Showing posts with label The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide. Show all posts

The Movies We Loved: A Gift Givers Guide

 

Man, do we miss the movies. Back in the day, they were the escape we needed from our tiny bland lives and we spent weekends holed up in dark theaters mesmerized by the stories unfolding on the giant screen while scarfing tubs of popcorn soaked in fake butter. If you haven't been able to get back out to the cinema, here are a few holiday gifts for the cinephile in your life that pay homage to the movies that made us.

Really, there are few people alive of a certain age that haven't had the pleasure of going along for the ride of a lifetime with Jake and Elwood after their release from prison. This redemption tale had it all, music, love, run-ins with the law, and everyone's favorite penguin, Sister Mary Stigmata. If you're anything like us, you love a good movie poster, but you know what's even better? Comical interpretations! This Mixtiles minimalist take is ideal for displaying your appreciation of one of the best lines in the movie. 

Years ago, someone gave me a pair of socks emblazoned with the design from the infamous carpet at the Overlook Hotel. I was taken aback by the kindness and generosity of the gift and appreciative of the gift-givers thoughtful understanding of my love for movies, but I was always sad that the little slice of cinematic awesomeness would be hidden between my pant leg and my shoe. Now your obsession with watching Jack Torrance spiral into insanity can be on full display in your living room! Behold, The Overlook Hotel rug!

You are now entering the debarkation area. No talking, no smoking. Follow the orange line. After the president of the United States crash-landed in the maximum-security prison that was once Manhattan (in a fictional 1997 no less!), who else but Snake Plissken could save him?! This bleak grimy portrayal of the potential future for the city that never sleeps kept us up at night as kids but it did nothing to diminish our love for the effortless cool of Escape From New York's anti-hero. The best part of every morning can now be the famous line on your coffee cup.

What did you think was going to happen if we introduced lifelike robots into our society and then treated them poorly enough to fuel a bloody revolt? Welcome to Blade Runner and the beautiful but terrifying peek into what we hoped would not be our future! In a film filled with quotable lines and memorable moments, nearly everyone agrees that Roy Batty's speech to Deckard at the end of the movie is a universal favorite. 

Some people would argue that Cher's finest decade was the '70s, but I'm of the opinion that she was the queen of the '80s. Her filmography from that time period kicked off with the seminal Silkwood and from there she kept churning out quality performances in films like Mask, Suspect, and The Witches of Eastwick before rounding out a ten-year run with fan favorite, Moonstruck. As widowed bookkeeper Loretta Castorini, she was the perfect romantic interest for the wildman with one hand, Ronny Cammareri. His over-the-top theatrics make us remember why we loved Nic Cage so much during his Raising Arizona years and this tee shirt featuring his most ridiculous line of dialog will delight fellow movie lovers wherever you wear it.


The 2014 Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide

Guess what? Here's the official 2014 Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide for your viewing and consuming pleasure. Everything a music lover could want!

AwoX StriimLIGHT mini Color
I'm going to tell you why you will want need a light bulb for Christmas: the AwoX StriimLIGHT mini Color will do anything you need except carve your turkey. First of all, the bulb has 16 million colors. No, it doesn't come in 16 million different colors, it emits 16 million colors. You can pick your favorite or just have it smoothly move from one to another. Plus, it has a 3W speaker and Bluetooth so you can transmit your favorite playlists from your phone to your light. Seriously, this thing is from the future. And did I mention it comes with its own remote control too?



Sol Republic PUNK Wireless Speaker
This is the perfect little wireless Bluetooth speaker: small enough to pack anywhere, but loud enough to pack a punch. It's sleek and comes in seven eye-catching colors. This is perfect for a dorm room, bedroom, or your cubicle.

Look: we all love these albums. We ranked Nation Of Millions as the best rap album of the '80s. The Deluxe Edition of Nation Of Millions contains thirteen remixes. The Deluxe Edition of Fear Of A Black Planet boasts eighteen remixes. If you're a Public Enemy fan, these belong in your collection.

R.E.M.'s 1991 concert on MTV's Unplugged was one of the best of the series, and a pivotal moment for the band and its fans. Coupled for the first time with the band's 2001 appearance on Unplugged, this 33-song set is a must for every R.E.M. fan.

We crowned Songs From The Big Chair the best album of 1985, so to say we were pretty psyched about this release is an understatement. The Super Deluxe version comes with 4 CDs and 2 DVDs. There are tons of remixes, as well as acapella, instrumental, and live versions of all your favorite songs. If you loved Songs, you need this.

