Now that it’s post-Thanksgiving – the real holiday season, in my book – it’s time to start thinking about what to get for those movie lovers close to your heart. Speaking from personal experience, it’s oftentimes hard to surprise your movie lover with something, as they likely have every DVD you can think to get them, and what interests are more interesting than movies, anyway?
Fear not – I’ve got a few week’s worth of good ideas that will delight even the biggest movie nerd with a variety of gifts that reach beyond the $5 DVD section at Target.
This week, it’s movie-inspired t-shirts. And not lame ones either – hopefully you or your gift recipient can proudly rock any of these in public, either playing it cool under a blazer or serving it straight up, unadorned. What Not to Wear has nothing on these!
These picks run the price gamut from $14.99 to $75 and should be able to satisfy a variety of different wants from those movie nerds on your gift-giving list.
IFC CENTER’S CINEMETAL T-SHIRTS
These movie-inspired t-shirts, which are featured prominently in the lobby of the IFC Center in New York City, are now available online. What sets these t-shirts apart from the rest is that they are all fashioned to appear as if they are heavy metal shirts and each has a clever pun that ironically tie a given art film director into one of the most guilty pleasure-est music genres.
While there is no link to a specific shirt, my picks would be the John Carpenter-inspired shirt (in the guise of The Carpenters, get it?) or the very cool Fassbinder shirt, if you choose to rep German melodrama at its finest.
Priced at $27
Order this form – specify which one you want
Junk Food is probably one of the most notable companies that specialize in making more fashionable, fake vintage concert-style t-shirts. Luckily, they also seem to make ones having to do with movies, and have stuff for both men and women so if you have friends that are different genders who like movies (and don’t we all) you can likely find something that they will appreciate, and keep them fashion-forward in the process. All of their wares are made in the USA and out of super-soft combed cotton.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Tee
Priced at $19
This shirt is particularly gift-worthy in that it reps Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem of The Muppets as if they are a real live rock band… even though they kinda are, right? This t-shirt is also in a nice, feminine cut for the ladies out there and has an authentic vintage concert tee look – as if it’s been through hundreds of wash cycles since the release of The Muppet Movie in 1979.
Priced at $34
Make any gentleman in your life ready to take Charles Atlas by the ha-ha-hand when he wears this worn-looking Rocky Horror shirt! Girls can likely pull this one off too – and it’s a good option if someone is too lazy to dress up completely for a midnight screening.
ModCloth is an often daunting website to shop at because of the immense amount of stuff that they sell… also some items come in very small quantities. Nevertheless, it’s worth scoping out from time to time, as they do tend to cater to the artsy tastes of that special movie loving lady in your life.
Priced at $45
Any well-versed cinephile knows a thing or two about Woody Allen, so this tank is poised to please even the nerdist of ladies in need of a movie-themed garment. It also has the fashion factor of having a flattering cut and is designed by the UK-based label CCKT, which sounds impressive, at least.
Priced at $42.99
Sure, “The Great Gatsby” is a book… but it has been adapted into film form several times, so it counts, right? This is a sweatshirt, so it will keep whoever you give it to fairly warm (which is certainly a plus) and it can be dressed up or down, depending on the person’s inclination. And who wouldn’t want to feign intelligence in public by emblazoning their torso with a literary reference?
If you are a gentleman – or a lady looking for some cool t-shirts to wear as jammies – Urban Outfitters kind of has you covered. With t-shirts pimping everything from Breaking Bad to Step Brothers (boats and hos!) there are a lot of options to please even the most esoteric of tastes. Here are some of my top picks.
Priced at $28
While I personally have only seen the Star Wars trilogy once, I have MANY friends who are absolutely obsessed with all-things Star Wars, and this happens to be a particularly cool and creative t-shirt. It is faux vintage, which is always a plus, and will make whoever sports it look like a badass. I would end this blurb with a Star Wars quote, but I’m coming up empty.
Priced at $24
Gizmo ain’t nuthin’ ta fuck wit.
Are you prepared to drop some cash and impress whoever is on your buying list? Legendary French designer agnès b has been making t-shirts with iconic logos for years that speak to the cinephile in all of us.
J’aime le cinéma Tee
Priced at $75
This women’s t-shirt is an agnès b signature, and pretty much states the obvious for any of your female friends who love movies… and who love fashion.
It also comes in black. Vive la variété!
PUNK SHIRTS ROCK
Punk Shirts Rock has a store on Etsy, which features hand-screen printed, unisex shirts with a large variety of music and film logos, ranging from the Edward Scissorhands shirt pictured above to The Evil Dead 2. I’ve listed some of my picks below, since we’re all film nerds, right?
Blue Velvet Tee
Priced at $14.99
If “BABY WANTS BLUE VELVET!!!!!!!” this might be a good gift idea. Frank Booth pops off a black t-shirt in an appropriately eerie silhouette – just pop open a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon and drink and you’re all set.
Maybe include this with a DVD copy of the film and a six-pack of Frank’s beloved PBR for a fun gift basket.