Optimum Home Entertainment have announced the UK Region 2 DVD release of Rashomon (Special Edition) on 13th October 2008 priced at £19.99 RRP.

Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, like most of his films, is set during a time of social crisis – pestilence, fires, civil war in 11th Century Japan. Three characters seek shelter from a driving rainstorm beneath the ruined Rashomon gate that guards the southern entrance to the court capital. As they wait for the storm to pass, the priest, the woodcutter and the commoner discuss a recent and scandalous crime – a noblewoman was raped in the forest, her samurai husband killed as a result of either murder or suicide, and a thief named Tajomaru was arrested for the crime.

Features include:

* 1.33:1 Full Frame
* Japanese Mono
* English subtitles
* Introduction by John Boorman (6mins)
* A Testimony As An Image: Rashomon documentary (68mins)
* Trailer
* Booklet featuring original stories the film was based on and The Emperor & The Wolf chapter from book about Kurosawa and Mifune



http://dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=68724

Forudbestil ved Play for £12.99

Rashômon er lige blevet restaureret i et samarbejde mellem de japanske ejere og det amerikanske filmakademi. Den nye udgave vises for første gang offentligt om 14 dage i forbindelse med en Kurosawa-retrospektiv, så mon ikke det er den, som Optimum har købt rettighederne til?

Her er lidt mere om restaureringen: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2008 ... -restored/

Forhåbentligt betyder det også, at Criterion opdaterer deres udgave på både dvd og BD snart.

Ja, det var også min første tanke. Men der kan jo gå lidt tid før det sker, og jeg har - host, host - aldrig set Rashomon

Jeg tror dog jeg afventer en måned eller to, og ser om ikke Criterion skulle melde noget ud.

En BD udgivelse ville ikke være dårligt. Det ville også være på tide at få noget Kurosawa i HD.