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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 12th:

Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away
Who: Erica Linz, Igor Zaripov, Lutz Halbhubner, Dallas Barnett, Matt Gillanders, John Clarke
What: This is a family-friendly fantasy romance made from elements from previous Cirque du Soleil performances. A woman follows an acrobat into an alternate world.
When: March 12th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: This would be a good choice for family viewing, since the Cirque du Soleil group is known for lavish and amazingly athletic performances.

The Devil's in the Details
Who: Ray Liotta, Emilio Rivera, Joel Matthews, Raymond J. Barry
What: A crime thriller set around Mexican drug smuggling. Liotta plays a former SEAL called upon to rescue an innocent man from being forced to help a cartel.
When: March 12th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Liotta's direct-to-video movies aren't great, but I still enjoy watching him in them. Barry may be better known as Arlo Givens in the TV series Justified.

The First Time
Who: Dylan O'Brien, Brittany Robertson, Christine Taylor, Victoria Justice, Molly Quinn
What: A romantic comedy set in high school about a guy stuck in the friend zone, but eventually is distracted by another girl.
When: March 12th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I don't recognize the two primary actors in this movie, but it caught my attention because of the supporting cast: Taylor, wife and costar of Ben Stiller, and Molly Quinn, who plays the daughter of Castle in one of my favorite TV series. Plus, I enjoy (perhaps masochistically) friend-zone high school romances, even if they're not John-Hughes quality.

Freaky Deaky
Who: Billy Burke, Christian Slater, Crispin Glover, Michael Jai White, Andy Dick, Bill Duke, writer Elmore Leonard
What: A twisty crime comedy based on the novel by Elmore Leonard. Set in the early 1970s, former '60s radicals, some poor, some now rich, are scrambling for a stash of money. Burke plays a police officer, Glover plays a rich guy still sporting long, untamed hair.
When: March 12th - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Leonard's known for being the source or writer for the fun crime stories Get Shorty, Jackie Brown, Out of Sight, and the TV series Justified, so that pedigree alone is enough to get me to watch. Burke plays one of my favorite TV heroes (Revolution) right now. I also really like Crispin Glover's work since Back to the Future. Michael Jai White is a kickass martial artist and it will be fun to see him in a more comedic role. And I always have to support badass Predator actor Bill Duke.

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