All right, we’ve got some big news for you today, but first…

We’ve posted a couple of new Blu-ray Disc reviews here at the site for you to check out today.  Tim has given Shout! Factory’s Deadly Blessing: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray a review – part of their Scream Factory brand.  And Jeff Kleist has turned in a look at Paramount’s new Top Gun 3D on Blu-ray 3D.  Both are now in stores and are definitely worth your time.

Now then… let’s get some announcement news out of the way…

The lead this afternoon is that Warner has officially set the Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 5/14 – pretty much exactly around the time we expected it.  SRP is $35.99 and $22.97.  Extras on the Blu-ray will include 7 featurettes (including A Film Like No Other, Everything is Connected, The Impossible Adaptation, The Essence of Acting, Spaceships, Slaves & Sextets, The Bold Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas and Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life, and Longing in Cloud Atlas).  You can see the cover artwork below.

Also today, Warner and the BBC have set Doctor Who: The Visitation – Special Edition for DVD release on 5/14, followed by Call the Midwife: Season Two on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/21.

Warner has also set Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Third Season for DVD only release on 6/4.

In other announcement news, Showtime (distributed by Paramount) has set Dexter: The Complete Seventh Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 5/14.

Speaking of Paramount, the studio has set An Officer and a Gentleman for release on Blu-ray Disc for the first time on 5/17, distributed by Warner Home Video.

CBS has set Laverne & Shirley: The Complete Sixth Season for DVD release on 5/21.

Lionsgate has set Mighty Fine for DVD only release on 5/7.

And Universal has set the comedy A Haunted House for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/23. The only significant extra will be How to Survive a Paranormal Presence featurette.

Also, the Cohen Media Group has announced that they’re restoring some 700 films (formerly of The Rohauer Library) directed by the likes of Buster Keaton, D.W. Griffith, Alfred Hitchcock and others, many of which the company plans to release on Blu-ray and DVD.  The first release of the Cohen Film Collection is the already announced Thief of Bagdad (which just arrived in stores yesterday) and the new theatrical release Tristiana due on both formats on 3/12.  Future classic catalog titles will include The General, Intolerance, Sudden Fear, Son of the Sheik, The Mark of Zorro and many more.  Visit their website for additional details.

And 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has just announced their first batch of MOD DVD-R titles for 2013, which are now available through online retailers.  They include Warlock (1959), Clive of India (1935), Wife, Husband and Friend (1939), Mister 880 (1950), Tender Is the Night (1962), Remember the Day (1941), Apartment for Peggy (1948), Coney Island (1943), Holiday for Lovers (1959), The Marriage-Go-Round (1961), A Message to Garcia (1936), Oh Men! Oh Women! (1957), Something for the Birds (1952), Unfaithfully Yours (1948), Thanks a Million (1935), The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947), Wabash Avenue (1950), 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956), Heaven with a Barbed Wire Fence (1939), Lisa (1962), Wilson (1944) and Raiders from Beneath the Sea (1965).

Finally today, Sony is set to officially unveil their new PlayStation 4 videogame system today via a live press conference set for 6 PM Eastern (3 PM Pacific).  You’ll be able to watch a live stream here at the official PlayStation website.  The rumors are that the system will offer some kind of 4K capability (possibly including both gaming and movies) as part of Sony’s support plan for their new 4K displays.  Guess we’ll know for sure soon enough, so do check it out if you’re interested.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Cloud Atlas, An Officer and a Gentleman and Dexter: The Complete Seventh Season (note that only Dexter is currently available for pre-order on Amazon)…

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

Well folks... with the Presidents’ Day holiday here in the States, today is a great day to buy a mattress but a lousy one for Blu-ray and DVD release news.

So to keep you all entertained, our own Tim Salmons has turned in a new Blu-ray review from our friends over at Shout!’s Scream Factory: the TerrorVision/The Video Dead – Double Feature.  It streets tomorrow.  Watch for more reviews all this week!

Lest you think there’s absolutely nothing to report today other than asteroid scares, we’ve got a little more Studio Ghibli news for you:  We’ve learned that in addition to Howl’s Moving Castle, which is set for Blu-ray/DVD Combo release on 5/21 from Disney, the studio will also release Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro on Blu-ray Combo that same day.  SRP is $39.99 each and both are now available for pre-order on Amazon.com – just click on the cover art below.

Over the weekend, Twilight Time set the 1980s horror classics Christine and The Fury for Blu-ray release on 3/12 – limited to just 3000 units a piece.  Sadly, Christine is already sold out though pre-orders for The Fury are open now here.

Funimation will release the anime series East of the East: The Complete Series - Classic on Blu-ray on 4/30.

In addition, Sony will release the 2010 mini-series version of Ben Hur on DVD and digital on 4/30 (SRP $26.99).  It stars Joseph Morgan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Emily VanCamp, Kristin Kreuk, Ray Winstone and Ben Cross.

Sony has also announced a new batch of DVD-R Manufactured on Demand titles for release on 4/2, including The Key, A Night to Remember (1942), Theodora Goes Wild, 20/30/40, The Killer That Stalked New York, Branded (1931), Harem Girl, If You Could Only Cook, Too Many Husbands and The Big C: The Complete Third Season.  So there you go.

Here’s a look at Disney’s Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbor Totoro, plus Criterion’s Band of Outsiders (due 5/7)…

See you tomorrow. Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

Just a very quick update for you today...

