Girls On Top T-shirt
Celebrate your favourite women in film with this T-shirt made from 100 per cent organic and fair-trade cotton. Greta Gerwig, Ava Duvernay and Sigourney Weaver are a few of the names available at the TIFF Bell Lightbox gift shop. While you’re there, pick up a TIFF gift card (available in $25, $50 and $100 increments) as a stocking stuffer. You’ll score rave reviews from the cinephiles on your list.
$36.50, TIFF Shop at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King West)
Sharp Objects (Blu-ray)
Among the year’s best shows, Sharp Objects opens with two young sisters gliding on Rollerblades through a hollowed-out small town. Only later is it clear that these girls are ghosts, who, like the entire show, ride a fine line between past and present, haunting and cold comfort. That intoxicating opener lays out the sensuous and gothic style of a dramatic murder mystery about cyclical violence, both physical and emotional. The miniseries is a perfect gift for fans and even for those who don’t yet know a thing about the show. They’ll be glad they have it when star Amy Adams, and her entire crew, slay at the Emmys next year.
$44.95, Bay Street Video (1172 Bay)
The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties The Films Together
Film critic Adam Nayman’s new book on the Fargo filmmakers is the size of an atlas and functions like one, too, mapping out a world view according to the Coens’ canon. There’s a section per film, but the draw here is Nayman’s analysis on everything from Blood Simple to Hail, Caesar! He draws out the significance in less celebrated titles like The Ladykillers within the larger Coens universe, and finds spirited connections between Frances McDormand’s Marge in Fargo and Kelly Macdonald’s Carla Jean Moss in No Country For Old Men. The book is a must for fans, and it looks great on a coffee table.
$50, Indigo (various locations)
The Books Of Earthsea: The Complete Illustrated Edition
Fifty years after A Wizard Of Earthsea, the first novel in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea Cycle, was published, the books have been collected in a stunning hardcover tome. Accompanied by nearly 60 illustrations by fantasy artist Charles Vess, this collector’s edition was one of the beloved science fiction author’s final projects before she passed away in January. The Books Of Earthsea, coming in at over 1,000 pages, includes all five novels as well as Tales From Earthsea, a collection of short stories set in the world.
$80, Bakka-Phoenix Books (84 Harbord)
Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa by Jeremy Dutcher
The songs on Indigenous musician Jeremy Dutcher’s debut album were inspired by wax cylinder recordings of Wolastoqiyik people singing traditional songs, which the Toronto-based composer transcribed by ear and then sampled throughout. No wonder Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa received rave reviews from music critics this year and nabbed the 2018 Polaris Music Prize. Listen to the recording for years to come on vinyl.
$26.99, Sonic Boom Records (215 Spadina)
Cuisinart EasyPop Hot Air popcorn maker
Nothing beats movie theatre popcorn, but this machine makes a good runner-up for Netflix binges at home. It can make 15 cups in less than three minutes, and since it doesn’t use oil, it’s a healthier alternative to microwave popcorn.
$48.99, Kitchen Stuff Plus (various locations)
The Flame: Poems And Selections From Notebooks by Leonard Cohen
The beloved singer/songwriter’s last book of poetry, this splendid collection features lyrics, prose, miscellaneous notes and illustrations compiled by Leonard Cohen in the final months of his life. Exploring themes of love, sex and death, The Flame is a must-have for fans of poetry and of Cohen’s music.
$32.95, Type Books (883 Queen West, 2887 Dundas West, 427 Spadina)
JBL Flip 4 portable speaker
If you know someone still doing the whole makeshift speaker thing of sticking their smartphone into a plastic cup, it’s time to gift them a major upgrade. The JBL Flip 4 is a Bluetooth speaker that packs a powerful stereo sound. The rechargeable battery lasts for 12 hours, and the waterproof material means you don’t have to worry about spills or rain.
$139.99, Planet of Sound (1020 Queen West)
2001: A Space Odyssey Collection
Warner Bros. caps the 50th anniversary of Stanley Kubrick’s visionary sci-fi film with this pristine home edition, which really is the ultimate gift for anyone with a 4K set-up; the newly remastered image (scanned from the 65mm camera negative rather than stepped-down 35mm film elements) and recalibrated sound mix are a major improvement on the HD editions released more than a decade ago. And even if your designated recipient doesn’t have a 4K player yet, the package also includes a remastered Blu-ray that’ll keep them happy for now.
$33.99, Best Buy (various locations)
Kala soprano ukulele
The guitar gets all the glory, but ukuleles remain a wildly popular purchase for first-time musicians looking to get their feet wet without dropping a ton of cash or sacrificing living space. The Kala soprano model, with a mahogany body and satin finish, makes for a sturdy yet economical starter instrument.
$76.99, Steve’s Music (415 Queen West)
Mission: Impossible Collection
Like its self-punishing star, Tom Cruise, the M:I franchise is thrillingly resilient, with new directors giving Ethan Hunt’s adventures a different spin each go around. The gargantuan latest entry, Fallout, is the first to feature a returning filmmaker (Christopher McQuarrie). Everyone has their favourites, but the whole set is a safe bet for any action junkie.
$137.99 (4K) or $55.99 (Blu-ray), Best Buy (various locations)
Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild pins
These enamel pins, honouring giants from the world of art, literature, pop culture and more, come in sets of two. Tell that special person in your life: “We go together like Salvador Dali and a melting clock / Sylvia Plath and a bell jar / Vincent Van Gogh and a severed ear.”
$12.99, BMV Books (244 Queen West, and others)