By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
It’s December this weekend, and you know what that means! We’ve all waited until the semi-last minute to do our Christmas shopping, but unlike our parents and extended family, our friends tend to have more unique tastes, which makes our timing even more stressful. Not to fret though, as I’m here to give you several suggestions for Christmas gifts this year. Even if you hate them, they might inspire you to get something even more awesome!
For the film buffs…
2012 has been a fantastic year for film, but unfortunately, most of those films won’t be on DVD and Blu-ray until next year. For the friends who are very particular about movies, Wes Anderson has made what is bound to be a universal favourite called Moonrise Kingdom, a delightful story of two children who fall in love in 1965. Moonrise Kingdom was released on DVD and two-disc Blu-ray October 16. But maybe your friend doesn’t want Edward Norton dressed as a camp counselor; maybe they want something a little more violent. Well, the Tarantino XX box set of eight Tarantino movies should suffice! Whether it’s Best Buy, Future Shop, or the rare HMV, both can be found just about anywhere.
For the gamers…
Just about everybody has played Team Fortress 2 at this point, especially since it went free-to-play last year. TF2 has a very particular fan base, one that is silly and horrifically aggressive, and with the release of their last character trailer for the terrifyingly insane Pyro, a gift has come out that every TF2 fan will fall in love with: the Inflatable Balloonicorn! This cute little pink creature is currently on sale at the Valve store (http://store.valvesoftware.com/product.php?i=ATF005T). Another game with an intense fanbase, and also another Valve product, is Portal. Portal’s popularity has withstood the test of time, and since Portal 2 (2011), even more merch has come out. One of the more recent pieces is the Inflatable Personality Core: adorable and oh so squishy, this item can be purchased over at ThinkGeek (http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f128/).
For the traditionalists…
Maybe your more hardcore Star Wars-fan friends have been feeling betrayed as of late due to the sale of Lucasfilm to Disney. Well, odds are if they’re a fan of Star Wars, they’re probably (if not secretly) fans of Star Trek as well. No, I’m not generalizing; I think we all need to accept this is true by now. That said, I’ve got one last inflatable gift that I think any Star Trek fan would flip at: the Inflatable Captain’s Chair. Now in adult sizes, this chair is a must have for any sci-fi geek, and thus can be purchased at ThinkGeek (http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/e9ce/).
For the modernists…
I use the term modernist ironically, as both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been around longer than anything previously mentioned. But since the film adaptations, popularity has obviously grown. So for your token J.R.R. Tolkien fans, I offer the cute and warm Hobbit Feet Socks. These lovingly woven toe socks can be purchased on the J!NX clothing site (http://www.jinx.com/p/the_hobbit_feet_socks.html?catid=).
Finally, remember to order these or any other online gifts as soon as possible! Never forget that shipping can take from two to three weeks!