This is the captivating autobiography of The Slits' Liv Albertine. Albertine pulls no punches in Clothes, especially when she turns the microscope on herself. Hell, the book starts out with the following introduction: "Anyone who writes an autobiography is either a twat or broke. I'm a bit of both," so you know you're in for a great ride. The book is packed with fascinating stories and images from the punk guitarist that influenced countless musicians, and is perfect for any fan of The Slits or punk music.


Disclosure: We received review copies of the products mentioned above for consideration of inclusion in our gift guide. These are the best of the items we received.

The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide: For Nostalgia's Sake

In our fourth and final edition of the holiday gift guide, we bring you gifts of nostalgia: books, movies, trinkets and the like that will make you say "yeah, the '80s WERE totally rad."

Item: The Goonies 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition DVD

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: To celebrate the 25th anniversary this box set includes a cast commentary with the director and all seven actors, the Making of the Goonies documentary, the Cyndi Lauper "Goonies 'R Good Enough" video, outtakes, a new board game, storyboard reproductions, a 1985 souvenir magazine reprint, and a reprint of the 2009 Empire magazine article with cast photos and updates.

Who It's For: Kids and the young and heart.


Item: Pac-Man, the mini-stapler

Where to Buy: Vat19

Description: This adorable little stapler takes the form of your old ghost and pellet munching pal.

Who It's For: Organized geeks


Item: Pin the Moustache on Hall & Oats Game

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: It's like Pin the Tail on the Donkey but much, much funnier.

Who It's For: Anyone who likes to throw a good party.


Item: Back to the Future Trilogy Blu-Ray + Digital Copy

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: Remastered for Blu-Ray, this trilogy is still outstanding. The first film is just classic family fun and still holds up 25 years later.

Who It's For: Everyone. This movie is awesome.


Item: Scene It '80s

Where to Buy: FantasyToyLand.com

Description: The description on the website mentions clips from Fraggle Rock. I'm sold. Basically it's a trivia game with video clips - test your 80s knowledge!

Who It's For: Competitive Know-It All Brats.


Item: Just Can't Get Enough: Toys, Games, and Other Stuff from the 80s that Rocked by Matthew Robinson

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: A nostalgic look at all those toys from the 80s you had or wished you had, from He-Man to Lite Brites.

Who It's For: Those who want to relive their childhood vicariously.


Item: Donky Kong Jenga

Where to Buy: Vat19

Description: This mixes two awesome things - Donkey Kong and the game of Jenga. You actually have to move a little Mario up the ramps. Sweet!

Who It's For: Archphoenix (seriously, I want), Jenga fans


Item: You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation by Susannah Gora

Where to Buy: BratPackBook

Description: The making behind and impact of all those great 80s teen movies.

Who It's For: Anyone who loves John Hughes movies


Item: Golden Girls 25th Anniversary Complete Collection

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: All the seasons of the Golden Girls, with a bunch of commentary/special tracks and a set of playing cards in Sophia's purse. Adorable.

Who It's For: Sassy old ladies. Archphoenix.


Item: Altered Antique Plates

Where to Buy: Beat Up Creations

Description: If you're a fan of antique plates or pop culture icons you can celebrate them both with these nifty plates dressed up with a variety of images, such as Mr. T or Chunk from the Goonies.

Who It's For: For the lover of fine ceramics and classic decor.


Item: The Black Cauldron 25th Anniversary DVD

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: This Disney animated film is based on some books by Lloyd Alexander. It tells the story of a young assistant pig herder, Taran, his pig, Hen Wen (who sees the future), feisty Princess Eilonwy, and a minstrel named Fflewddur Fflam. They are in a struggle against the evil Horned King. Man I dug this flick as a kid. The colors are bright, the story is fun, and it's just dark enough to not be super scary. I can't wait to see a restored version of the film.

Who It's For: Archphoenix. Kids who like adventure tales. Parents who remember this odd Disney film.


Item: Breakfast Club Print

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: One artist's very nicely done homage to a favorite movie

Who It's For: You know who you are


Item: Icon Necklaces

Where to Buy: Trailer Trash Trinkets

Description: Commemorative necklaces featuring a variety of pop culture icons, from Lost Boys to Skeletor.

Who It's For: Those who like their jewelry on the quirky side.


Item: Mr. T Van Bobblehead

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: A twist on the classic Mr. T bobblehead, this is sure to dress up any desk or shelf with some A Team fabulousness.

