Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I'm going to be providing a handy guide to a few choice movies currently playing in theatres as well as several films newly released on DVD. I’ll also aim to comment on those films I have not yet had the chance to see, and I invite you to add in your thoughts on any films I haven’t seen in the comments below. Understandably, some weeks will have considerably fewer releases to address than others.

Now Playing

The notable release of this week was The Hobbit, which I’m in no rush to see since I loved the first two “Lord of the Rings” films but was annoyed with the excessive love bestowed upon the third film. I may see it Tuesday if time allows. This past week, I accomplished a first-ever feat: a quintuple feature, at the Landmark theatre in Los Angeles. Reviews of Hitchcock and Hyde Park on Hudson went up yesterday, and look for Quartet and Rust and Bone tomorrow. I’ll offer thoughts on Django Unchained when it’s released theatrically.

New to DVD

The high-profile releases this week are The Bourne Legacy, Ted, and Ice Age: Continental Drift, all of which would pique my interest much more if they were Oscar contenders.

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

The Adventures of Tintin (highly recommended): This inexplicably snubbed animated features is one of the year’s most exciting, enthralling adventures seen on screen in a while, serving both as a landmark achievement in its format and a perfectly excellent film for all ages in its own right.

The Great Mouse Detective (recommended): It has to have been at least since a decade since I saw this 1986 Disney hit, but as a young child, I remember loving it. Sherlock Holmes as a mouse? Definitely a fantastic idea, and a thrilling and effective execution to make it worthwhile, at least for children and maybe for adults too.

Maria My Love (recommended): This 2011 Tribeca Film Festival entry never made it to DVD but is now available via multiple streaming platforms. It’s wonderful to see Judy Marte, who broke out in “Raising Victor Vargas,” back on the screen in a role filled with depth, in an intimate film with a strong cast.