If you know someone with extraordinary tastes, don’t give him or her an ordinary gift. These six horror gift ideas say “I love you” in style.
The official month of love may be coming to an end, but anytime is a good time to say “I love you” with the gift of horror. If you have someone special in your life whose heart bleeds for horror, we’ve got several killer gift ideas that are sure to make their dark heart skip a beat. From cinematic replicas to spine-tingling novels to spooky subscription boxes full of surprises, here are some of our favorite ways to wow the horror lover in your life.
Give Them Their Much Deserved Props
From a talking Chucky doll, to a highly collectible horror Pop! figure from Funko, to a jaw-dropping action figure from Neca, you can find plenty of toys to fill their horror-loving heart with joy. However, if you’re on the hunt for something a bit more unique, consider a prop from one of their favorite films. While original screen-used props are always highly coveted collectibles, there are definitely more affordable reproductions that have been created to the original scale.
Some popular items include replicas of the Hellraiser puzzle box, Freddy’s killer glove, latex masks of movie monsters and madmen like Michael Myers, the Necronomicon from The Evil Dead, the storybook from The Babadook, and even miniature replicas of famous horror homes from films like Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Amityville Horror.
If space is an issue, consider an original movie poster (or, for something truly unique, an Alien Chestburster 3D movie poster), a wall plaque from A Nightmare on Elm Street, a film script (even better if it’s signed) or framed film cell, or even a replica of the Creepshow comic book.
Show Them You Adore Them With Adornments
Sure, you can always give them flowers. But for a far more surprising and lasting gift, a natural rose preserved with black petals is the perfect romantic gift for your dearly beloved. While the color black often symbolizes death and mourning, it also has a more positive meaning — representing the death of old habits or past suffering and symbolizing the passing of the old order and the birth of a new ear of hope and joy. Interestingly, many anarchist and anti-authoritarian groups have adopted the black rose as a symbol of mutiny and strength, implying courage and resistance. A preserved black rose will last forever and is the perfect way to celebrate the union of beauty and darkness. You can find yours here.
If your loved one has a fondness for shiny baubles, you can find some truly stunning rings, necklaces, earrings, and pendants that pay homage to the genre. Our favorites include handmade items that allow you to support small businesses and artists while ensuring you get a unique and thoughtful gift that truly expresses how much you care.
We recommend searching Etsy for “horror jewelry” for a wide range of gift ideas ranging from the very inexpensive, like these killer cleaver earrings, to the truly exquisite, like this Lovecraftian ring. While you’re at it, you can even include a horror-inspired jewelry box, like this vampire coffin creation.
Make a Date to Celebrate Your Genre Love
There are few things horror fans love more than the chance to share their obsession with others, and there are few communities that are more supportive and accepting than the horror community. If you and your love share a passion for the genre, there may be no better gift than tickets to a horror con or festival. Not only is this a great way to show someone how much they mean to you, but it also gives you the priceless opportunity to bond over a mutual love of the macabre.
Horror cons have become a big business. And, no matter where in the world you live, you’re likely to find a great event near you. Though we are entering one of the busiest seasons for cons, these events take place year round. From the monster cons that draw fans from across the country — like Monster-Mania in Cherry Hill, NJ, Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, TX, HorrorHound Weekend in Indianapolis, IN, and Monsterpalooza in Burbank, CA — to the more intimate cons like Spooky Spectacle in Granbury, TX, and Full Moon Festival in Nashville, TN. There’s also new cons springing up each year, like the Colorado Festival of Horror, an inaugural event taking place this September in Denver.
At conventions, you can meet your horror heroes: writers, artists, filmmakers, and actors. You also get to mingle with your fellow horror lovers, which may be the best part of all. You can often attend a variety of film screenings, engaging panel discussions and workshops, and interactive audience events. And you’ll usually have access to a ton of amazing vendors and artists selling their creepy wares and merchandise. And the party doesn’t stop when the sun goes down, as most cons offer some exciting after-hour activities for social butterflies.
Give the Gift That Keeps on Giving
Most of us love surprises, and there’s something so satisfying in getting mystery packages in the mail. Most monthly subscription boxes allow you to purchase a subscription as a gift. Not only is this a thoughtful gift that keeps on giving, but it takes the pressure off of trying to find the perfect item for your loved one. Every month, a box of goodies will be sent to your recipient containing a mix of exciting horror merchandise.
For the film lover, you can gift a Horror Pack subscription. There are also plenty of boxes featuring memorabilia and clothing. The Bam Box has a dedicated horror box that specializes in exclusive items and limited-edition collectables, particularly authentic celebrity autographs, fan art, prop replicas, comics and more. You can also find mega boxes dedicated to your loved one’s favorite film property or sub genre.
Sites like Ghoulish Goodies have a variety of boxes for fans of films like Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Rocky Horror Picture Show. They also have huge mystery boxes that revolve around a theme, like witches, killer clowns, and zombies.
Nothing Says Romance Like Horror and Chill
Broaden the horizons of your favorite genre film lover with a gift subscription to a streaming service other than Netflix. For a low monthly fee, you can give them unlimited access to everything from art house horror, to foreign films, mainstream hits, festival favorites, cult classics, and even original series and exclusives they can’t find anywhere else.
Shudder is a must-have streaming service for horror fans that offers on demand access to horror, suspense, thriller, and fringe cinema films that are uncut and ad-free. Each month, Shudder rolls out new exclusive and original content, including movies, shows, and even podcasts. They even invite genre icons to create curated selections of their favorite films. Plans start at less than $5 per month. Monthly and annual plans are available, which include zero ads or extra fees. And you can cancel anytime, though we doubt you’ll want to.
You can find tons of great Shudder recommendations right here on this site, including our bi-weekly SHUDDER SUNDAY column which takes a deep dive into some of our favorite features and hidden gems on the platform.
It’s a Fact: The Gift of Fiction Shows How Much You Care
We’re huge movie fans on this site. But sometimes our own imagination is better than even the best movie. Diving into new release novel, or picking up a classic such as American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis or — for more nastiness — Cows by Matthew Stokoe can open up a whole new world of horror.
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda is an unusual thriller that breaks normal conventions by telling the story in reverse, revealing more at the beginning that at the end. It’s perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. Alternatively, open your recipient up to new authors with the anthology Halloween: Magic, Mystery and the Macabre, edited by Paula Guran. Or search online for the latest novel from their favorite author, but don’t neglect to help them discover work from new authors inspired by their reading habits. Goodreads is a great site to get amazing recommendations on books your recipient is sure to love based on their favorite books and authors.
We regularly spotlight great new genre fiction books and authors on this site, so feel free to browse our NOW READ THIS or HORROR FICTION categories for more great suggestions.
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