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18 Brilliant Gifts for the Movie Buff in Your Life
How to make a cinephile happy this holiday season.
Got a movie lover on your shopping list this year? If you've exhausted your movie poster, Blu-ray, and Funko ideas, treat them to one of these excellent gifts.
1. Blockbuster Movie Quiz Game; $22
Test your knowledge of movies from Blockbuster’s heyday in the 1990s with this card game. Think of it as a film version of Charades, where players use quotes, descriptions, and scenes to act out popular hits. A sequel, Blockbuster Returns ($11), features more recent titles.
Buy It: Amazon
2. Clipology; $25
Test your movie trivia skills with this cloud-based game that uses actual film clips as well as an analog board and card set.
Buy It: Amazon
3. Sony UBP-X700M 4K Blu-Ray Player; $190
If streaming services keep knocking your favorite films out of their libraries, consider a return to physical media. This Sony model features true 4K playback and High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities.
Buy It: Amazon
4. Regal Gift Card; $25-$500
No matter how big your television, nothing beats the theatrical experience. A Regal gift card can be redeemed at any Regal theater and is good for both tickets and concessions.
Buy It: Amazon
5. The Movie Critic’s Notebook; $8
Keep track of all the films you’ve watched with this log book, which lets you jot down titles, directors, and notes.
Buy It: Amazon
6. Sony S100F Soundbar with Bass Reflex Speaker; $98
This Sony sound bar brings the movie theater experience into your living room with a compact sound system that turns any movie (or television series, football game, etc.) into a totally immersive experience. You’ll never see—or hear—blockbusters like Jurassic Park (1993) quite the same way again.
Buy It: Amazon
7. IMDb Top 100 Movies Scratch-Off Poster; $25
IMDb users have strong feelings about their favorite movies, and the site's top 100 is often reflective of the best films to check out. Keep track of how many of the iconic films included in this officially-licensed poster you’ve already seen by scratching off the titles.
Buy It: Amazon
8. Auking Mini Projector; $58
This full high definition (HD) mini projector from Auking is all about flexibility and is one of the best gifts for cinephiles. It’s small enough to easily be moved for both indoor and outdoor screenings, and its ports are compatible with laptops, smartphones, tablets, USB drives, and even the Xbox One. With projection displays reaching up to 170 inches, it pairs perfectly with the inflatable movie screen featured below.
Buy It: Amazon
9. Fire TV Stick 4K; $25
Give the gift of unlimited entertainment with the Amazon Fire Stick 4K, which lets viewers watch more than a million movies and TV episodes across Netflix, Prime, Disney+, and other major streaming networks. Even the biggest movie buff is sure to find a new favorite with that many options to choose from. Plus, users can access Alexa through the device and use it to check the weather and control smart home features when they’re not watching TV.
Buy It: Amazon
10. KHOMO GEAR Inflatable Movie Screen With Storage Bag; $180
Turn any gathering into a movie party with this gigantic inflatable movie screen that can be blown up for either indoor or outdoor use. Stick it in the basement for your kid’s next sleepover party or, when the weather allows, set it up right next to the pool; have all your guests grab a raft or inner tube, and settle in for an immersive screening experience. The included blower makes setting it up easy. The screen measures 13 feet in height and 8 feet across, so there won’t be a bad seat (or flotation device) in the house.
Buy It: Amazon
11. Cinephile: A Card Game; $18
Cinephile offers a variety of game types—including its own take on trivia and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. But where Cinephile really stands out is in the fully illustrated cards themselves, which pay as much attention to blockbusters like 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road as they do to indie hits like 2016’s The Lobster.
Buy It: Amazon
12. Cinemaps: An Atlas of 35 Great Movies; $18
Looking for a unique gift for film buffs? They can pore over the details and locations of dozens of great flicks with this book of original maps from artist Andrew DeGraff. They’ll be able to visit Kong Island (from 1933's King Kong), Hill Valley (from 1985’s Back to the Future), and many other movie-famous locales. Each illustration is accompanied by an essay from film critic A.D. Jameson.
Buy It: Amazon
13. Jaws Blanket; $30
As gifts for film buffs go, this 50-inch by 60-inch blanket featuring the iconic poster art from 1975’s Jaws is a cozy choice. It's made from polyester and micro-plush fleece, so it should be great for the next Spielberg binge watch your giftee partakes in, too.
Buy It: Amazon
14. Elite Gourmet Electric Popcorn Maker; $24
There’s something about fresh, buttered popcorn that elevates any movie-watching experience. This countertop popcorn maker brings the classic cinema treat into the home. It pops 12 cups of kernels in 3 minutes, and there’s even a butter warmer on top of the cover to recreate the experience of drenching popcorn in melted butter before heading into the theater.
Buy it: Amazon
15. Govee Envisual TV LED Backlights; $80
This clever device uses dynamic lighting to make your TV feel bigger than it really is. As the movie plays on screen, an intelligent camera analyzes the image and tells the LED backlights to display matching colors in real time.
Buy it: Amazon
16. Movie Night Popcorn Buckets; $8
Enjoy the movie theater experience at home with these paper popcorn buckets, which are ideal for holding your favorite movie snack. Each order contains 15 buckets standing 7.75 inches tall. You can also grab a bulk order of 110 buckets for just $32.
Buy It: Amazon
17. Retro Snack Sign; $10
Direct your movie-loving guests to the snacks with this retro sign that harkens back to the golden era of theaters.
Buy It: Amazon
18. The Curious Movie Buff; $21
We can’t really be objective about The Curious Movie Buff, Mental Floss’s definitive trivia and knowledge guide to some of the best movies of the past 50 years. But we’re confident we’ve stuffed every page of this gorgeously designed tome with facts and insight into some of your favorite films. If you love movies, you’ll want this on your coffee table.
Buy It: Amazon
A version of this article was originally published in 2018; it has been updated for 2023.