Who It's For: Not fools, that's for sure.


Item: You Know If You Grew Up In the '80s Magnet

Where to Buy: CafePress

Description: A fun little list of '8s-isms. I'm pretty sure I can answer "did that" to all of them.

Who It's For: Anyone reading Culture Brats.

The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide: You Know, For Kids!

For day three of the Culture Brats gift guide we look at ways to teach your kids about the awesomeness of the 1980s. And if some of these gifts end up with your name on them "by accident" we surely won't tell!

Item: Strawberry Shortcake Berry Cafe

Where to Buy: Toys 'R' Us

Description: The bitch is back! Strawberry Shortcake and all her scented friends are back, updated, and ready to play with your kids. There's a whole slew of Strawberry products now.

Who It's For: Girls who like pink.


Item: Hungry Hungry Hippos

Where to Buy: Toys 'R' Us

Description: A classic game of marble chomping hippo fighting.

Who It's For: Kids of all ages


Item: Wham! Upcycled Notebook

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: Send your kids to school in style. Check out this Etsy shop for tons of retro albums recycled into notebook covers.

Who It's For: Cool kids who understand good music. Or their parents.


Item: New Playskool Alphie

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

Description: Remember the old Playskool Alphie? It was a little educational toy robot with cards that you loaded in to learn stuff. Well Alphie 2.0 is out for you to get for the kids of today.

Who It's For: Your smartie smart kids


Item: Trapper Keeper

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: Granted, it's not nearly as awesome as the Trapper Keepers that we grew up with, but it is a Trapper Keeper. They're great for school kids to get organized. And hey, teach your kids how to use puffy paint and stickers to 80s this thing up.

Who It's For: Organized kids


Item: Lisa Frank sticker book

Where to Buy: Walgreens

Description: Lisa Frank, the designer of many collections of popular stickers sets of the '80s is back with an all new super collection of brightly colored stickers.

Who It's For: Sassy girls who like bright colors


Item: Fischer-Price Record Player

Where to Buy: Urban Outfitters

Description: Remember this? It plays plastic records with old children's tunes like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and "London Bridge." Your kids will probably be confused because it doesn't have a touchscreen.

Who It's For: Kids who like music


Item: Stay Puft Gourmet Caffeinated Marshmallows

Where to Buy: ThinkGeek

Description: Collectible box. Marshmallows. Ghostbusters. CAFFEINE. Why haven't you bought these yet?

Who It's For: Someone with a sweet tooth. Anyone who works nights. Kids big and small.


Item: Monchhichi

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: Is it a monkey? Is it a vague hominid? Is it a creature who should probably get those freckles checked by a dermatologist? Who cares! It's cute and cuddly and sucks its thumb. 'Nuff said.

Who It's For: For those who love to snuggle


Item: Rubik's Revolution

Where to Buy: Toys 'R' Us

Description: The Rubik's Cube updated to incorporate 6 electronic games that test your speed and smarts. As if the original wasn't frustrating enough.

Who It's For: Kids that are totally not impressed by your mad original Rubik's Cube skills


Item: Topps Garbage Pail Kids Flashback Stickers

Where to Buy: Topps Online Store

Description: The original Garbage Pail kids reissued to titillate a whole new generation of kids and irritate today's teachers.

Who It's For: Kids who like the gross out factor


Item: 80's Candy Decade Box

Where to Buy: Hometown Favorites

Description: Includes Candy Necklace, Mike & Ike Originals, Zero Bar, Wonka Bottlecaps, Cry Baby Tears , Smarties Big Roll and over 20 more... oh my god!

Who It's For: Parents. (Kids don't need all that sugar anyway.)


Item: Creepy Crawlers Bugmaker

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: It's like an easy bake oven for bugs, sans the calories.

Who It's For: Aspiring mad scientists or pastry chefs.


Item: Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers Coca Cola Stocking

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: OK, there's so much going on here I almost don't know what to say. You've got lip smackers, Coke (as always branding itself to high heaven with Christmas), and a Christmas stocking decorated with snowflakes and cola bottles. The only thing that's missing is a picture of that polar bear slathering on gloss all over his super smooth kisser. (Like that's not disturbing.)

Who It's For: Kids who don't like the chapping

The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide: For the Fashonista

On day two of our gift giving guide, the Culture Brats give you fashion tips!

