DVD: Makoto Tanaka's AME NO MACHI, w/ Toshihiro Wada, Yôko Maki, Riko Narumi, Tsutomu Takeshige, Ken Mitsuishi, Noriko Eguchi, Shungiku Uchida, Asami Katsura, Kôichi Ueda, Moeko Ezawa, Kôjirô Kusanagi, et al.

Progressive Pictures K.K. (Puroguresshibu Pikuchâzu K.K.) is scheduled to release Makoto Tanaka's Ame no machi on DVD (PRDV-0003) in Japan on August 25th; the release is being distributed by Geneon Entertainment K.K. (Jeneon Entateinmento K.K.). Progressive Pictures released the movie theatrically in Japan on March 25th.

The screenplay for Ame no machi was written by Tanaka, based on the eponymous short story by Hideyuki Kikuchi. The movie's principal cast is as follows: Toshihiro Wada, Yôko Maki, Riko Narumi, Tsutomu Takeshige, Mitsuki Nagashima, Chihiro Maebashi, Tôru Shinagawa, Ken Mitsuishi, Ken Yasuda, Noriko Eguchi, Shungiku Uchida, Asami Katsura, Hideyuki Kikuchi (see above), Naruyoshi Kikuchi (he also composed/performed the closing theme song for the movie), Kôichi Ueda, Moeko Ezawa, and Kôjirô Kusanagi.

Here's a description of Ame no machi from the website of DVD retailer CD Japan (Neo Wing K.K. / K.K. Neo Wingu): "From the mind of 'Vampire Hunter D' creator Hideyuki Kikuchi comes a new film about a group of children that dissappears, only to return one rainy day 35 years later! A reporter following the story of a child's corps that has mysteriously been rendered free of it's internal organs is drawn to a small town where he learns the story of group of elementary school students who dissappeared 35 years ago. The people tell him to 'stay inside when it rains out of season, you'll get drunk in by the rain.' Soon he discovers the school's old photo albums and speaks with the residents about the event... where it becomes obvious that the town is hiding something."

For more information on Ame no machi, see Twitch's third, second, and first articles on it.

Ame no machi trailer (downloadable 5.8 MB WMV file)
Ame no machi official website
Geneon Entertainment: Ame no machi DVD
YesAsia.com: Ame no machi DVD