Facets Exclusives
British/UK Cinema
International Cinema
Documentaries American Cinema Cult Cinema Cinema Classics Animation Prebook Calendar FACETS EXCLUSIVES 
Isa: The People's Diva This documentary chronicles the life of pioneering Yiddish singer Isa Kremer, reclaiming the legacy of a complex, passionate woman who transcended time and geographic borders. "[Kremer] searches for hidden treasure in the realm of art. She sings with her voice, her body, her eyes, and she captivates with her charm" (Los Angeles Times, Dec. 19, 1924).  Ted Schillinger, USA, 2000, 56 mins. PREBOOK: 7/3/2012 -- STREET: 7/31/2012 DV102116 $13.97 BRITISH/U.K. CINEMA 
The Deep Blue Sea A romance from Terence Davies about a woman torn between lovers. Following a failed suicide attempt, Rachel Weisz recalls the events that led to such distress. In typical Davies style, viewers are presented with a series of vignettes of fragmented memories, showing her being driven out of a stable, rich marriage by a passionate affair with a young pilot (Tom Hiddleton). Terence Davies, Great Britain, 2011, 98 mins. PREBOOK: 6/26/2012 -- STREET: 7/24/2012 DV102221 $29.95
Shallow Grave (Criterion) Evil yuppie roommates get the chance to have it all because of a peculiar incident. Three flatmates seek a fourth, and when the new fellow dies, they decide to keep his death a secret for their own greedy ends. Naturally, their innate distrust of each other begins to surface, resulting in bizarre and, at times, sick actions. Dark, stylish, and wickedly funny. Danny Boyle, Great Britain, 1994, 93 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 6/12/2012 DV60780 $20.97 INTERNATIONAL CINEMA 
The Flowers of WarAn impeccably-filmed tearjerker of the highest order. Christian Bale stars as an adventurer in Zhang Yimou's melodrama set during the Rape of Nanking. Bale becomes the unwilling "guardian" of a group of Catholic school girls (and, parenthetically, prostitutes escaped from a Nanking brothel) as the city is under siege by the Japanese. Zhang Yimou, China/Hong Kong, 2011, 146 mins. PREBOOK: 6/12/2012 -- STREET: 7/10/2012 DV101995 $27.98
Attenberg Like the characters in Dogtooth (whose director acts in this film), 23-year-old Marina has a peculiar relationship with social norms. Marina's only pleasures are found in her relationship with her father, the music of Suicide, the nature documentaries of Sir David Attenborough, and her time spent with best friend Bella. That is, until... Athina Rachel Tsangari, Greece, 2010, 97 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV102168 $27.99 
BullheadBullhead, director Michael R. Roskam's stunning international debut and Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, is a harrowing tale of revenge, redemption, and fate. "Lord only knows how it was able to crack the Oscar Foreign Language five. AMPAS rarely has the stomach--or the cojones--for such descents into darkness" (Time Out). Michael R. Roskam, Belgium, 2011, 124 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV102145 $26.98
Four Lovers In this erotic relationship drama from Antony Cordier, the director takes the menage-a-trois framework of his first fiction film, Cold Showers, and takes it one step further. We meet two bourgeoisie couples, who share vacations, dinner parties, and sleepovers. They also start sharing spouses, which goes from hot and awesome to empty and confusing. Antony Cordier, France, 2010, 105 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV101941 $29.99
Le Havre (Criterion) Aki Kaurismaki's Le Havre is a charming, low-key comedy that shares its name with its setting, the port city of northwestern France. There, an old shoe shiner (Andre Wilms) tries to shield a young African immigrant (Blondin Miguel) from the police who would deport him, led by a villainous investigator (Jean-Pierre Darroussin). Aki Kaurismaki, Finland/France, 2011, 93 mins. PREBOOK: 7/3/2012 -- STREET: 7/31/2012 DV102269 $29.95
The Hunter
A character study of a man whose line of work ensures that death is constantly looming over him. Willem Dafoe stars as a skilled trapper who is transported to Tasmania to extract tissue samples from an endangered tiger. After some time, the stoic killer finds himself conflicted, having developed emotional ties to both his prey and his host family. Daniel Nettheim, Australia, 2011, 100 mins. PREBOOK: 6/5/2012 -- STREET: 7/3/2012 DV102200 $26.98 
Ici et AilleursGodard initiated his radical video period with this startling film that combines videotape and film, enabling him to superimpose more than two images simultaneously. The film's original purpose was to examine life in the Palestinian camps. But following the defeat of the Palestine army in the Six Day War, Ici et Ailleurs was radically transformed. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1970/1976, 60 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV102147 $24.95
In Darkness Set in the Nazi-occupied Ukrainian city of Lvov, this historical drama recounts the real-life story of Leopold Socha. Socha is a sewer worker who moonlights as a small-time thief. Upon witnessing the treatment of Jews by the Nazis, he becomes dedicated to helping refugees find safety in the sewers. Nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Agnieszka Holland, Poland/Germany/Canada, 2011, 145 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 6/12/2012 DV101903 $30.99 
