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With the economy still on extremely shaky ground, many Americans have had to make some major adjustments in their spending patterns, and most folks are getting their entertainment closer to home – watching television, playing online games and renting or buying DVDs instead of going out as often.
And the odds are good that, for many, their holiday wish lists include items in a similar vein. Happily, there’s a wide array of gift ideas available for any secret Santa, whatever his budget.
Among this season’s hottest games, fans of the Fab Four will love you (yeah, yeah, yeah!) if they receive “The Beatles: Rock Band,” an unprecedented video game (available in multiple platforms) that lets players pick up a guitar, bass, microphone or drums and experience the Beatles catalog of music as never before. Younger gamers who aren’t Liverpool lovers will probably be spellbound for hours by “Harry Potter: Wizarding World,” the second DVD game based on the popular film series.
Other prospects include “Ghostbusters: The Video Game,” with the voices and likenesses of original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Harold Ramis; “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” a video game featuring Ben Stiller; and a “Twilight”-themed edition of the popular “Scene It?” series.
At the high end of this year’s toys, check out the Star Wars Science Force Trainer (ages 8 and up), with a headset that is said to read and interpret your brain waves, or the Star Wars Science Optical Command Unit, which kids can assemble into binoculars, a magnifier and miniprojector.
The Super Why! Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer from Learning Curve comes with an interactive touch screen and 36 literacy activities to teach kids to master the alphabet, solve problems and read, while the three-DVD Leapfrog Learning DVD Set comes with a flashcards pack.
As before, “Dora the Explorer” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” are kind of in a class of their own in terms of variety. Standouts in this year’s lines include the Dora Links Doll, an interactive fashion doll that links directly into a computer via a USB connection to allow kids to customize their dolls, and an interactive Crystal Kingdom Dance Around Dora, plus “TV Games Motion: SpongeBob SquarePants,” which taps into the popular trend of motion games.
PBS programs also have inspired a vast line of gift ideas for kids, ranging from “Thomas the Tank Engine” toys such as Trackmaster Spin & Fix Thomas at Sodor Steamworks and Trackmaster Talking Engines, plus “Sesame Street” items
including an Oscar the Grouch ceramic mug, a “Sesame Street” large tin tote, a Police Car and the 1-2-3 Brownstone from the K’NEX Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection and “Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days,” a two-disc set marking the show’s 40th anniversary.
Among the many items new from Disney are several product tie-ins from the new animated feature “The Princess and the Frog,” including a Tiana doll, plus the new Minnie’s purse accessory, a Dinoco Die Cast Carrier from “Cars” and several “Toy Story” action figures.
Rounding out this year’s toy options for kids are an “I Love Lucy” Barbie doll from Mattel, along with the Ni Hao, Kai-lan Super Special Friend Doll, an interactive toy that brings the character’s emotions to life.
There are several kid-friendly DVDs out this season, including the Anchor Bay DVD set of the holiday films “Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure,”
“The Dog Who Saved Christmas” and “The Velveteen Rabbit.”
In general, though, it’s J.J. Abrams’ ingenious “Star Trek” that will have the most, um, Enterprising fan delighted. In addition to last summer’s blockbuster feature, you’ll find “Star Trek: Original Motion Picture Collection” on seven discs; the five-disc “Star Trek: The Next Generation Motion Picture Collection”; and Season 2 of the original “Star Trek” series on Blu-ray.
Among other nostalgic fare, consider DVD sets such as “On the Road With Charles Kuralt”; remastered collections of the “Peanuts” animated specials; “Hogan’s Heroes: The Komplete Series, Kommandant’s Kollection”; “Ally McBeal: The Complete Series”; “Homicide: Life on the Street: The Complete Series Megaset”; and, for Western fans, “Bonanza: The Official First Season.”
Got a sports fan on your gift list? ESPN’s vast line of products includes Hangin’ Hoops, an electronic basketball game you can hang on any door or wall; ESPN Quarterback Challenge, a game that tests your passing skills; and ESPN Game Changer Remote, a universal TV remote that comes in more than 50 school colors. Not to be outdone, A&E Home Entertainment offers “The Official Major League Baseball World Series Film Collection,” culled from seven decades of World Series films.
That fan of “The Biggest Loser” will feel like a winner with any of that show’s extensive line of tie-ins, starting with two DVDs, “The Biggest Loser: Last Chance Workout” and “30-Day Jump Start”; the video games “Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010” for Wii and Nintendo DS, and “The Biggest Loser Fitness Game”; and “The Biggest Loser Simple Swaps: 100 Easy Changes to Start Living like a Biggest Loser,” a book.
After all that exercise, your friends may want to change into something from Bravo’s new line of “Real Housewives” apparel, then head to the kitchen to refuel, where they can enjoy a cocktail in their “Sex and the City” martini glass set, then use a line of new “Top Chef” knives from Master Cutlery, as well as the new Rachael Ray line of stoneware. If they need some ideas, the “Food Network: Cook or Be Cooked” video game is a good place to start, as it’s fun and informative.
Among the endless flood of current TV shows on DVD, the cream of the crop includes two Emmy winners: Season 2 of “Mad Men” and Season 3 of “30 Rock.” That’s in addition to single-season sets of “Nip/Tuck,”
“Crash,”
“Gossip Girl,”
“Smallville,”
“Supernatural,”
“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,”
“The Office,”
“Weeds” and “The Hills.”
As for new single DVD releases, the possibilities include “Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws,”
“The Ugly Truth” with Emmy winner Katherine Heigl, “Monsters vs. Aliens,”
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,”
“GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra,”
“Bruno,”
“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,”
“Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,”
Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail,” a new release of “My Fair Lady,” an extended edition of “Angels & Demons,” and Meryl Streep’s irrepressible romp as Julia Child in “Julie & Julia.”
