New on DVD

Look for these new DVD releases, now on store shelves.

"The Country Teacher": Two-thirds of the way into "The Country Teacher," we see country-bumpkin mom Marie, a weathered, loveless woman with loose red pigtails and overalls, cleaning up a vomit-splattered floor. We get the feeling that quite a few of the characters in Czech director Bohdan Slama's latest film have been wiping up the stuff all their lives. When a young schoolteacher, Peter (Pavel Liska, a Slama regular), from Prague comes to teach the backwoods local kids, Peter and Marie become fast friends, distracting each other from their loneliness.

"The Country Teacher" ambles along like a herd of anxious cattle. Despite all the pain and self-loathing of its wounded characters, it's a pretty, heartwarming picture that tells us everybody needs somebody to help shatter that ol' boulder for good, and maybe clean up some vomit along the away. 1:43. Not rated (adult themes and two calf birthings).

"Valentino: The Last Emperor": Legendary fashion designer Valentino Garavani glides through the movie in expensive suits and with the facial expression of one who has just smelled unwashed feet. Accompanied almost everywhere by his silver-haired business partner and ex-boyfriend, Giancarlo Giammetti, and a retinue of five Shar-Peis, he's given to making such pronouncements as, "An evening gown that reveals a woman's ankles while she's walking is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen."

It's not surprising, though, given that Valentino created, during a 45-year run in the rag biz that lasted until his retirement from fashion in 2007, what Giammetti calls "a world unto himself." Calling him the last emperor might be hyperbolic, but he certainly is the last of a breed. 2:16. Rated PG-13 (a bit of crude language and brief toplessness). DVD extras: previously deleted scenes and extra footage. Also: "Crank 2: High Voltage," "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency," "Fringe: The Complete First Season," "Requiem for a Dream (Blu-ray)," "Important Things with Demetri Martin: Season One," "Snakes on a Plane (Blu-ray)."

-- The Washington Post