In need of a little last-minute gift-buying inspiration? Look no further than this nerdy, unique, and altogether festive gift guide, chock full o' nutty stuff to buy for you and yours this holiday season. We've put together curated gift ideas from a variety of categories--movies, TV, toys, animation, video games, fandom-focused products, and even streaming services--but it's not your usual, run-of-the-mill list.

Below, we'll remind you of some of the biggest and best movies to grace theaters this year (and let's be honest, 2018 has felt like a very long year), most of which are available on home video now. There's also some movies you might have missed and some you'd love to watch again with family and friends. The same goes for TV. We've included both box sets of complete series and special editions of new and classic shows, along with some out-of-the-box approaches to some fan-favorite titles. The toys suggested here are mostly for the little ones, but there are different types of toys for all ages here. The "Fandom" category gets a little broader in the age range and way more specific with its focus. We finish the whole thing up with some of the year's best video games and ideas for streaming services gifts that are perfect for the cord-cutters in your life.

So while the following list is definitely not going to be 100% match for everyone out there, you might just find some things to your liking that you would have missed otherwise. We'll also be updating it with new items of interest throughout the month, so stay tuned. Happy bargain hunting!

Movies

holiday-gift-guide-2018

If it's superhero movies you're into but can't quite remember what all came out this year, our handy guide to the 2018 Superhero Movie Box Office should help to jog your memory. You really can't go wrong by picking up the Blu-ray home video releases for Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, Incredibles 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and/or Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. We've already done the heavy lifting for you as far as the quality and quantity of the content of these home releases are concerned, so feel free to click the links to see what we thought!

Star Wars

The Star Wars Archives from Taschen

star-wars-archives-taschen

Star Wars exploded onto our cinema screens in 1977, and the world has not been the same since. In this XXL-sized tome, George Lucas guides us through the original trilogy like never before, recounting the inspirations, experiences, and stories that created a modern monomyth. Complete with script pages, concept art, storyboards, on-set photography, and more.

Enough books! How about some more Blu-rays? For example, you can pick up the excellent home video release for Solo: A Star Wars Story, and/or choose one of the favorite Fox offerings below.

Fox Home Entertainment:

deadpool-2-4k

Box Sets:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: The Ultimate Edition:

The best-selling, perennial holiday classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!: The Ultimate Edition, got even better with the addition of two Grinch specials, which are available in high definition for the first time ever! Magnificently narrated by Boris Karloff (Frankenstein, The Mummy) and directed by animation genius and cartoon legend Chuck Jones (Looney Tunes, What's Opera, Doc?), How the Grinch Stole Christmas! tells the story of the miserable Grinch, who wants to sabotage Christmas for all the Whos in Who-ville. This release also includes The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat and Halloween is Grinch Night. Available now on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, which includes a Blu-ray™, DVD and digital copy for $24.98 SRP, and standard definition for $19.98 SRP.

how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-ultimate

TV

Breaking Bad Soundtrack on Vinyl

breaking-bad-soundtrack
Image via Sony Pictures Television

Music On Vinyl/At The Movies in collaboration with Sony Pictures Television presents Breaking Bad: Music From The Original Series the 10th anniversary Box Set. The soundtrack to one of the most critically acclaimed television shows of all time will be available on 5 x 10” vinyl in 5 different jackets. This is a most incredible Breaking Bad Box Set, containing lots of extras like an extensive booklet, “Los Pollos Hermanos” plastic ID badge and exclusive poster. The Box Set is available in stores now.

Oh and if you're interested in the science of Breaking Bad, how accurate it is, and how the show pulled off some of the more explosive displays, I literally wrote the book on all of that. Forgive the shameless plug, but feel free to pre-order a copy today.

Fox Home Entertainment

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

originals-series

The Originals: The Complete Series

After five incredible seasons, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment marks the end of an ancient era with the release of The Originals: The Complete Series on DVD. Gather around the TV this holiday season with your friends and family and feast on all 92 episodes from the beloved vampire series for $89.99 SRP.

