Christmas (shopping) spirit

MANILA, Philippines - I was in Japan earlier this year, booked at a hotel in Shinjuku, and one of the stops on my personal itinerary was the bar from Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, just because. I loved that film, and The Virgin Suicides, and Marie Antoinette (mostly for the costumes), and The Bling Ring, while not necessarily among the better films of 2013, was entertaining enough. Coppola’s meant to be adapting the Little Mermaid for the big screen, and details for that are still floating around. Also floating around: the hilarious fake trailer for the film from Funny or Die, which enjoyed a sudden resurgence on my Facebook feed.

If you’re looking for a touch of that Coppola vision with a side of stellar soundtrack (because her music choices are always A+), look no further than YouTube.

Coppola directed a series of four holiday films for American brand Gap, highlighting uniqueness this holiday season. “You don’t have to get them to give them Gap” is the tagline — which is something we who are Christmas shopping-challenged can all relate to. Who doesn’t have a friend or family member who’s impossible to shop for because we just don’t ‘get’ them, right?

Check the films out on Gap’s YouTube page. (Then watch the Funny or Die Little Mermaid trailer if you haven’t yet, or if you just need a laugh.) — Regina Belmonte