Mimi (La Bouche de Jean-Pierre)From Lucile Hadzihalilovic, a frequent collaborator of Gaspar Noe, who acts as DP on Mimi. "A young French girl is in the aftershock of her mother's attempted suicide. No father is in the picture. She suffers neglect when she goes to live with her Aunt Solange in a high-rise ghetto, and sleazy advances from her Aunt's boyfriend..." (Inside Out Film). Lucile Hadzihalilovic, France, 1996, 52 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV102227 $24.98
My Afternoons with Margueritte
A sweet French comedy about Germain (Gerard Depardieu), a slow, overweight, middle-age man whose life improves greatly when an even older woman, Marguerite (Gisle Casadesus), meets him in the park one day and shows him the glory of literature. From the director of One Deadly Summer. Jean Becker, France, 2010, 82 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV101454 $26.95
Numero Deux
Jean-Luc Godard brilliantly mixes video and film in Numero Deux, a dialectic on the relationship of sex and money. Set in the director's Grenoble studio, the action unfolds on two TV monitors. The elusive plot concerns the marital discord between a young working-class couple. Godard financed this by claiming it was a remake of Breathless. LOL. Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1976, 88 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV102148 $24.95
The Samurai Trilogy (Criterion) All three chapters in Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai trilogy, about Japan's most notorious 17th century swordfighter, Mushashi Miyamoto (Toshiro Mifune), are included in this set: The Oscar-winning Samurai I: Mushashi Miyamoto (1954); Samurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955); and Samurai III: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956). Hiroshi Inagaki, Japan, 1954-56, 302 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV72386 $41.97 
Sound of NoiseAn imaginative comedy from Sweden about a band of outlaw musicians who wreak havoc on an unsuspecting city. Outraged by the bland Musak that is broadcast through the neighborhoods via tiny speakers mounted on poles, and bored by the predictable concerts of the local symphony orchestra, the sonic outlaws devise a plan to take their percussion-based, avant-garde music to the streets. Ola Simonsson/Johannes Stjarne Nilsson, Sweden, 2010, 102 mins. PREBOOK: 5/29/2012 -- STREET: 6/26/2012 DV102274 $26.98
The Turin Horse
In what is supposedly Bela Tarr's final film, the director does not disappoint. At a brisk two and a half hours, The Turin Horse tells of a horse cart driver, his granddaughter, and their steed. Over the course of six suspenseful days, they watch helplessly as the horse refuses to eat or work. You get the sense that the horse is dying, and that the world is next. Bela Tarr/Agnes Hranitzky, Hungary, 2011, 146 mins. PREBOOK: 6/19/2012 -- STREET: 7/17/2012 DV102260 $29.95 DOCUMENTARIES 
Last Days HereLike Anvil, here's another stellar heavy metal underdog story. Pentagram never enjoyed the success of Black Sabbath, but their 1970s proto-metal gradually found an audience of critics, fans, and musicians. Unfortunately, the band never capitalized. You see, front-man Bobby Liebling didn't just have a drug problem--he still has one when we find him here. Don Argott/Demian Fenton, USA, 2011, 91 mins. PREBOOK: 7/3/2012 -- STREET: 7/31/2012 DV102121 $24.98
And Everything Is Going Fine (Criterion) "Steven Soderbergh's fascinating posthumous documentary on the writer/actor/monologist [Spalding Gray], who apparently jumped off the Staten Island Ferry in 2004...Seen as his final monologue, the film is both an invaluable portfolio of his talent, and a tribute rendered in the style of its subject" (Village Voice). Steven Soderbergh, USA, 2010, 89 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV101034 $20.97
In the Realms of the Unreal
Reissued! The Oscar-winning documentary that ventures into the cryptic, fantastic world of "outsider artist" Henry Darger. He was a reclusive Chicago janitor who died in 1972, leaving behind a colossal multi-volume fantasy novel and an abundance of warped drawings, collages, and paintings. Instead of unpacking his work, the film deepens his mystery. Jessica Yu, USA, 2003, 82 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 5/29/2012 DV76839 $24.98
Jiro Dreams of Fish A portrait of a man whose life is defined by an arduous commitment to achieving perfection. For many food connoisseurs, the phrase "world's greatest sushi chef" is synonymous with Jiro Ono. The 86-year-old spends every waking hour meticulously honing his craft, and passing his knowledge on to his son and the employees of his restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro. David Gelb, USA, 2011, 81 mins. PREBOOK: 6/26/2012 -- STREET: 7/24/2012 DV102113 $26.98 AMERICAN CINEMA 
