We all know at least one self-confessed cinephile. You know the type: that friend who describes themselves as a “bit of a movie expert”, hero worships Quentin Tarantino, and enjoys bringing up their time studying film at university.
Love them or hate them, movie buffs can be hard to please when it comes to gift-giving. And so, as the holidays approach, we’ve compiled a selection of thoughtful ideas to appease even the fussiest Fincher fanatic. Here are three memorable gifts set to impress.
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1. Citizen Kane Framed Film Poster
Beautifully framed, classic film posters will forever be in vogue, and a quality print, like this one of Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, will make a thoughtful gift for fans of classic cinema. Popular with moviegoers of all stripes, the 1941 drama had a flawless Rotten Tomatoes score until last year, when it was dethroned from the revered top spot by Paddington 2 — the gritty tale of the marmalade-loving bear imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit.
Citizen Kane is widely considered to be one of the finest films ever made, and while posters can easily be Blu-Tacked, student-style, to a wall, a print of the American masterpiece deserves to be displayed with pride. This is where the professional framers come in, who can help elevate the gift to be that extra bit extra-special. London-based company Soho Frames, for instance, has a range of custom poster frames for artwork of any size, including large and extra large poster frames, to match not only the poster itself, but the room in which it will be hung.
2. Martin Scorsese Filmmaking Masterclass
Martin Scorsese, aka the father of filmmaking, has turned his talents to teaching via Masterclass – an online platform on which subscribers can access lectures by experts in their unique fields. While wannabe Scorseses won’t be able to interact with the Oscar winner himself, they will be able to learn his approach “from storytelling to editing to working with actors”, deconstruct films, and discover new ways to make and watch movies.
This is the ultimate gift for budding filmmakers (if you’ve got the cash to spare — it’s £168 for a year-long subscription). What’s more, there are many more notable directors, actors, and screenwriters to select from, such as David Lynch (Mulholland Drive), Jodie Foster (The Silence of the Lambs), and Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction).
3. The Film That Changed My Life: 30 Directors on Their Epiphanies in the Dark
The Film That Changed My Life is compulsory reading for film buffs. It’s not a coffee table book by any means, but a thought-provoking page-turner made to be devoured only by the most film-literate of readers. A love letter to the art of classic cinema, author Robert Elder delves into 30 directors’ appreciation of a piece they saw at a pivotal juncture in their careers, how it inspired their own work, and how it led them to think differently.
From Oscar winning director Danny Boyle’s take on Apocalypse Now, to veteran filmmaker Arthur Hiller’s homage to Rome, Open City — Roberto Rosselini’s harrowing drama about the Nazi occupation of Rome — this collection of stories is sacred, profoundly personal, and inspiring for film fanatics young and old.