Longmire: The Complete Series

The devoted fans of Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire will get to enjoy his entire thrilling journey with the release of Longmire: The Complete Series on DVD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Over six seasons Walt experienced both professional and personal highs and lows alongside his deputies, his best friend, his daughter and others culminating in the most difficult decisions of his life. All six seasons of the riveting western drama will be available for fans to own in one complete set on November 20, 2018 for $99.99 SRP.

longmire-series

Animation

isle-of-dogs-bluray
Image via 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Fox Home Entertainment

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Five of some of the most timeless holiday films come together on Blu-ray and DVD in The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition available now from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Featuring all-new bonus features and unforgettable characters, experience these five classic holiday specials with your whole family.

‘Tis the season to enjoy the timeless holiday classics in The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition featuring 5 unforgettable stories. Produced by the legendary Rankin/Bass, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and The Little Drummer Boy feature iconic Animagic stop-motion animation and Frosty the Snowman and Cricket on the Hearth are beautifully illustrated. Starring the voice talents of Fred Astaire, Jimmy Durante, Mickey Rooney, Danny Thomas, Burl Ives and many more, these favorites also feature some of the most beloved songs of the season and are sure to entertain audiences of all ages for generations to come!

The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition includes Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), Frosty the Snowman (1969), Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970), The Little Drummer Boy (1968), Cricket on the Hearth (1967). Along with The Original Christmas Specials Collection: Deluxe Edition, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town are also available in individual new Deluxe Editions on Blu-ray and DVD.

rankin-bass-christmas-specials
Image via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

BONUS FEATURES:

  • The Animagic World of Rankin/Bass: An all-new documentary celebrating the legacy of the holiday specials created by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass including interviews with filmmakers and historians.
  • Restoring the Puppets of Rudolph: Discover how the puppets from the beloved special were restored.
  • Reimagining Rudolph in 4D: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer attraction film.
  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Attraction Film: A short stop-motion film originally created for a Rudolph 4D experience.
  • T.E.A.M. Rudolph and the Reindeer Games: A video storybook including the untold story of the Reindeer Games
  • Frosty the Snowman Original Pencil Test
  • Commentaries on Frosty the Snowman and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
  • And much more!

FUNimation

If you're an anime fan or are shopping for one, there are a ton of options over at FUNimation. I've provided some extensive lists with reviews and handy links here:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

batman-animated-series-deluxe edition

Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition:

As the most acclaimed super hero animated television series in history, the Emmy-award winning Batman: The Animated Series has captured the imaginations of generations with its innovative designs, perfect voices and landmark approach to characters and stories. This holiday, fans will finally be able to enjoy a remastered Blu-ray release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment – remastered for the first time since its broadcast airing from 1992-1995. The impressive Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition package features approximately 2,700 minutes of entertainment spread over 10 Blu-ray™ discs, plus the two bonus discs – not counting 11 specially-selected episodes with audio commentaries by cast and crew. In addition, Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition includes an exclusive ensemble of collectibles highlighted by three Funko mini-figurines (Batman, Joker, Harley Quinn) and seven beautifully-designed lenticular art cards.  Batman: The Complete Animated Series Deluxe Limited Edition will be available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital and in a stunning Blu-ray™ box set for $112.99 SRP

Smallfoot on Digital and Home Video

Cartoon Network

We Bare Bears

we-bare-bears-miniso
Image via Cartoon Network, Miniso

As part of an ongoing global rollout of licensed We Bare Bears products, Cartoon Network’s partnership with retailer Miniso in Australia and New Zealand has expanded – just in time for the year-end festive season.

New products for the festive season include a new range of Christmas-themed plush toys and a 2019 calendar. They join a range of other We Bare Bears product that was launched in January 2018 and includes toys, homewares, cosmetics, stationery and accessories. Australian sales have been more than 100,000 products to date and has been one of Miniso’s most successful collaborations.

