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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:

October 1st (click the movie title to see the trailer)

The Frozen Ground
Who: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, Curtis Jackson, Radha Mitchell, Dean Norris
What: A thriller based on the hunt for the 1980s Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen. Hansen (played by Cusack) was married, a baker, and a well-known hunter in Anchorage who kidnapped young women, assaulted them, and then buried them. Hudgens plays one of his targets who escapes and then assists an Alaskan State Trooper (Cage) in identifying and then making a case to catch the killer.
When: October 1st - DVD and online on demand
Why: Despite the cast, this movie didn't make it into theaters. I'm interested in it mostly for Cusack and the cat and mouse elements of the investigation. Other viewers may be interested in this as one of Vanessa Hudgens' early movies in her developing film career.

InAPPropriate Comedy
Who: Rob Schneider, Michelle Rodriguez, Adrien Brody, Lindsay Lohan
What: An ensemble comedy set around a variety of urban neighborhoods and characters, with a mix of spoof scenarios (Lohan "shoots" the paparazzi with guns) and deliberate dialogue based on race and sexuality. Director Vince Offer is the pitchman who sold the ShamWow and SlapChop in tv infomercials.
When: October 1st - DVD and online on demand
Why: Based on the trailer, it appears that this movie, described as sketch comedy, has a slightly more sensible throughline than the huge ensemble comedy Movie 43 released earlier this year. This is the type of movie that would appeal to those who watch the ongoing entries of the Scary Movie series, or one of the many lowbrow comedies from National Lampoon. Now, I'm a firm believer that even terrible, trashy comedy can have its moments, but you really have to go in with your eyes open. That said, Adrien Brody is an Academy Award winner, and I'm interested in seeing how funny Michelle Rodriguez can be.

This is the End
Who: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Kevin Hart
What: The world comes to an catastrophic end in Los Angeles, and a group of friends (all playing themselves) try to stick together and survive both the disaster and their relationships.
When: October 1st - DVD and online on demand
Why: This movie was one of the early summer surprise hits (just going by "disaster comedy" on paper) that has earned high marks from both audiences and critics. Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Danny McBride's comedy can sometimes be polarizing for audiences, but I'm a fan. Rogen, Franco, McBride, and Robinson previously appeared together in Pineapple Express.

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