It's the gift-giving time of year, so Reelz is on the job giving our readers gift ideas for the movie fans on their lists. The Hunger Games is the newest mega-franchise on the scene, and there are some great gifts available for fans of the movie.
For Fans of Katniss
Katniss always has her bow at her side, so some archery-related items could be just perfect for fans of the strong-willed heroine. Katniss' weapon is fairly simple, so you don't want to give a big, complicated compound bow to a fan, and that should help to keep costs down. Cabela's even has a bow named the "
Mocking Jay Long Bow" in case there's any doubt about it being the right fit for a
Hunger Games fan. With the bow, arrows, quiver and target, it'll add up to a couple of hundred dollars, probably. For those who aren't sure if the archery enthusiasm will last, a beginning archery class will usually provide equipment, and they run about fifteen or twenty bucks a pop.
For Fans Who Love Prim
Sure, Primrose Everdeen had a cat, but there are lots of allergy issues with those, so how about a goat as a gift? Of course you can go the Heifer International direction and
donate a goat, but there's also the option of just giving a person a pet goat or two — and they get lonely by themselves so two is a good idea. By the way, in our opinion, pygmy or Nigerian dwarf goats would probably be the best goat-breed option for most families. Goats need food, shelter, fencing and grooming items (particularly a
hoof trimmer), but there's nothing super off the wall that a goat owner needs.
If a goat is too much hassle, a
medicinal herb garden starter kit would be another good Prim-inspired option.
For the Effie Trinkets of the World
For girls like Katniss, the fashions of the Capitol are impractical, over the top, and absurd, but for other girls, Capitol citizens' fashion finds are just fabulous. Good stocking stuffers for a fan who identifies with Ms. Trinket could be some
crazy eyelashes,
bright eye makeup, or
foundation in white or the palest, deathliest shade of pink. Granted, the overwhelming majority of Effie fans would probably rather have gift certificates to their favorite cosmetics shop, because really, giving a gift certificate is giving the gift of shopping.
For the Fans of the Games Themselves
Most fans love the characters, but there are those that really get into the idea of the Hunger Games themselves and envisioning the skills and tools they'd use in the arena. For that brand of fan, there are quite a few survival skills classes available, and we even found a class in
making stone tools. That sounds like a fun time for anyone, acheulean-hand-tool enthusiast or not. A more basic option would be a
practical, how-to survival guide to give some helpful tips and ideas about how to outlast the competition.
For People Who Like Socks — and Who Doesn't Like Socks?
If there is a time to give crazy, colorful, bright socks, it's the holiday season. Delight a
Hunger Games fan,or anyone with cold feet, with these black socks with an eye-catching mockingjay and flame design. Our (distant) second favorite piece of Panem apparel is this
replica of the jacket Katniss wears in the
Hunger Games arena. It resembles the tributes' jackets, and looks like a good basic windbreaker, but it's just not as fun as a pair of crazy, kooky socks.
Oh, and we suppose a boxed set of the book trilogy or a copy of the movie on either Blu-ray or DVD would be an adequate gift for a fan who doesn't already own them, but livestock or hunting equipment will likely be a much bigger surprise.
Happy holidays, and may the deals be ever in your favor.
Images courtesy Lionsgate, NECA and Liz Lawley.