The Last Samurai
Set in Japan during the 1870s, Capt. Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise) is a respected American military officer hired by the Emperor of Japan to train the country’s first army in the art of modern warfare. As the Emperor attempts to eradicate the ancient Imperial Samurai warriors in preparation for more Westernized and trade-friendly government policies, Algren finds himself unexpectedly impressed and influenced by his encounters with the Samurai, which places him at the center of a struggle between two eras and two worlds, with only his own sense of honor to guide him.

This film is not yet rated.

Release Date: 2003
Running time:

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Start of Production

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Production Notes

Credits: Main, End

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Source: WB Movies
Thanks Denise for sending me this.

‘Minority Report’ rides 4th quarter DVD sales boom

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) — With every indication that this will be the most explosive fourth quarter in the history of DVD sales, Steven Spielberg (news)’s effects-laden “Minority Report” DVD is targeted for release Dec. 17 from DreamWorks Home Entertainment.

The DVD and rental-priced VHS release of “Report,” staring Tom Cruise (news), is timed to take advantage of a DVD holiday buying frenzy that began with last month’s release of Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment’s “Spider-Man,” which broke all Day 1 sales records with more than 7 million units sold through to consumers.

Since “Spider-Man” swung into action on the DVD scene, week after week of blockbuster titles have confirmed what industry analysts had been predicting for more than a year — fourth-quarter DVD sales will gross more than $7 billion.

According to the DVD Entertainment Group, the cumulative boxoffice gross of home video releases for the fourth quarter is more than $4.3 billion, up 34% from a year earlier. This is the largest boxoffice gross of DVD releases for any quarter since the format was introduced in 1997.

“Report,” which generated more than $130 million at the domestic boxoffice, is set to be one of the top new sci-fi releases of the quarter, touting both a widescreen and fullscreen DVD, replete with bonus features.

Producer Laurent Bouzereau’s futuristic DVD menus display the inner working of the film on a separate disc, offering a rare look at Spielberg commenting on every aspect of the filmmaking process — from the stunts to designing the near-future world to the story line that stirred debate about the future of the “probable cause” rule within the U.S. Constitution.

In the bonus chapter “Deconstructing Minority Report,” Spielberg discusses how he brought together a think tank of intellectuals who conceived the near-future world of “Report.”

“Report” will carry a suggested retail price of $19.95 for the two-disc DVD and will be available for rental on VHS and DVD starting Dec. 17.

The Minority Report DVD site is open, check here.

This was posted by Bettyblue at the Tom Cruise Web Board, very interesting, Thanks Betty!
It’s from an Italian Newspaper called La Repubblica and it was published on November 15th:
“Tokyo 1875 … And at the center of the set a perfectly choreographed fight is taking place right now: a blow in the rear, the actor falling to the ground, yelping in pain, the bayonets being pushed against his head. Then the actor gets up, smiling that dazzling smile all his own, ready to go again, ready to fall again with a moan, ready to yell his lines in Japanese language, “OROSO, OROSO!” (stand still, stop) … Tom Cruise now founds himself in this 19th century Tokyo, built on the Warner Brothers lot in Burbank … Cruise, who for this movie has let his hair and beard grow very long, is a perfect host as he accompanies me in a guided tour around the set”.