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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 2nd (click the movie title to see the trailer)

6 Souls (aka Shelter)
Who: Julianne Moore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey DeMunn, Frances Conroy, Nathan Corddry
What: A psychological thriller starring Julianne Moore as a psychiatrist who has made a career out of debunking claims of multiple personality disorder. She's challenged by a new patient, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who seems to be possessed by the personalities of murder victims. DeMunn plays another psychiatrist, Corddry plays Moore's brother, Frances Conroy plays the patient's mother.
When: July 2nd - DVD,online on demand, and Netflix Streaming
Why: Moore's pedigree means I always put her on my watchlist, but I also like Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Though the basis for this movie seems to be supernatural possession, I like that at least there's an analytical aspect to it, which leads to the psychological thriller category instead of just horror.

AE: Apocalypse Earth
Who: Adrian Paul, Richard Grieco, Bali Rodriguez, Gray Hawks
What: A sci-fi action flick that looks like a knockoff of Will Smith's After Earth: a group people who escape an alien attack on Earth lands on another jungle-covered planet where they have to fight off the native species to survive.
When: July 2nd - DVD
Why: I'm always intrigued by these knockoffs, mostly by how it's legal to make such blatant copy of a blockbuster. The movie's production company, The Asylum, is known for making these knockoffs. This one caught my attention more for the presence of Adrian Paul and Richard Grieco. Grieco in particular is someone I expected to be a long term star after the late '80s tv shows 21 Jump Street and Booker. So while the movie looks like a cheap action flick suitable for the SyFy channel, I could imagine watching this if I had nothing else to do.

The Girl
Who: Abbie Cornish, Will Patton, Maritza Santiago Hernandez
What: An emotional drama starring Abbie Cornish as a single mother whose daughter was taken from her in a custody battle due in part to her lack of money. Visiting Mexico with a friend (Patton) she sees an opportunity to make some money smuggling immigrants across the border, but ultimately decides to help a young Mexican girl who is all alone.
When: July 2nd - DVD and online on demand
Why: Sucker Punch was a letdown, but Cornish made an impression. She's taking on a role here that would be something I'd imagine Maggie Gyllenhaal doing, too.

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