TOPAZ - TOKYO DECADENCE versions

[Miles Wood]

Someone just raised this question again on a forum, and so I thought I'd
give the informed members of this list the opportunity of answering...

The IMDB insists the Japanese version of the film runs 135 minutes, but
the version released on LD and DVD (I've not seen the latter but presume
it's derived from the same transfer as the laserdisc) is only 113
minutes, the only scene not in the US release being the very last one.
The author of the "Video Watchdog" review of the film also mentioned
this much longer version, and when I asked him about it he informed me
that it had screened once at a US University theatre. Perhaps this was
the director's own private print of the film?

Anyway, just to clear matters up, I'd appreciate it if someone can
clarify which version played theatrically in Japan -- has there been
more than one release? -- and an opinion as to why it's the shorter cut
that's found its way onto home video rather than longer one, as is
usually the case

Thanks!

Miles