In a month when most major releases are junk dumped into theaters to make a quick buck, &#8220Glory Road” is a rare sight – a January film that’s actually entertaining.

The story of the 1966 Texas Western basketball team, who upset national power Kentucky to win the NCAA basketball championship in a game that’s been called the Brown vs. Board of Education of college basketball, is solidly directed by newcomer James Gartner and features several nice performances.

Josh Lucas stars as Texas Western coach Don Haskins, who decided to recruit the best athletes regardless of their skin color.

Despite objections from some fans and alumni, Haskins signed seven black players – including Bobby Joe Hill (Derek Luke) and Willie Cager (Damaine Radcliff).

&#8220Glory Road” follows the Texas Western team’s improbable run to the national title – culminating in the final game in which Haskins started five black players, a first in NCAA championship history.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer made a living out of loud action films in the ’80’s and ’90s, but found a niche with sports films the past several years. &#8220Glory Road” follows the same formula of similar Bruckheimer films &#8220Remember the Titans” and &#8220The Rookie,” but does so with a compelling story and interesting characters.

Lucas is very good as Haskins, while Luke is the standout among the players. Jon Voight continues his recent string of interesting work playing UK coach Adolph Rupp, who at the time of the 1966 title game had never recruited a black player.

&#8220Glory Road” probably could have spent more time with Haskins’ family life (Emily Deschanel has a practically nonexistent role as Haskins’ wife), but the film still works, thanks in part to a fantastic final sequence centered around the big game.

&#8220Glory Road” knows its audience and plays to it very effectively – resulting in the first must-see of 2006.

– Andy Stahl, an actor who lives in Morgantown and Nashville, played the president of Texas Western. The Daily News will have a feature on Stahl on Monday.

&#8220Glory Road”

Starring: Josh Lucas, Derek Luke

Directed by: James Gartner

Rating: PG for racial issues including violence and epithets, and language

Playing at: Greenwood Mall 10, Highland Cinemas (Glasgow)

Grade: B

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is &#8220Lord of War” (B), an honest and sometimes brutal look at arms dealers, with Nicolas Cage providing a strong performance to anchor the film.

Cage plays Yuri Orlov, an international arms dealer whose customers include some of the world’s most notorious dictators.

Yuri isn’t proud of his work, but he’s very good at it and it provides the means to produce a lavish lifestyle for his family. Yuri’s morality is put to the test in the form of a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke) intent on stopping him.

Writer/director Andrew Niccol, who previously directed the underrated &#8220Gattaca,” does a marvelous job with &#8220Lord of War,” beginning with a magnificent opening sequence.

There is some fine work by the supporting cast, including Hawke, Bridget Moynahan as Yuri’s wife, and Jared Leto as Orlov’s coked-out brother who is unable to suppress his guilt over assisting Yuri in his work.

But it’s Cage who really makes &#8220Lord of War” click. From his almost hypnotic voice-over to the commanding screen presence that almost makes this guy sympathetic, Cage breathes life into a character that could have easily been a caricature and delivers a solid performance.

&#8220Lord of War,” rated R for strong language, violence and drug use, is now available on DVD.