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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 weeks of
April 2nd and 9th (click the movie title to see the trailer)

The Baytown Outlaws
Who: Clayne Crawford, Travis Fimmel, Daniel Cudmore, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Andre Braugher, Billy Bob Thornton, Eva Longoria, Michael Rapaport
What: Set in the deep South, a woman (Longoria) hires three outlaw brothers to snatch a wheelchair-bound boy (Brodie-Sangster) from her crime-lord ex-husband (Thornton). A plenty violent road adventure.
When: April 2nd - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: This caught my attention because Billy Bob Thornton appears on screen less frequently in recent years, but it turns out that the real draw is Crawford, Fimmel, and Cudmore. Despite their willingness to kill just about anyone, the outlaws demonstrate hearts of gold, and it's fun to see how indestructible they are.

Foodfight!
Who: Charlie Shee, Eva Longoria, Wayne Brady, Hilary Duff, Haylie Duff, Chris Kattan, Christopher Lloyd
What: An animated adventure where a lot of supermarket brand icons exist as characters in their own community. Sheen voices a dog detective searching for his missing love, voiced by Longoria.
When: April 2nd - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: Rated PG, it's suitable for kids. The animation looks lousy to me, but it's potentially an opportunity to see what they do with characters like Mr. Clean, and hear actor voices you may like.

Hemingway & Gellhorn
Who: Nicole Kidman, Clive Owen, David Stathairn, Parker Posey, Molly Parker, Tony Shalhoub
What: Clive Owen plays Ernest Hemingway, and Kidman plays his wife Martha Gellhorn, in this romantic drama made for HBO.
When: April 2nd - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: The movie earned 18 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, with wins for Music and Sound. I'm a fan of Clive Owen and would like to see how he plays Hemingway.

John Dies at the End
Who: Rob Mayes, Chase Williamson, Paul Giamatti
What: A surreal indie comedy thriller about two guys who have to save the world from the use and very strange effects of a mind-altering drug. From the director of Phantasm and Bubba-Ho-Tep.
When: April 2nd - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I haven't seen Bubba-Ho-Tep but I gather it has fans. This looks weird and funny.

LUV
Who: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Meagan Good
What: An indie drama about a man (Common) trying to teach a kid (Rainey) how to grow up, while at the same time trying to get out of the drug trade.
When: April 2nd - DVD and Ultraviolet
Why: I like Common as well as the other actors, and this looks like a decent drama.

The Marine 3: Homefront
Who: Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin, Ashley Bell, Neal McDonough
What: The second sequel in this action franchise that originally starred John Cena. WWE wrestler The Miz plays a different Marine who must save his sister and stop a terrorist militia.
When: April 2nd - DVD
Why: As can be expected from a direct to video action flick like this, it's popcorn entertainment. Fans of WWE might want to tune in to see The Miz act; I'm a fan of McDonough especially after his bad guy role in last season's Justified.

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