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Every week, I search through movie release schedules to find movie rentals that I would have otherwise missed for lack of TV advertising. I'll watch the big name releases along with everyone else, but I know from experience that sometimes the box office failures, critically panned, straight-to-DVD, and independently financed movies that nobody's heard of can offer some real hidden gems. As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This column is dedicated to bringing awareness to those potential treasures. Listed alphabetically, each movie includes a list of notable cast members, a basic plot summary, its DVD and/or cloud release date (based on Netflix - other services may have the movie earlier), and the basic reason why the movie caught my attention. With any luck, one or more of these will catch your attention, too. My four picks of the week are listed at the end of the column.

Here's my watchlist of DVD and cloud releases for the week of
March 5th:

Amazing Racer
Who: Julianne Michelle, Eric Roberts, Louis Gossett Jr., Claire Forlani, Charles Durning, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Steve Guttenberg, Willie Garson
What: A family-friendly drama about a teenage girl (Michelle) who looses her father, finds her mother (Forlani) and takes up caring for and racing horses under the guidance of a horse trainer (Gossett). Roberts plays the racing antagonist.
When: March 8th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Families could certainly rent this. I would watch Forlani in anything, and the rest of the cast appeals to me. (Garson plays the partner in crime on the USA tv series White Collar).

The Bay
Who: Kristen Connolly, director Barry Levinson
What: Connolly plays a reporter in this horror thriller about a government coverup of a toxic outbreak linked to the Chesapeake Bay, using the found-footage filmmaking device.
When: March 5th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Connolly was one of the sexy castmembers in The Cabin in the Woods, so I'd watch this to see her. The found-footage style feels old these days, but I do like outbreak horror movies. Mostly, though, I was fascinated to see Levinson's name pop up, since he's known more for political dramas and comedies like Rain Man and Good Morning, Vietnam.

California Solo
Who: Robert Carlyle, Kathleen Wilhoite, Danny Masterson
What: Carlyle plays a former British rock musician who's been living in Los Angeles but faces deportation after an arrest for drunk driving. The drama has him reassessing his life.
When: March 5th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: If you don't know them by name: Carlyle plays Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin on Once Upon a Time, Wilhoite was the head waitress in Road House, and Masterson played Hyde on That 70's Show and stars in Men At Work.

A Dark Truth
Who: Andy Garcia, Deborah Kara Unger, Eva Longoria, Forest Whitaker, Kim Coates, Kevin Durand
What: In this thriller, Garcia plays a former CIA agent who hosts a political radio show but is drawn back into the action when he's hired by a corporate whistle blower (Unger) to expose a violent and environmental atrocity coverup in South Africa. Longoria and Whitaker play local activists.
When: March 5th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: An action flick featuring a CIA agent and a coverup is right up my alley, and it helps to have some strong actors here. I'm a fan of Kim Coates, who is part of the cast of Sons of Anarchy, and Durand, who was in Lost and X-Men Origins Wolverine as Dukes.

A Late Quartet
Who: Christopher Walken, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Katherine Keener, Wallace Shawn
What: The looming retirement of a cellist from a renowned string quartet sets off a conflict of egos and emotions.
When: March 5th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I don't know about a quartet, but the trio of Walken-Hoffman-Keener is a big draw.

Lay the Favorite
Who: Rebecca Hall, Bruce Willis, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vince Vaughn, Joshua Jackson, Laura Prepon, Corbin Bernsen
What: Hall plays a stripper who heads to Las Vegas seeking a better life. In the process she falls for a sports gambler, played by Willis. Zeta-Jones plays the gambler's wife.
When: March 5th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I'm a big fan of Hall, and I'm always up for watching a Bruce Willis movie. Adding Vegas to the mix makes it more enticing.

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