We are already well into the holiday season and Christmas is only a week away. With television replaying all the classic Christmas movies lately, it’s time to look back and reflect on what Christmas is all about: the gifts. Giving and receiving is great but shopping can be a disaster. Searching to get something for that special person is stressful, especially when you have no clue what you are looking for. Well the good news is that movies are there to provide inspiration for us during a time of need. Here are ten gift ideas chosen from holiday films.
10. A Wooden Pickle from Bad Santa
Yes, the look of confusion and disgust on the face of the person receiving this gift would mimic Billy Bob Thornton’s, but this present is affordable and easy to build. Just don’t cut your hand while making it, a pickle should be painted green and not covered in blood.
9. An Expensive Necklace from Love Actually
Want to be a classy for Christmas and impress the person you love? Buy a really expensive piece of jewelry and have it wrapped excessively by someone who looks like Mr. Bean. Word of advice, make sure your loved one doesn’t find it hidden in your coat pocket and then discover it was never for them but actually for someone you want to sleep with. If this happens then you better hope to God you are Alan Rickman and you do know how to make a love potion from the set of Harry Potter.
8. Turbo Man from Jingle All The Way
This movie is the best comedy of all time because of how hilariously awful it is. Seriously though, if you have a young kid or baby brother who likes action figures, Turbo Man is the best toy ever. Want to know why? Every time you’re playing with it just picture Arnold Schwarzenegger dressed as Turbo Man and imagine how painful and humiliating it would be for him. Conan the Barbarian, the Terminator, Commando, dressed in red spandex. Priceless.
7. Any Gift Jack Skellington Gives You From The Nightmare Before Christmas
A lanky skeleton in a Santa outfit isn’t the most conventional image of Kris Kringle you can think of. In fact it’s pretty creepy. But Jack Skellington does his best to make Christmas happen the only way he knows how to and appeal to all the children who don’t live in Halloween Town. Even if that means kidnapping the real Santa and giving horrifying presents to everyone on his list. Come on though, its Jack’s first Christmas ever, what do you expect from someone who only celebrates Halloween? At least he’s trying.
6. A Dream House from Miracle on 34th Street
This one is tricky because you kind of have to be friends with Santa for him to hook you up with a home. Either that or on Christmas day you need the luck that when driving down a random street you see the house your loved one has always dreamed of and it’s for sale. However, in the movie, Santa only gave little Susan her dream home, he didn’t pay off the mortgage. Even back then houses weren’t cheap. So beware, in our current economy this gift could backfire horribly and leave you in debt for life. But come on, it’s a dream house!!!!!!
5. Talkboy from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
The Talkboy was a prop used by Macaulay Culkin in the movie that proved so popular it was developed into a real toy. It was a little shallow and its fun value was only temporary nevertheless the trouble it could get you into was endless. Recording people’s voices and using it for your own good. Who wouldn’t want that? I know everyone has their own evil schemes about impersonating others and the Talkboy could make nightmares come true.
4. Money from Donnie Brasco
Okay, so technically a gangster movie is not a Christmas movie but there are gifts exchanged in Donnie Brasco. Some would call it the best gift of all actually. Hundred dollar bills stuffed into a Christmas card, simple and effective. You can buy anything you want with money and Al Pacino displays this perfectly. So next time you give someone a card with cash in it just remember the mafia was somehow involved.
3. A Rehabilitated Sense of Living from It’s a Wonderful Life
Everyone has it rough during the holidays with bills to pay, decorating to do and people to feed turkey to. There are some however, who have it a lot worse than others and need support and guidance to realize their life is worth living. Now what James Stewart goes through in this movie is a “special” type of help that only drug addicts or crazy people will witness but nonetheless he is saved at the end. He has a new sense of living all thanks to the people close to him. This gift may be difficult to give but it’s worth it. Then again stuff like this only happens in movies for a reason. Easier said than done.
2. John McClane from Die Hard
I don’t care what anyone says Die Hard is a Christmas movie, a classic one too. John McClane kills terrorists and saves the day on Christmas Eve, twice. There is nothing cooler than that. I would love to see Santa attempt anything John McClane does without killing himself or injuring Rudolph. I know women would love having McClane for Christmas, God only knows what they would do to him. For men (well the straight ones) it would be a different kind of love. Imagine playing Call of Duty with McClane or getting drunk with him. Awesome. So how do you get John McClane for someone for Christmas? I haven’t thought of a reasonable explanation yet but I assume it starts with phoning Bruce Willis and asking him to meet you somewhere dressed as McClane. White sleeveless shirt, no shoes on, and smoking a cigarette.
1. Red Ryder BB Gun from A Christmas Story
The best Christmas movie of all time has memorable gift ideas aplenty: the leg lamp, Aunt Clara’s pajamas, Randy’s toy zeppelin. The most famous of course is Ralphie’s dream gift, the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle. Everyone who watches this movie secretly hopes they can have one too. Forget shooting your eye out, this gift is wanted among millions of people and it deserves to be so. On an unrelated side note that has nothing to do with Christmas, Ralphie grew up and directed 2007’s Couples Retreat with Vince Vaughn. So random.
So there you have it, the top ten Christmas gifts received in film, hope you enjoyed it!