Fans of the late great actor Matsuda Yusaku can finally get a glimpse of how he landed his final movie role in Ridley Scott’s “Black Rain” (1989). Paramount Home Entertainment Japan announced this week that they will launch a remastered version of the movie on DVD on November 2, with only the Japan version including footage of Matsuda’s audition. The DVD also includes interviews with Uchida Yuya, Ono Miyuki and Guts Ishimatsu about their memories of Matsuda and the making of the movie. The classic “U.S. cops versus Japanese yakuza” flick was largely set in Osaka and starred Michael Douglas and Takakura Ken, as well as a young Andy Garcia. But Matsuda stole the show, with his role as the psychotic yakuza, Sato. But just a day after the movie had its Japan Premiere, Matsuda died of cancer at the age of 39, and Black Rain remains as his biggest legacy outside his homeland.
• The movie sequel “Death Note, The Last Name” will open in theaters at the same time in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, a first for an Asian movie. Since its release in June, “Death Note” has been a huge hit across East Asia, pulling in ¥2.8 billion at home and over ¥200 million in Hong Kong, a record for a Japanese movie. It is also set to open in South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. The schedule for the sequel, as well as its world premiere in Hong Kong on October 28, were announced at a “geurilla” PR event in Tokyo yesterday. Star Fujiwara Tatsuya (24) drew screams from about 700 fans gathered in front of Shinjuku station. The event also featured a huge statue of Ryuk, the Death God, whose character is voiced by kabuki actor Nakamura Shido (34). Nakamura’s recent drunk driving incident is just one of several casting a shadow over the project. The movie is based on a hugely popular manga illustrated by Obata Takeshi, who was arrested in June for possessing an army knife in his car. And cinematographer Takase Hiroshi died on September 7 from a stroke at the age of 50.