsession? It could be the cutest present!
To top the gift off: Just this week, I was introduced to the world of erasable pens. A divisive subject among stationary aficionados, no doubt, but I think everyone should give them a shot at one point or another. They may come especially in handy when filling out calendars and agendas — because no one’s schedule is ultimately set in stone.
I also found these intriguing erasable highlighters, which could be a really fun addition to any note-taker’s arsenal.
For the person who has a cold from December through March and spends every winter weekend watching old movies in bed with a bottle of Dayquil
If they aren’t already, they should begin adding lemon and honey into their hot beverages, stat! Give them a mug-sized strainer to ward off the dreaded lemon seed swallow horrors.
On the honey front, I recently discovered these stunning honey dippers, created by the brother of beloved interior design Youtuber Caroline Winkler, of whom I am a disciple. At long last, you can store your honey without having to look at random packaging and lackluster logos.
Finally, there’s no better gift for the chronically stuffy — or just people who like chowder — than this gourmet soup and chowder gift basket. It comes in a reusable, handwoven lobster rope basket from the one and only New England Trading Co. (which, full disclosure, is owned and operated by this author’s parents! ‘Tis the season to shop small businesses!)
For people who rarely get sick in the winter despite going to crowded movie theaters at least once a week:
Every adult, at some point, must learn this one universal truth: Brothy-and-chunky soups are for the sick; creamy, blended soups are for the healthy.
If your loved one possesses the immune system of a Greek god, purchase them an immersion blender immediately — so they may indulge in the decadence of a thick, smooth soup with abandon.
To warm them up after hours in a cold cinema, buy them some nice spices, too. This spice 3-pack from Curio includes comes in extremely giftable packaging.
For the person who watches any version of Little Women multiple times a year
This garland from Cambridge Imprints features star-spangled folk art in a classical color palette befitting any mid-19th-century decor fan. I’m also partial to gifting a craft: Instead of gifting pre-made ornaments, Little Women lovers may appreciate some gorgeous ribbon scraps from Etsy, like these, or your local craft store to tie onto their Christmas tree’s branches. Finally, I found this Little Women cookbook, filled to the brim with gingerbread recipes. (You can get a preview of what’s inside on the authors’ blog, here.)
For people whose eardrums nearly bleed during action movies at the cinema
Somewhere in the past decade or so (an exact period has yet to be pinpointed), movie theater projectionists seem to have adopted a wildly-under-calibrated, turn-it-up-to-eleven mentality, resulting in deafening decibels piercing through movie theater speakers during each and every trailer. This is especially the case at major chains, but even the most charming of independent cinemas may fall victim to this ghastly, blaring tragedy.
Personally, I caved and purchased some Loops earplugs from their “Experience” line, which brings down the volume of cinemas and concerts to a listenable level, providing ear protection without sacrificing the sound. They’ve been a godsend to me in 2024, and now I can’t leave the house without them.
I’ve found those with auditory and sensory overload issues are likely to be avid tea drinkers. If it were up to me, I’d throw in a Harney & Sons tea gift set and a personalized travel mug to seal the deal. If it’s within your budget, a Fellow Stagg electric kettle is famous for a reason, chiefly its gooseneck design and advanced temperature controls.
For the food and film lover who is flat-broke
Give them your streaming service logins. ‘Tis the season, people! I, for one, believe that if Jesus was alive in 2024, and had an HBO Max subscription, he’d give the password to his cousin in an instant. In a world filled with uncertainty, sometimes offering someone the option to watch their favorite Criterion Collection film means more than any kitchen gadget ever could.
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Leave a comment below and let me know: What do YOU (as a film and food lover) want to be gifted this holiday season?
With gratitude,
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