World War II Classic TORA! TORA! TORA! Finally Comes To US Blu-ray December 6th!

This is one of my favorite World War II films.  Tora! Tora! Tora! was also one of the few Hollywood productions that took any time to examine the Japanese side of the Pearl Harbor bombing that instigated US involvement in the war in the Pacific.  This film was a huge undertaking, and as such, Fox loaded some big talent into the project.

The film had two credited directors, Richard Fleischer (Soylent Green, Mandingo, 10 Rillington Place) for the American side of the story, and Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, Battles Without Honor and Humanity, Cops Vs Thugs) & Toshio Masuda.  These are just the three who made it to the end, initially the idea was to get the master, Akira Kurosawa, to direct the Japanese sequences, however, he abandoned the project after two frustrating years.  I would say, though, that Fukasaku is a more fitting director for this project.  Fleischer is no pushover either, many of his films are among my favorites of the 1970's, including the ones included parenthetically above.

Tora! Tora! Tora! has been released on Blu-ray in other English speaking territories, as well as in Germany and most European countries, but not in the US.  Leave it to Fox to align this release with the 70th anniversary of the bombing and give us a stellar looking digibook package.  I have pondered importing this release many times, but somehow it seemed unpatriotic to buy this particular film from another country, so now I don't have to, thanks Fox! 

Here are the details:
THE MOST SPECTACULAR FILM EVER MADE!
TORA! TORA! TORA!

The Emotionally Charged and Action-Packed Film Arrives
On Blu-ray December 6th

Summary:
Re-live the story of one of America's darkest moments through superb visuals and a double sided narrative that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The classic film TORA! TORA! TORA! comes to Blu-ray from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on December 6th. The winner of the 1970 Academy Award® for Best Special Effects TORA! TORA! TORA! was nominated for four more Oscars® including Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Sound.  Experience TORA! TORA! TORA! through the superb visual quality of Blu-ray for the first time.

Starring Martin Balsam (All The President's Men), James Whitmore (The Shawkshank Redemption), Jason Robards (All The President's Men)andJoseph Cotton (The Third Man, Citizen Kane) TORA! TORA! TORA! showcases the attack on Pearl Harbor in dazzling detail.

The TORA! TORA! TORA! Blu-ray book includes the extended "Japanese Cut" containing 10 minutes of previously unreleased footage and rare photos from the Fox Archives - a collector's dream.

It's still too early for a pre-order link, but when I see one, I'll post it.