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 NYC 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 in NYC

The Way (mixed bag): This walking road movie starring Martin Sheen and written and directed by his son Emilio Estevez is decently entertaining but otherwise relatively aimless and in no hurry to get anywhere. Now playing at AMC Empire and Loews Kips Bay. Read my review from yesterday.

I missed the press screening of The Ides of March this past week because I was sick, and I’m still hoping to catch the film soon since it looks good. I can live without Real Steel and hope never to have to see Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence.

New to DVD

Fast Five (highly recommended): I think I’ve probably gone overboard with my emphasis on how much I loved this film. A fifth entry in a series shouldn’t be this good, and by that I don’t mean the writing or the acting, but rather the all-out action and the sheer thrill of having so many cast members from the four previous films back for more. I can’t wait for “Fast Six,” or whatever it might be called!

Submarine (highly recommended): The folks over at LBI were kind enough to send me a copy of this June release that I had missed, and I’m very grateful to them for it since I fully enjoyed this quirky and entertaining tale of an oddball teenager trying to resolve his own relationship and his parents’ marriage. It may not be for everyone, but I really liked it.

Jig (recommended): This documentary about Irish jig dancing is plenty interesting for those who find the topic appealing, and there’s no doubt that the dancing itself is quite impressive. Otherwise, it’s a generic competition drama, but whether or not you see it should depend on if the subject matter is a draw.

Now on Netflix Instant Streaming

Some highly recommended classics like Chinatown and Midnight Cowboy, as well as a slew of Woody Allen films, have been recently added to Netflix’s instant offerings.

The Perfect Host (mixed bag): This little indie is all about David Hyde Pierce, best known as Niles from “Frasier,” who delivers a commanding performance in a film that starts out incredibly strong but quickly gets derailed due to too many unlikely twists.

White Irish Drinkers (anti-recommended): This trite, overdone portrait of 1970s Brooklyn is entirely familiar and predictable. Unless you really like Brooklyn accents or the 1970s, skip it.