Item: I Love the '80s Golden Girls Earrings

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: This takes a lot of awesome components of the 80s and puts it all together. Bold color? Check. The awesome Golden Girls? Check. 80s pins? Check. Big earrings? Check. Check this Etsy shop for other awesome earrings. I kinda love the Doctor Who earrings among other things.

Who It's For: Archphoenix. Anyone who wants to be Dorothy when she grows up.


Item: Karate Kid Cobra-Kai T-Shirt

Where to Buy: 80sTees.com

Description: Cobra Kai do or die! This site has all kinds of awesome 80s shirts. Check it out. Fair warning: you can easily go broke there.

Who It's For: Fans of Johnny.


Item: Cassette Tape Silver Earrings

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: Rock it old school with these retro inspired earrings.

Who It's For: Anyone who ever made a mix tape off the radio.


Item: GI Joe Inspired Shirt

Where to Buy: Nerduo

Description: Every GI Joe fan is aware that knowing is half the battle. Ever wonder what the other half is? Now you know.

Who It's For: GI Joe fans, fans of lasers


Item: Smurf T-Shirt

Where to Buy: NBC Universal

Description: The Smurfs are so in right now, thanks to the upcoming film starring Neil Patrick Harris. They were never lame in our book though. Poke around the NBC website - they have several great designs.

Who It's For: Nerds. Smurf Fans. So basically anyone who reads Culture Brats.


Item: TwittMitts (or Twittens for you European folks)

Where to Buy: TwittMitts.com (US); Twittens for outside the US

Description: Truly functional mittens that let you tweet while staying warm.

Who It's For: For those who can't live without social networking, even in frigid conditions.


Item: Save the Whale T

Where to Buy: Paste

Description: T-shirts, just like they say in the valley.

Who It's For: For the environmentalist who never left the 80s or the ironic smartass.


Item: Spirit Fingerz

Where to Buy: Spirit Fanatic

Description: Pom-pom tipped mittens for that extra special sense of spirit. Why shouldn't you stay warm at the game?

Who It's For: Perfect for the former "washed-up" cheerleader of the 80s. Or current cheerleaders in the prime of life.


Item: Thundercats T-shirt

Where to Buy: Stylin Online

Description: Thundercats ho! Show your 80s pride with this t-shirt. Stylin has tons of 80s themed apparel and accessories. Check it out.

Who It's For: Archphoenix. Anyone wanting to rep their 80s 'toons.


Item: Glass Tile Pendant

Where to Buy: The Imagination Emporium

Description: The charm you didn't know you couldn't live without.

Who It's For: For that special underdog in your life


Item: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Mens Wristwatch

Where to Buy: Gemnation

Description: A must have for the watch fanatic in your life would be this. No ifs, ands or buts about it. And if you can afford this watch as a gift you need to adopt me so I can buy it for my husband. I like to cook and wear glitter so you will eat well and have sparkly things to look at all the time.

Who It's For: Bruce Wayne. A Vapid Blonde.


Item: Sparkling Leather Cuffs

Where to Buy: Liz Olney

Description: Oooh sparkles! Like I said I like to wear glitter and that's not just in the powdery form that I put on my eyes but also in the form of jewelry. While diamonds are my favorite sparkly stone I think I may have blown my wad on that watch, so to appease my girly glitter side I absolutely adore these leather and Swarovski crystal cuffs, made by a really wonderful woman who is like family to me, Auntie Liz is a leather wiz! And she won't break your bank.

Who It's For: Girls who like sparklies. A Vapid Blonde.


Item: Corvette ZR1

Where to Buy: Chevrolet

Description: My last must have this holiday season would be the perfect ride to get you where you need to go in style. If you are sporting a flashy watch and a decent amount of sparkle the car must match your mojo. To compliment your high stylin' vibe I highly recommend a Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. No doubt, the most pimpin', bad ass, sexy, American muscle car there is, hands down. With an added bonus of fast! Faster than your high school prom date after a few "sex on the beach" cocktails. If you are like me and are always running late this will have you arriving 30 minutes before you even leave.

Who It's For: Guys who want to get the ladies... places. A Vapid Blonde.


Item: Vintage '80s Sweater

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: This is the real thing - an actual sweater from the '80s. Confession: I owned something VERY similar to this. What were we thinking?!? I mean really. If you're itching to rebuild that 80s wardrobe, search on Etsy - there's an awful lot of stuff to be found at pretty good prices.

Who It's For: Anyone wanting to relive the shame of their youth.

