In this hectic time of year, deciding on gifts for friends and family should be the easiest item on your holiday To-Do List. Fanbase Press is here to help with the best recommendations for the must-watch movies as suggested by our staff and contributors. Whether you prefer to binge-watch on Netflix or like the look of Blu-ray sets on a shelf, the following films are perfect to share with the geeks in your life this holiday season.
Title: The Northman
Recommended by: Carl Wilson
What if Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Disney’s The Lion King had central characters that fought naked in a volcano, while the ancient gods intoned prophesised destiny through mystic spirits, aided by a dead jester’s skull and a blade that only seeks blood at night, all wrapped up as a tonal poem that oscillates wildly between black and slightly-less black? That would make it The Northman. There’s also a brief interlude for sports, a grotesque jigsaw of body parts, and Ethan Hawke howls like a wolf.
From director Robert Eggers, the man that brought us other historically situated nightmares, The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019), comes a story adapted from the Saxo Grammaticus source. A hulking stone statue of muscle and vengeful rage, Viking prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) seeks revenge on his king-turned-slaver uncle (Claes Bang) and his slightly incestuous mother (Nicole Kidman), with the help of a beautiful witch (Anya Taylor-Joy). Emotions are dangerously repressed while blood is violently expressed on the screen. Sure, Amleth doesn’t stop to consider that he might not entirely be the good guy here, but hakuna matata, it’s one hell of a trip to “hel.”
Cost: $9.48
Click here to purchase.
Title: The Batman
Recommended by: Carl Wilson
Where Batman is fixated on his past, The Batman takes all past-precedent and attempts to shape something different, covered in scratches, saturated red hues, and grubby finger-marks. In many ways, The Batman feels less like something fresh from Hollywood and something closer to those old 16mm film reels they find in an ancient collector’s vault, someplace random like Argentina, and the piecemeal movie remnants have been minimally dusted off and aired for the first time, with searing burns, tears, and imperfections included. And that, for me at least, is something to get very excited about, especially when Marvel films are starting to feel rote and uninspiring.
The Batman is also a generous film. The performances by Robert Pattinson (as Batman), Zoë Kravitz (Catwoman), and Colin Farrell (the Penguin) are some of their best. Viewers might find references to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Bullitt (1968), and Chinatown (1976) tucked away on screen precisely because it is a film that encourages positive comparisons to them; same with the earlier Batmen of page and screen that are all fairly represented. The Batman bites into something deep, and from that gush of history, blood, and guttural growls comes a new reason to love superheroes and their movies.
Cost: $9.48
Click here to purchase.
Title: UHF: 25th Anniversary Edition
Recommended by: Barbra Dillon
After 25 years, UHF has become a cult classic full of comedy gold for those “in the know,” and fans are being treated to an incredible Blu-ray anniversary edition, courtesy of the fine folx at Shout! Factory. For those who may be unfamiliar with the film, “Weird Al” Yankovic is George Newman, a daydreamer who becomes the manager of a small TV station that’s losing money as quickly as it’s losing viewers. Before long, he’s programming shows like Stanley Spadowski’s Clubhouse, Wheel of Fish, and Raul’s Wild Kingdom. But can Channel 62’s new popularity save it from sinister forces?
The film is packed with cameos from comedy legends in their prime, including Victoria Jackson, Kevin McCarthy, Michael Richards, Gedde Watanabe, and more! Bonus features for the Blu-ray include an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, and a retrospective panel live from San Diego Comic-Con 2014!
Cost: $18.97
Click here to purchase.
