WWTW’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide

If you thought DVDs made the perfect stocking stuffer, then you’ve never held a slim Blu-ray case in your hands.

Why not make the switch to Blu-ray this holiday season and watch classic movies the way they were meant to be seen?

The following discs (both DVD and Blu-ray) are available now for your shopping consideration.

• “March of the Wooden Soldiers” – (DVD) This one’s personal. Laurel and Hardy star as errant toymakers who get mixed up with Silas Barnaby (Henry Brandon), one of the great screen villains of my movie-watching childhood. It’s a classic farce capped by a battle royale between Barnaby’s minions and the titular soldiers.
• The Home Alone Collection” – (Blu-ray) The movie that made Macaulay Culkin a star and its high profile sequel raised the bar on slapstick comedy – and the amount of pain the bad guys can endure. The Blu-ray pack features the two Culkin-led films and not the third entry in the franchise.
• “Night at the Museum” – (DVD and Blu-ray) Is this Ben Stiller comedy a classic? Nope. Is it overstuffed with funny characters, iconic actors like Mickey Rooney and wondrous special effects? To quote an infamous ex-governor, “you betcha!”

• ” The Graduate” – (DVD and Blu-ray) “Plastics.” If that word doesn’t stir something in you, then rush right out and experience one of the ’60s most socially relevant films. If it does, then there’s plenty of joy in watching Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) get crushed by societal expectations all over again.
• “Psycho: 50th Anniversary Edition” (Blu-ray) – “Norman, is that you?” Oh, yeah, and he looks as crisp and well preserved as he did when he first hit theaters in 1960 thanks to a pristine film transfer. There’s a reason certain horror films endure.
• “How to Train Your Dragon“- (DVD and Blu-ray) It’s hard to call any recent film a potential classic – only time and evolving tastes can make that distinction. But this delightful tale of a young viking (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and his scaly friend is a delight for the here and now.
• “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (DVD) – Few films capture the mania of holiday travel as well as this John Hughes confection, and the pairing of John Candy and Steve Martin is inspired.
• “Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition” (Blu-ray) – Gag gifts never get old, and here’s one the recipient will actually watch. Or re-gift and pass along the guilty pleasures.
• “The Princess Bride” (Blu-ray and DVD) – It’s in-con-seee-vable your friends and family won’t love this fractured fairy tale.
• “Elf” (DVD and Blu-ray) – It’s all but impossible to create a film that can stand tall amongst the likes of “Miracle on 34th street” and those magical Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. But the 2003 film “Elf” managed just such a feat, and it only gets more endearing with repeated viewings. And say hello to Buddy the Elf over at Facebook.

Note: From now until Dec. 5, shoppers visiting the official FoxConnect store can find up to 70 percent off on the site’s collection of TV and film Blu-ray and DVD titles, with some as little as $4 each.

Related posts:

1. Your Valentine’s Day movie guide
2. Comment of the Week: Pixar’s gift to the next generation
3. Are the classic Universal monsters obsolete in 2010?
4. Summer 2010: The Must-See Poll
5. Reflections on Memorial Day 2010