The Culture Brats Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts For Geeks

Not sure what to get that special someone in your life this holiday? No sweat, the Culture Brats have got you covered. Come back every day this week for different ideas for your friends and family.

Today we bring you gifts for geeks. We are geeks. We love geeks. We love to shop for geeks. Here are some ideas for the geeks in your life.

Item: Cassette Tape 4 Port USB 2.0 Hub

Where to Buy: VAT 19

Description: Give your workspace a bit of '80s flavor with this USB hub. Totally practical and yet totally radical.

Who It's For: The '80s cubical worker in all of us.


Item: Battlestar Galactica Propaganda Posters

Where to Buy: NBC Universal

Description: This 5 poster set of "retro" propaganda posters will motivate you to mobilize to defeat the Cylons! So say we all!

Who It's For: The BSG Geek in your life.


Item: Atari Flashback 2

Where to Buy: Amazon

Description: Miss that old woodgrained 8-bit system? Well now you can reproduce that feeling with the Atari Flashback 2. It comes with 2 controllers and is preloaded with more than 30 classic Atari games. Excellent!

Who It's For: Anyone nostalgic for Millipede


Item: Star Wars Pancake Molds

Where to Buy: Williams-Sonoma

Description: You know the '80s are back in a big way when upscale kitchen retailer Williams-Sonoma is getting its geek on. Indoctrinate the kids early with these adorable Star Wars pancake molds. There are also vehicle molds and a cute Star Wars apron.

Who It's For: Star Wars fans. My husband.


Item Atari Wall Decals

Where to Buy: ThinkGeek

Description: Longing for some old world charm in your basement game room? Look no further. These vinyl wall stickers come in three styles: Pong, Centipede, and Asteroids.


Who It's For: Gamers stuck in the '80s


Item: Geeky Videogame Inspired Soaps

Where to Buy: Geeksoap

Description: Soap shaped as 8-bit cartridge games? Check. Soaps with cthulu on it? Check. World of Warcraft themed soaps? Check. Get on it!

Who It's For: Anyone currently addicted to WOW: Cataclysm (they could probably stand to shower right about now anyway.)


Item: Super Mario Bros. Bob-omb knit toy

Where to Buy: Etsy

Description: Your favorite video game characters brought to life in cushy hand knit.

Who It's For: The video game nerd in your life


Item: Serenity: The Big Damn Replica

Where to Buy: Entertainment Earth

Description: This model is billed as a "studio scale replica." Of course, there was no studio model (other than a digital one, that is), but that doesn't make this scale model of Serenity from the all-too-brief Firefly series (and the movie Serenity) any less awesome. The amount of detail on this ship is amazing--truly a stellar piece of model-making. It also has all manner of lighting effects that bring its level of awesomeness even higher.

Yeah, the price ($2400--that's over $100 an inch!) is insane. But, gorram it! Sometimes you just have to throw fiscal caution to the wind and buy something nice to sit on your shelf. Your really high shelf. Where no kids or dogs or cats will ever be able to touch it.

Who It's For: Perfect for any fan of Firefly. Trust me. Give me one this Christmas and I'll be your friend forever.


Item: Pre-Owned DeLorean

Where to Buy: DeLorean.Com

Description: The site lists for you to buy a pre-owned Back to the Future Machine.

Who It's For: People who wanna be like Michael J. Fox


Item: Retro Videogame Propaganda Posters

Where to Buy: ThinkGeek

Description: War means sacrifice, and victory requires inspiration: whether you want to jump barrels to save the princess, nudge that frog across the freeway, or de-rezz the Master Control Program, sometimes you need more than a deft joystick hand and a pocketful of quarters to get the job done. Every geek needs a little extra motivation on the road to victory, and these retro prints should do the trick.ThinkGeek.com offers this set of five lush, vintage prints that will help your noble nerd triumph in five epic wars: Donkey Kong, Frogger, Joust, Dig Dug and Tron. Full set of 5 posters: $49.99. Victory is just a few hops away!

Who It's For: For the nostalgic video game junkie


Item: Star Wars Inspired Swimsuits

Where to Buy: Black Milk Clothing

Description: This is the droid you've been looking for. Choose from a C-3PO suit and an R2-D2 suit.

Who It's For: Big, big Star Wars fans. Like scary huge fans.


Item: Air Hogs Tron RC Lightcycle

Where to Buy: Amazon.com

Description: It's a remote controlled car that climbs up walls. You have to read the Wiredarticle about it. It's totally awesome.

Who It's For: Archphoenix. People who like awesome toys.