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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 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:

July 9th (click the movie title to see the trailer)

Dead Man Down
Who: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, Terrence Howard, Armand Assante
What: A crime thriller starring Colin Farrell as a criminal whose wife was killed by the mob boss played by Terrence Howard. Farrell is planning revenge but is sidetracked by his neighbor, played by Rapace, who blackmails him into killing the man who disfigured her.
When: July 9th - DVD and online on demand
Why: A crime thriller starring Colin Farrell is usually a pretty good start. Adding Dominic Cooper is also a plus, and Howard is good at being suave and sinister. It almost looks like something that could have been directed by Ben Affleck (in this case the director happens to be the man behind the original version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and he reteams in this movie with that movie's star, Rapace). I'm just hoping the pacing holds up and doesn't drag.

The Gatekeepers
Who: Six former heads of the Shin Bet
What: A documentary which interviews former heads of Israel's secret service agency, the Shin Bet, discussing how they've shaped Israel's security since the 1967 Six Day War.
When: July 9th - DVD and online on demand
Why: The conflict in the Middle East has been going on so long it seems like a documentary about it would be repetitive and not disperse any new knowledge, but the fact that this documentary interviews the heads of Israel's counterterrorism agency offers potential for some interesting behind-the-scenes insight from players who aren't just political talking heads (bias aside, of course). This movie was a nominee for Best Documentary Feature at the most recent Oscar Awards.

The Power of Few
Who: Christopher Walken, Christian Slater, Anthony Anderson, Moon Bloodgood
What: A crime thriller involving the theft of the Shroud of Turin, told in the course of 20 minutes in an afternoon in New Orleans from five different story viewpoints.
When: July 9th - DVD and online on demand
Why: My initial interest in this movie was the presence of Christopher Walken, but I'm actually more interested in Anthony Anderson, who I think is underrated in both comedic and dramatic roles. The unusual nature of this movie is that the filmmakers used an online editing system open to the public, which helped shape the movie. I'm wary of the too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen potential, but it might be worth checking out.

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