By the end of 2018, Miniso will have 31 stores in Australia and New Zealand, including a new outlet at Box Hill Shopping Centre in Victoria, where it will host a We Bare Bears event on December 10th.

The bears have been particularly busy of late. A We Bare Bears-themed café has just opened in Tokyo, Japan. Dedicated YouTube channels have recently launched in Thai and Hindi, and other large-scale events have either happened or are ongoing this year in Thailand, China, Singapore, Philippines and Hong Kong. We Bare Bears Match3 Repairs puzzle game app has had 6 million global downloads to date.

Fandom

Black Panther

Official Limited-Edition Fine Art Collection from Classic Stills

black-panther-fine-art-collection
Image via Marvel, Classic Stills

Sourced from Marvel Studio's photo archives, each photographic fine art print in the Black Panther collection is hand-framed, individually numbered and presented with a unique Certificate of Authenticity.

 

Only 125 copies of each print are available in total, split across four sizes.

LOST

Here's an interesting one for the fans out there:

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/CarltonCuse/status/1070750244734853120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

RWBY

"Combat Ready" Board Game - Available at the Rooster Teeth Store

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1061689064317968385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Limited Edition Alpha Beowulf Battle Statue - Available at the Rooster Teeth Store

rwby-mcfarlane-toys-statue-images
Image via Rooster Teeth

The fully painted RWBY Alpha Beowolf Battle Statue will be available as a limited run of 950 this Holiday. Each statue comes individually numbered with a certificate of authenticity signed by Legendary Artist and McFarlane Toys Creative Force, Todd Mcfarlane and Kerry Shawcross.

 

The RWBY Alpha Beowolf Battle Statue retails at $550 (with free domestic U.S. shipping) and will be available exclusively online at the Rooster Teeth Store. More info about the RWBY Alpha Beowolf Battle Statue can be found here: http://www.rwbystatue.com.

Marvel Comics and Star Wars - Stance Socks:

star-wars-socks-stance
Image via Stance, Disney
  • Amazing Spiderman - $20 - Everyone's favorite arachnid, our Amazing Spiderman socks are guaranteed to get your spidey sense tingling. Officially licensed by Marvel and personally-approved by your friendly neighborhood webslinger.
  • Captain America Comic - $20 - A true hero never goes out of style. Channel your inner-Steve Rogers with our Captain America Comic sock, a classic design inspired by the original Marvel artwork.
  • Iron Man Comic - $20 - International business magnate, playboy, ingenious scientist... and oh yeah, invincible superhero. Channel your inner-Tony Stark with our Iron Man Comic sock, a classic design inspired by the original Marvel artwork.
  • venom-socks
    Image via Marvel, Stance
    Venom Comic - $20 - All hail the lethal protector. Channel your inner-Eddie Brock with our Venom Comic sock, a classic design inspired by the original Marvel artwork.
  • R2D2 - $18 - Star Wars' most beloved android duo, Warped R2D2 and pal C3PO represent the lighter side of the Rebel Alliance. Wonderful!
  • Boba Fett - $18 - We've captured Star Wars' most notorious bounty hunter for our all-new Warped Boba Fett release. Carbonite never felt so comfortable.
  • Chewbacca - $18 - Everyone's favorite Wookie, Warped Chewbacca captures our hero in the midst of his Star Wars Episode 4 rescue mission to save the Princess. Laugh it up, fuzzball.

Collectible Card Game + Workout Program = BattleMoor

battlemoor

If you're trying to get in shape in 2019 as one of your New Year's Resolutions but want to actually enjoy your workouts, try "BattleMoor." I've been a big fan of this idea for a long time now. (For full disclosure, I pitched in during their Kickstarter and have been doing so monthly for the game's Patreon community.) You essentially gamify your exercise plan by playing a Magic: The Gathering or D&D-like card game. It's got a great variety of exercises, a fantastic support group in the community, and it's just plain fun to do throughout the week. And at less than $10, even if you just use it as either a card game or an exercise routine, it's well worth the money.

