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The 2020 pop culture gift guide

by TYLER WILSON/Coeur Voice contributor
| November 28, 2020 1:00 AM

The purveyors of pop culture always find new ways to get our money.

While most humans have warmly embraced digital platforms in recent years, devotees of physical media (like Blu-rays, vinyl records and actual handheld books) continue to blow entire paychecks on “cool stuff,” even in a dumpster-fire year like 2020. Hey, don’t judge us! We’re supporting the economy!

If you’ve got a pop culture nerd in your life, consider helping them save money and gift them some of these neat, new movies, books, comics, music, collectibles, trinkets, doo-dads and more.

Feed “The Mandalorian” love in the most hipster way possible

The Disney+ series, currently in its second season, delivers on most metrics valued by longtime “Star Wars” fans. Add The Child (aka Baby Yoda) and you have a certifiable pop culture phenomenon.

Yes, you can buy about 1,000 products adorned with Baby Yoda’s face (and I’ve purchased about 900 of them), but those classy “Mandalorian” fans may want to show off their refined tastes by spinning the show’s first season soundtrack on vinyl (Wal-Mart sells a decidedly less-classy “picture-disc” version that deviates from that classic record look). Still, the score by acclaimed composer Ludwig Goransson adds an evocative, Western vibe while still incorporating the gravitas of an OG John Williams soundtrack. $20.

Why would you buy Netflix movies on physical media? Because Criterion.

Anyone with a Netflix subscription can watch and rewatch the streaming service’s major recent Oscar contenders at any given time. Yet, fans of Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” and Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” will likely salivate over their recent Criterion Collection Blu-ray releases. Why? Because the Criterion Collection is the go-to physical media for film snobs, and the Blu-rays come packed with director-approved bonus features you can’t get on Netflix.

The same logic applies to two more recent Criterion Collection releases: Best Picture Oscar winner “Parasite” and the acclaimed French drama “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” Both movies stream for Hulu subscribers, but Criterion always delivers exclusive experiences, including a new commentary from director Bong Joon-ho on “Parasite” as well as a black-and-white version of the movie. $20-30.

Insurance for the streaming wars

Just a couple years ago you could find all your favorite shows in one or two online services. Netflix used to have “Friends” before it jumped to HBO Max, and “The Office” will soon bail on the streaming king to its new exclusive home on NBC’s Peacock service (which comes with ads, further hindering the series’ glorious bingeability flow).

If you’re tired of paying for 10 different streaming services, then consider picking up some ultra-cheap physical copy versions of your favorite series. The complete, nine-season run of “The Office” on DVD regularly sells on Amazon for around $45, and the season sets include deleted scenes, commentaries and more bonus features. The seven-season set of “Parks & Recreation” has dipped below $30 on Amazon lately, and the 10-season “Friends” set routinely hovers around $50.

And look, I don’t know if it’s streaming anywhere, but why don’t you do yourself a favor and spend the best $75 of your life on the “Golden Girls” Complete Series DVD set.

For people with coffee tables not covered in kid toys and granola bar wrappers

All the nice stuff in my house still hides behind baby gates. But for people without little monsters running around, nothing ties a room together quite like a coffee table adorned with big, fancy hardcover books (although a rug and a White Russian will also do the job).

For the film aficionado in your life, consider the new “Paul Thomas Anderson Masterworks” book by Adam Nayman, a sprawling, photo-filled hardcover book you can also use for at-home strength training. Learn about the likes of “There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights,” “The Master,” and more of Anderson’s brilliant filmography, including the routinely-underrated “Punch-Drunk Love.” $40.

Oh, and if you caught the “Big Lebowski” reference two paragraphs ago, you might also want to check out Nayman’s equally-excellent coffee table book, “The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together.” $30.

For nerds with a filthy sense of humor

The Everett, Wash. based toy collectible company Funko makes vinyl figurines for pretty much EVERY corner of pop culture, from Disney and multiple Bill Murray movies to NFL stars and “The Walking Dead.” A recently-released line celebrates the long-running Fxx series, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” It’s about as foul-mouthed as shows get, and Danny DeVito routinely finds himself in compromising situations. Still, few shows have remained as consistently funny over the years.

The new Funko Pop! line celebrates the “Always Sunny” gang in their “Nightman Cometh” costumes. “Nightman Cometh,” of course,” is Charlie’s (Charlie Day) amateur rock opera. Now you can own a handheld version of Dayman, Nightman, DeVito’s “troll,” and more. It’s a great episode, and probably more appropriate as a vinyl toy line compared to, say, the gang’s unofficial production of “Lethal Weapon 5.” $10 each.

When you can’t stand another second of “Uno” or “Sorry!”

Some of my kids are too young to read, and so the board gaming in our house can be pretty boring. No mucho Uno. A great alternative recently has been “Charades for Kids - The “No Reading Required” Family Game. It’s classic Charades but with cards that include both the word and a picture of the thing the kids are supposed to imitate. Best of all, our 3-year-old can keep up with his older siblings. $15.

For the blockbuster fanatic in desperate need of something new

Most of the big movies of 2020 abandoned theaters in favor of a hopefully-safer 2021. The year will end without a big Marvel movie, but the oft-delayed “Wonder Woman 1984” (originally set for release this past summer) will debut on Christmas Day, both in open thea

ters and for a brief window on streaming for subscribers of HBO Max. There are other things on the streaming service too, including a buzzy reunion of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” $15/month, and be on the lookout for free trials and discounts.

Additionally, those who didn’t brave theaters this summer to see Christopher Nolan’s latest adventure, “Tenet” will be available on Blu-ray and digital rental on Dec. 15. $20ish. It sounds like it’s the kind of movie you need multiple viewings to understand anyway.

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Tyler Wilson has been writing about movies for Inland Northwest publications since 2000. He co-hosts “Old Millennials Remember Movies,” available everywhere you find podcasts. He can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.