Movie gift guide: From 'Apes' to Spielberg
The holiday season is stocked with a variety of offerings for movie lovers, from a Planet of the Apes set to a Werner Herzog collection. Here's a selection of Paste BN's top picks:
Fox Searchlight Pictures: 20th Anniversary Collection
Fox Searchlight; Blu-ray, $125.99
Celebrating two decades of Fox Searchlight cinema, the collection features 20 iconic films chosen for their cultural impact, awards recognition and box-office success. Oscar best-picture winners Slumdog Millionaire (2008) and 12 Years a Slave (2013) are included, as well as classic comedies such as The Brothers McMullen, The Full Monty, Sideways and Napoleon Dynamite.
Planet of the Apes: Caesar's Warrior Collection
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; Blu-ray, $129.99
Special editions of Rise of the Planet of the Apes and its second chapter Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are included. The Caesar bust was designed by the special effects masters at Weta Digital, which has pioneered the ape work for the films. The set offers a 32-page booklet exploring Weta, collectible character cards, and more than five hours of special features.
Universal Classic Monsters: Complete 30-Film Collection
Universal; DVD, $199.98
From the studio that defined the horror genre, here's every original film featuring Hollywood's most iconic monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Phantom of the Opera and Creature from the Black Lagoon. Starring legendary actors Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr., Claude Rains and Elsa Lanchester in the roles they made famous.
Steven Spielberg Director's Collection
Universal; Blu-ray, $199.98; DVD, $119.98
Eight films from the master filmmaker, including Duel (1971),The Sugarland Express (1974), Jaws (1975), 1941 (1979), E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Always (1989), Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). The collection showcases movies the three-time Academy Award winner made for Universal. Bonus material includes making-of documentaries and exclusive interviews with Spielberg.
Star Trek: The Compendium
Paramount; Blu-ray, $39.99
Director J.J. Abrams' Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness set a course for this true Trekkie home entertainment package. The set includes four Blu-ray discs with both films in high definition and the IMAX version of Into Darkness, along with the Into Darkness director's commentary. The collection also boasts never-before-released footage from Into Darkness, including a gag reel.
Herzog: The Collection
Shout! Factory; Blu-ray, $159.99
Limited to 5,000 copies, the 13-disc box set features 16 acclaimed films and documentaries by Werner Herzog, 15 of which are making their Blu-ray debuts. The collection also features a 40-page booklet with photos, an essay by award-winning author Stephen J. Smith and in-depth film synopses by Herzog scholars Brad Prager and Chris Wahl.
Bing Crosby: The Silver Screen Collection
Universal; DVD, $199.98
The legendary performer is captured in 24 of his most memorable films — from his Academy Award-winning performance in 1944's best picture Going My Way to his series of classic comedic "Road" films with Bob Hope. Crosby croons some of his most memorable songs here, such as June In January, Swinging On a Star, Sweet Leilani and the classic White Christmas from Holiday Inn.
Halloween: The Complete Collection
Anchor Bay and Scream Factory; Blu-ray, $169.99
For the legions of Halloween horror fans, the limited deluxe edition of the complete collection boasts 15 discs and contains all the films in the series, including Halloween, Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch. The set includes the never-before-released producer's cut of Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
Ghostbusters Limited Edition Gift Set
Sony; Blu-ray, $149.99
Slime is back, in a limited-edition gift set that includes Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II Blu-ray discs. Both films have been fully restored and remastered in 4K resolution. Also included are a collectible Slimer figurine and two-disc digibook. Bonus materials include new conversations with director Ivan Reitman and star Dan Aykroyd, as well as never-before-seen deleted scenes from Ghostbusters II.
Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; Blu-ray, $199.99
Fifteen years after his death, the Kubrick estate has granted full access to all Stanley Kubrick films and photography archives.The 10-disc Blu-ray set includes eight Kubrick classics: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut. The set includes the newly produced documentary Kubrick Remembered and a 78-page hardcover photo book using film archive photographs.