Toys

Star Wars

Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures

star-wars-galaxy-of-adventures
Image via Hasbro

Check out more images of the product line over at Hasbro and scope out some related kids books at Disney LOL.

LEGO: Luke's X-Wing

star-wars-lego-luke-x-wing

Lead the Rebel attack with the LEGO Star Wars 75218 X-Wing Starfighter. This detailed model has retractable landing gear, an opening minifigure cockpit with a fire extinguisher behind the seat, stud shooters on the side and wing-mounted spring-loaded shooters, space for R2-D2, and a new-for-August-2018 lever function to transition the wings between cruise and attack modes. What's more, this great model also comes with extra stickers and tiles to transform it from Luke Skywalker's Red Five into Biggs Darklighter’s Red Three X-wing… so of course Luke and Biggs LEGO minifigures and their astromech droids are included!

Star Wars: Jedi Challenges - Kylo Ren Lightsaber

star-wars-jedi-challenges-kylo-ren

The Star Wars: Jedi Challenges - Kylo Ren Lightsaber is a lightsaber controller modeled after Kylo Ren's iconic weapon seen in the films. It unlocks exclusive Lightsaber Battles content (Dark Side Expansion) in the Star Wars: Jedi Challenges app. Players will experience new challenges in augmented reality, including confronting new heroes including Rey, Yoda and Luke Skywalker, and defeating opponents in both single player and multiplayer lightsaber battles. To play the Dark Side Expansion or use the Kylo Ren Lightsaber, the full Star Wars: Jedi Challenges starter kit is required (sold separately), which includes the Lenovo Mirage AR headset, Lightsaber Controller and Tracking Beacon. A compatible phone and the latest Star Wars: Jedi Challenges app are also required.

---

One great thing about getting to write about animation all day long is that sometimes the fine folks employed by various marketing departments will send me free samples of upcoming toylines. Take a look at just some of the products that are on shelves now:

BotBots

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1065342967223865350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1062407591354089472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

PAW Patrol

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1061027237519077377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Spirit Riding Free

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1060997589875810304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1050853673205682176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Top Wing

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1050855301782622209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1048685674570964992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Super Monsters

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1048695724769247232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/DrClawMD/status/1070427726560014339?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw[/EMBED_TWITTER]

Video Games

holiday-gift-guide-2018-video-games

Though you might have missed out on the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals earlier this shopping season, there's still a good reason to pick up these Game of the Year contenders:

You can also keep an eye on the upcoming video games that will be releasing through the end of the year and in 2019 with our handy calendar here. But there are other options for the gamers out there!

  • Discord’s Nitro subscription service, priced at $9.99 per month, is a great gift for the jack-of-all-trades PC gamer, offering over 60 top titles that you can download and play instantly. With games like Super Meat Boy, FTL, Psychonauts, Inside, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Metro: Last Light Redux, and Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition, it’s the perfect gift for gamers with varied tastes and a penchant for great gaming experiences.
  • Blade’s Shadow transforms any Internet-connected device with a screen into a powerful, full-featured and always-upgraded gaming rig, optimized for the true PC gamer. For just $35 per month, gamers can have a high-end gaming rig for a fraction of what it would cost to build a PC.

The Jackbox Party Pack 5 (available for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, Comcast Xfinity, Apple TV and Mac App/iPad) is the latest iteration in a series of easy-to-play party games for friends and families to enjoy. The Jackbox Party Pack 5 is a collection of five hilarious games that allow up to eight players (and 10,000 audience members) to join by simply using the web browser on their smartphone, tablet, or laptop – no app needed! The pack contains a variety of different games that might ask you to draw weird doodles, write the best inside joke, or answer hilarious trivia questions as you enjoy hours of laughs. Games also include filters to make them family-friendly for all ages!

 

Pool Panic (available for Nintendo Switch and PC; rated Everyone 10+) is a whacky, unconventional billiards videogame that puts players in the role of a cue ball in a colorful cartoon world. Explore jungles, deserts, carnivals, cities and more while knocking around a peculiar cast of billiard balls through over 100 levels. Offering a single-player campaign and multiplayer for up to four people, Pool Panic is the world’s most unrealistic pool simulator!

