The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020, Krampuskarten, Ichabod’s Last Meal, And More!
In this Issue:
- Horror History: The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020
- Image of the Week: Greetings From Krampus
- Tiny Bites – This Week’s Best Horror Headlines
- Things We Love: Watch Your Head
- Hey, That’s Us! – Shudder in the News
HORROR HISTORY
The Ultimate Horror Holiday Gift Guide for 2020
By Ariel Fisher
It’s that time of year where we’re all desperately scrambling to try and find the perfect gift for our loved ones (no judgement). So if you’re struggling to come up with ideas for the horror fan in your life, look no further — we’ve got our ultimate horror gift guide right here. From books and movies to subscription boxes and games of the board, card, and video variety, we’ve got every base covered.
Movies
There were a lot of incredible movie releases this year, but Shout Factory’s Friday the 13th Delux Edition box set definitely takes the cake. This behemoth is loaded with special features and has all 12 films connected to the franchise including Freddy vs. Jason and both the theatrical release and director’s cut of the 2009 remake. So if you know someone who’s obsessed with all things Crystal Lake and Jason Voorhees, this is the way to go this holiday season.
Books
For the Junji Ito fans in your life, you can’t do better than Viz Media’s exquisite book The Art of Junji Ito: Twisted Visions. The first of its kind, this collection of Ito’s artwork features over 130 pieces from some of his most iconic stories along with other rarities, complete with commentary from Ito himself on each work.
Music
Make the audiophile in your life ecstatic this holiday by gifting them Waxwork Record’s 40th anniversary expanded soundtrack from The Fog on vinyl. Considered by Carpenter himself to be one of his best musical works, this double LP set will be a glorious addition to any horror fan’s collection.
Collectibles
Waxwork Record‘s Spinatures are a must-have for every horror-obsessed vinyl collector. They did an official line of Universal Monster designs and this Bride of Frankenstein is definitely a standout. As if it wasn’t stunning enough on its own, the Bride’s collectors box features new artwork by Robert Sammelin.
Games
Have a tabletop gamer in your family who’s also obsessed with horror? Then Mixtape Massacre is a must. In this board game, you and up to 5 other friends get to play as horror archetypes and compete in an ‘80s-style slasher killing spree. You can even get expansion and booster packs to make this game endlessly playable.
Art
Send your Twin Peaks-obsessed friend back to the Douglas fir-scented air with this gorgeous set of five prints by Greg Ruth. The 8” x 11” prints are just one of a 12-part limited edition series from the iconic show.
Subscriptions
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for murder mystery fans, look no further than the Hunt A Killer mystery box. Hunt A Killer is an episodic murder mystery subscription box that plays out over the course of 6 “episodes” or boxes, each of which you’ll receive monthly with all the clues you’ll need to solve the murder. There’s an experience for everyone, including an officially licenced Blair Witch subscription. Part of their proceeds also go towards the Cold Case Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps solve cold cases.
Housewares
Gift the bartender in your life this beautiful Victorian Tiki mug — yep, you read that right. Designed by Sara Deck and sculpted by Tufan Sezer, Death’s Whisper blends the aesthetic of ouija occultism with a more delicate Victorian touch to create this haunting work of art.
Apparel
Since they’ve become a necessity, face masks are a must-have for everyone on your list, and there’s truly no better than Rob Sheridan’s horrific selections to help make safety guidelines spookier in a fun way. We’re particularly fond of this specially-designed Chatterer mask in honor of Nicholas Vince’s character from Hellraiser.
Now, this is only a sample of our full gift guide. Make sure you visit the Shudder blog for the full version with dozens of covetable options for friends, family members, significant others, or, hell, even yourself.
Happy holidays, readers!
Ariel Fisher is the editor of The Bite. She is also a freelance writer whose work has appeared in FANGORIA Magazine, Rue Morgue, and Birth.Movies.Death..
IMAGE OF THE WEEK
Greetings From Krampus
You better watch out, you better not lie, you better not shout, I’m telling you why — Krampus is coming to drag you to hell. Or at least that’s what this and many other Krampuskarten depicted in 1890s Germany and Austria.
TINY BITES
HELLRAISER, STEPHEN KING, AND MORE
There was a lot to learn and gain from horror this year, and Gizmodo is here to explore how the genre saved us in 2020.
Clive Barker officially regained the franchise rights to Hellraiser.
There’s a new project in the works that looks to tackle the history of comic book adaptations of horror films.
If you’re looking for great horror novel recommendations, these 18 spooky audiobooks will definitely get you through the holidays.
Or explore any of these 5 wintery horror novels while hunkering down inside. Syfy Wireranked all 42 theatrical adaptations of Stephen King’s work from The Shawshank Redemption to The Lawnmower Man, the movie so bad he sued to have his name taken off of it.
Find out how Vince Vaughn’s Blissfield Butcher from Freakyputs all other slasher villains to shame.
BuzzFeed looked at 13 of this year’s horror movie releases and how they terrified audiences.
This article explores 10 profoundly impactful scary movies that aren’t technically horror (depending on who you ask).
These terrifying travel horror movies should effectively quash any desire to go on vacation right now.
Men’s Health showcased just some of the amazing horror titles we’re all eagerly waiting for in 2021.
Horror subreddit Dreadit is redoing their movie guide starting with the best Christmas horror movies and they want your input.
THINGS WE LOVE
Watch Your Head
We’re firm believers that spooky season is year-round and Townsend & Son’s recreation of the ginger cakes from Ichabod Crane’s last meal in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is peak Halloween vibes.
HEY, THAT’S US! – SHUDDER IN THE NEWS
How a Holiday Movie Director Finally Made His Horror Dream Come True
ANYTHING FOR JACKSON Is This Year’s HEREDITARY
Hunted trailer: Persepolis director brings myth to the survival thriller
The Zoom horror that was 2020’s most timely hit
How to Give Netflix, Hulu, and Other Streaming Services As Gifts
