Want to take gift-giving to your favorite movie-lover to the next level? Bypass the DVDs and think about movie-related toys and collectibles.

If a movie fan is heavily into a particular film, chances are he already owns the disc already.

Gift Ideas: What To Give

One thing that a collectible offers that a DVD doesn't is accessibility. Nobody can reasonably sit around at work all day playing their favorite movie over and over, but action figures and statuettes of favorite characters add a bit of color and fun to a workspace or office at home.

The great thing about movie collectibles is that, while there are some high-end items that could cost you several hundred dollars, there are relatively inexpensive items hanging on the pegs at your local discount store to buy, too, ranging from $5 to $15.

Among the biggest producers of movie-related toys and action figures are Hasbro and Mattel. If there's a blockbuster movie in the works, you can be sure that one of those companies has toy line in the works to accompany it.

Hasbro's success in recent years has been bolstered by the production of action figures from the "Star Wars" movie saga and, most recently, the animated series "The Clone Wars." The company has smartly taken a broad approach in appealing to fans of the "Star Wars" experience across the board, meaning that you can buy your classic Yoda, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader figures from the original slate of films along with new characters from the universe, including Ahsako Tano and the animated version of Anakin Skywalker.

Perhaps most impressive, though, is Hasbro's distinction of having a live-action movie based on its Transformers toy line. In reverse, of course, the company also has toys based on the film.

The company also produced Indiana Jones merchandise to coincide with the release of "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" in the summer of 2008 and obtained the rights in a blockbuster deal with Marvel Enterprises two years back to create action figures of such comic book-turned-movie icons as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and characters from "X-Men."

Mattel, on the other hand, concentrates on DC Comics universe of characters -- most prominently Batman. With the worldwide blockbuster success of "The Dark Knight," the company has produced action figures and vehicles from the movie to appeal to fans of all ages. But the kicks don't end there. They're also behind the "Kung Fu Panda" line of action figures.

Not Only Blockbusters

If cult movies are your thing, don't despair. Several specialty companies, including Sideshow Collectibles, McFarlane Toys, Mezco Toyz and the National Entertainment Collectibles Association have been listening to wishes of movie collectible lovers and responded with action figures and 12-inch collector dolls from various classic movies. The only hitch is that you're likely to find the products in specialty stores, comic book shops and online retailers rather than standard brick-and-mortar stores.

For example, NECA has produced action figures from such horror cult classics as "Halloween," "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and even has a couple figures of Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) from "Silence of the Lambs." At the family-friendly side, NECA also produces figures from the Harry Potter movie series.

McFarlane produced the first action figure from "The Godfather" (of Marlon Brando's Don Vito Corleone), while Mezco said hello to our little friend Tony Montana (Al Pacino) with a figure from "Scarface." The company also has figures from "Hellboy" on its boilerplate and has sunk its claws into the rights to produce an action figure based on the remake of the Universal horror film classic "The Wolf Man," starring Benicio Del Toro.

Sideshow is a good source for items from such Universal Studios monster classics as "Frankenstein," "Dracula," "The Mummy" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," and modern classics like "The Lord of the Rings," the "Indiana Jones" saga, "Star Wars" and several Marvel movie heroes.

The difference with Sideshow, however, is that they're in the business of making high-end collectibles. So while you'll pay between $90 to $160 for a 12-inch collector's figure or $175 to $350 for a museum-quality statuette (known as premium format figures), you're making an investment of sorts because the pieces are produced in limited quantities.