 

Steel Rats (available for PS4, PC, and Xbox One) is a ground-breaking action arcade motorbike combat game set in a retro future world. Switch between four unique characters as you wreak havoc as a member of the Steel Rats, a biker gang sworn to protect their city against an invading army of alien robots – the Junkbots! Wreck and ride through hordes of enemies across 28 levels, utilizing 84 upgrades and a variety of motorbikes with different characteristics.

Streaming Services

streaming-netflix-amazon-hulu-slice

At this point in our online world, just about everybody knows about streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. And whether it's from sharing passwords or logging into your cable provider across a myriad of devices, folks are probably aware of the streaming services of HBO NOW, CBS All Access, and DC Universe. (Oh, and Disney+, though that one's not out yet.) A gift subscription to any one of those services would be nice, but for more specific tastes, we have a more curated selection of streaming services to share with you:

BritBox

Wondering what to purchase for the anglophile in your life? Tea and scones seem so cliché.  If only you could put a Brit, like Colin Firth, in a box and tie it with a bow.  Unfortunate that’s not possible (and even if you could accomplish that it may result in jail time), but good news—instead of a Brit in a box you can give your loved one BritBox for just $69.99! BritBox is the streaming service of BBC and ITV bringing the best and largest collection of British telly to U.S. viewers with many of the programs available live and near simulcast.  It’s a service that could be appreciated by anyone, whether it’s a lover of British TV or someone who enjoys all kinds of high quality programming. BritBox’s diverse range of programs lets viewers indulge in loved classics from the past and discover fresh new series available within hours after they air in the UK.  Subscribers can explore mystery, comedy, drama, documentaries, lifestyle, news and special live events. BritBox is available on Roku, Apple TV, video-enabled devices and online.

broadwayhd

BroadwayHD  

BroadwayHD, founded in 2015 by Tony Award® winning producers Stewart F. Lane and Bonnie Comley, is the only streaming service offering premium full-length stageplays and musicals captured specifically for multiplatform viewing to theatre fans across the globe. In addition to exclusive live-streamed content of the world’s best productions, BroadwayHD offers subscribers unlimited on-demand access to a library of more than 250 theatre productions from Broadway, The West End and beyond.  BroadwayHD® brings the magic of theatre to you anywhere you can access internet streaming content—including your computer, your phone, your tablet, and your TV. Our monthly subscription is $8.99 USD and an annual subscription is $99.99 USD.

VRV

This is one of my all-time favorite streaming services, not just because of its low monthly price but because of how much content you get with it. If you're thinking of picking up a subscription to Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, Crunchyroll, Geek & Sundry, Mondo, Nerdist, Nicksplat, Rooster Teeth, or Shudder, do yourself a favor and check out VRV first because they offer all of those channels together as a bundle!

With megacorporations gobbling up streaming competitors left and right, I'm not sure how much longer VRV is going to be left to its own devices, so get this one while the gettin's good.

playstation-vue

Cable Alternatives & Cord-Cutters

CNET has a solid rundown of alternatives like Sling, DirecTV, Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue. Do your research here if you're looking to either gift someone a streaming subscription or plan to try one out yourself, because there are lots of options here that offer different levels of content for different price structures. PC Mag also has a nice breakdown of the pros and cons of each of these services, and more!

Tech

If you're looking for that extra edge in your A/V tech, be sure to check out Dolby's selection of products, some of which are included below:

dolby-gifts-1

dolby-gifts-2

dolby-gifts-3

dolby-gifts-4

dolby-gifts-5

dolby-gifts-6

Happy Holidays!

However you choose to spend the holidays and whomever you choose to spend them with, we want to wish you a fun, safe, and restorative holiday season, and a happy new year!

chilling-adventures-of-sabrina-christmas-special-images
Image via Netflix