Jeff, Who Lives at HomeAfter Cyrus, the Duplass brothers deliver another uncomfortable comedy that slips in more earnest emotions than most conventional studio comedies allow. Jason Segel stars as Jeff...who lives at home. Susan Sarandon plays his working mom, who is in no rush to kick out her man-child. That is, until Jeff's older brother (Ed Helms) gets on his case. Jay Duplass/Mark Duplass, USA, 2012, 83 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV102248 $29.99
Dirty Old Town The Bowery becomes a nexus of shattered dreams when a merchant has 72 hours to pay his rent. Facing extinction, his ramshackle tent of antiquities lures a troop of misfits, freaks and renegades who form a tableaux full of carnival pageantry, white lies and victimless crime in a fleeting glimpse of Downtown New York. "Drips with sweaty ambiance and guerilla-style energy" (Variety). Jenner Furst/Daniel Levin, USA, 2010, 73 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 5/29/2012 DV102231 $24.95
God Bless America
Bobcat Goldthwait continues his late-career stint as a director of darkly cynical comedies with this follow-up to World's Greatest Dad. Joel Murray stars as a man with a brain tumor and no job who decides to go on a killing spree to rid the world of self-absorbed human beings. Along the way, he joins forces with a disillusioned 16-year-old girl (Tara Lynne Barr.) Bobcat Goldthwait, USA, 2011, 100 mins. PREBOOK: 6/5/2012 -- STREET: 7/3/2012 DV102199 $26.98
Goon (Blu-ray & DVD) Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) has dreams of ascending beyond his unsatisfying bouncer job. While attending a hockey game, one of the visiting team's players physically threatens his friend (Jay Baruchel). In turn, Doug knocks out said player. This doesn't go unnoticed by the home team's coach, who makes Doug an enforcer. From the director of FUBAR. Michael Dowse, USA/Canada, 2011, 92 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 5/29/2012 DV102197 $34.98
Gray's Anatomy (Criterion) A truly inspired cinematic collaboration between director Steven Soderbergh (sex, lies and videotape) and America's master of monologue, Spaulding Gray (Swimming to Cambodia). This somewhat autobiographical tale is a comical look at Gray's middle-age angst, with its impending mortality, and, in his case, a sight distortion in his left eye. Steven Soderbergh, USA, 1997, 79 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV102114 $20.97 
Wanderlust (Blu-ray & DVD)In this under-appreciated sidesplitter from David Wain, Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston play a NYC couple who lose their jobs and find themselves in a rural commune. It's thin on plot, but huge in terms of WTF hilarity. Don't look at the box office returns--look at the supporting cast: Justin Theroux, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney, and Alan Alda. David Wain, USA, 2012, 98 mins. PREBOOK: 5/22/2012 -- STREET: 6/19/2012 DV102272 $34.98 CULT CINEMA 
Some Guy Who Kills People"A step up for helmer Jack Perez after several cheesy cable pics (like Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus), Some Guy is smoothly crafted, striking the right balance between ironic horror/noir-fantasy tropes, the comedy mostly in a deadpan improv vein, and some formulaic but well-earned sentimentality. In a rare lead role, Kevin Corrigan is aces" (Variety). Jack Perez, USA, 2011, 97 mins. PREBOOK: 6/5/2012 -- STREET: 7/3/2012 DV102279 $22.98
13 Assassins
The original version of Takashi Miike's 2010 samurai film about a daimyo who rapes and murders, yet goes unpunished due to his political connections. In order to remove this stain from the Shogunate, a rogue samurai is given a suicide mission: he and 12 other brave swordsmen must assassinate the lecherous man before he takes the throne. Eiichi Kudo, Japan, 1963, 125 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 6/5/2012 DV102275 $24.98 CINEMA CLASSICS 
Eclipse Series 34: Jean Grémillon During the Occupation Though he made films in the silent era and would make numerous documentaries, Jean Grémillon's best dramatic work was produced during the German Occupation of France. This budget set includes: Remorques, starring Jean Gabin and Michele Morgan; Lumière d'Étè, a dark portrayal of the ruling classes; and Le Ciel Est à Vous, a lovely film with a brave message. Jean Grémillon, France, 1941-1944, 300 mins. PREBOOK: 6/26/2012 -- STREET: 7/24/2012 DV102270 $44.95
The Gold Rush (Criterion) Charlie Chaplin's immortal, icon-making film, which pits the Little Tramp against the elements of the Yukon and ruthless prospectors as he pursues the affections of a dance hall girl. This is the film that includes the classic scene of Chaplin eating his leather shoe and shows his wooden cabin precariously balanced on the edge of a cliff. A masterpiece. Charles Chaplin, USA, 1925/1942, 154 mins. ORDER NOW -- STREET: 6/12/2012 DV65370 $20.97 ANIMATION 
Chico & Rita (Blu-ray & DVD) A touching and sexy tribute to Cuban jazz in the 1940s and 1950s. Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey--in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero--brings heartache and torment. Nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Tono Errando/Javier Mariscal/Fernando Trueba, Spain, 2010, 94 mins. PREBOOK: 8/21/2012 -- STREET: 9/18/2012 DV102002 $39.95 PREBOOK CALENDAR
Last updated 5/16/2011 |