Film gift guide 2008

Yes we can
Let’s face it; all the movie nuts who could afford a home-theater setup already have one, with a jumbo screen and plush seating. The obsessive ones even have a theater-style popcorn maker. But what about the drinks? The rich film nerd in your life needs a customized film-themed soda machine. Imagine Humphrey Bogart as Rick in Casablanca, looking on with disdain as you opt for Diet Coke instead of whisky. Available at americansodamachines.com: $2,695.

Good fellas
Roger Ebert’s conversational style makes for easy reading that actually has some substance—never more so than when he’s writing about Martin Scorsese, whose career got a boost with an early Ebert rave for Who’s That Knocking at My Door. Watching Scorsese’s films with this book is like an inexpensive alternative to a year of film studies courses. See how much money we saved you? Available at bookstores both actual and virtual. List price $25, but often available for less.

Donor roll
Why buy another Criterion edition of The Third Man when you can ensure that a forgotten classic gets a second chance at life? As critic Dave Kehr has recently noted, while some films become available in every imaginable format, others are vanishing from the face of the earth. Those looking to lend a hand can donate to organizations like the National Film Preservation Foundation (which specializes in the restoration of “orphan films,” and also assisted with the refurbishing of The Exiles, pictured) or the Film Foundation (which has helped with It Happened One Night, Shadow of a Doubt and the recent restoration of Faces that played at this year’s Chicago International Film Festival). Pay what you want—and it’s tax deductible. www.filmpreservation.org or www.filmfoundation.org.

Try to remember the kind of a member
Do you like the Chicago International Film Festival but hate paying so much for each film? Do you enjoy the bragging rights that come with seeing movies before they’re released? With a membership to Cinema/Chicago, you’ll help support not just the festival, but the organization’s educational outreach. You’ll be rewarded with discounts on tickets for the festival and invitations to advance screenings throughout the year. These previews may even double as critics’ screenings, as with last year’s presentation of Sweeney Todd. We always love it when real people join us. $60 for a one-year, one-person membership, although other varieties are available; www.chicagofilmfestival.org.

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