The big news is that Criterion has just announced their May Blu-ray and DVD slate, set to include Jean-Luc Godard’s Band of Outsiders (Cat #174 - BD - due 5/7), Delmer Daves’ 3:10 to Yuma (Cat #657 - BD and DVD - due 5/14) and Jubal (Cat #656 - BD and DVD - also due 5/14), Haskell Wexler’s Medium Cool (cat #658 - BD and DVD - due 5/21) and Mike Leigh’s Life is Sweet (Cat #659 - BD and DVD - due 5/28).  Nice to see some classic westerns get the spiff treatment from Criterion!

Also today, Shout! Factory has just set K9: The Complete Series for DVD releas on 5/7.  The series is based on the popular character from the BBC’s Doctor Who.

Shout! is also releasing a Dirty Mary Crazy Larry/Race with the Devil Blu-ray Double Feature on 5/28.

And Disney has just set Hayao Miyazaki’s animated Howl’s Moving Castle for release as a Blu-ray DVD Combo on 5/21.

Here’s BD cover artwork for a couple of the titles mentioned above (note that the Criterion titles aren’t available for pre-order yet but Howl is)...

And that’s it! Hope you all have a great weekend.

- Bill Hunt

More new announcements today… DreamWorks Animation has officially announced Rise of the Guardians for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/12.

Warner Home Video has set The Great Gatsby (1974) for Blu-ray release on 4/23 (SRP $19.98).

Sony will release A Dark Truth on DVD only on 3/5.

Shout! Factory has set Cold Prey II for DVD release on 4/23.  The film is the sequel to the Norwegian thriller Cold Prey.  Bet you couldn’t have guessed that, right?  Anyway, SRP is $19.97.  Shout! Factory has also set Route 66: The Complete Fourth Season for 5-disc DVD release on 4/2 – it’s available on ShoutFactory.com or Amazon.

Image and RLJ Entertainment will release Magic Journey to Africa on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.

Han’s Tooth Video is releasing Another Country on DVD on 5/7.  The film stars Rupert Everett and Colin Firth.

CJ Entertainment America has set Black Eagle for DVD release on 3/12.

Don’t forget that Anchor Bay and the Weinstein Company will release the Oscar-winning documentary Undefeated on Blu-ray and DVD next Tuesday, 2/19.

Also today, Criterion has made all of their titles available for free streaming on Hulu Plus today through Monday 2/18 – over 800 titles including hundreds that have never been released on Blu-ray and DVD in the States.  Do check them out.  (Though Criterion, we do still wish you’d re-issue the first two Zatoichi films on DVD in anamorphic widescreen like the others, thank you very much.  I’m almost to the point where I’m just going to purchase the Japanese DVDs – which are NTSC and anamorphic – and re-engineer them with English subtitles for my own viewing pleasure.  I have little hope of Blu-ray, sadly.)

And finally, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is now available for pre-order on 4-disc Blu-ray Combo, 2-disc Blu-ray Combo and DVD on Amazon.com (see the cover art links below), though no street date is yet announced.  That said, industry sources are suggesting a street date of 3/26.  Watch for official announcements soon.

Here’s the cover artwork for both versions of Disney’s Lincoln (though it may yet be subject to change), along with Warner’s The Great Gatsby…

Stay tuned (and Happy Valentine’s Day!)…

- Bill Hunt

All right, we’ve got lots of odd and ends to report announcement-wise today…

First, Paramount Home Entertainment has set The Guilt Trip for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 4/30.  Extras will include an interview with Barbra Streisand and Seth Rogan, a gag reel, deleted and alternate scenes and 4 featurettes (Barbra’s World, Guilt Trip: Real Mother of a Road Trip, In The Driver’s Seat and Not Really a Road Trip Movie).

Warner Home Video has set Maverick: The Complete Second Season for DVD only release on 4/23 (SRP $39.98).  The 6-disc set will include all 26 episodes.  Warner will also release LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu – Season Two on DVD on 3/5.

Lionsgate has set Abducted: The Carlina White Story for DVD release on 3/5.  Counting Cars: Season 1 will follow on DVD only on 4/16, along with The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia on Blu-ray and DVD.  Finally, Assassins Run will arrive on DVD from Lionsgate on 4/23.

Well Go USA Entertainment has set director Jean-Marc Mineo’s Bangkok Revenge for Blu-ray and DVD release on 3/27.

Sony has set Lake Placid: The Final Chapter on DVD on 2/19.

Green Apple Entertainment has announced Sins for DVD release on 2/26.

Virgil Films will release Gun Hill Road on DVD on 3/5.

PBS is releasing American Masters: Philip Roth Unmasked on DVD on 4/2.  PBS has also set Masterpiece: Mr. Selfridge for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.

Image Entertainment will release State of Emergency on DVD on 4/16, followed by The Wicked on DVD on 4/30.

TLA Releasing has Sagat and Molly’s Girl coming on DVD only on 3/12.

Artsploitation Films has announced the acquisition of Horror Stories, Memory of the Dead and Wither for theatrical and DVD release in 2013.  Street dates are TBA.

Shout! Factory has announced the Scandinavian noir-thriller ID:A for release on DVD only on 5/7.  Shout! has also set the animated Kaijudo: Rise of the Dual Masters – Dragonstrike for DVD release on 4/30.  And the company also has Quincy M.E.: Season 5 coming on DVD on 3/19 as well.

Finally, Danger After Dark will release Death Penalty.com/Death Penalty.com: A New Beginning on DVD on 3/12.

Also today, given all of the TV promotional shorts and spots that Disney is currently running for Lincoln, one would expect it to be announced shortly after the Oscar broadcast on 2/24, probably for release in April.  Note that it’s set to be a Disney (Touchstone) release here in the States and a Fox release overseas.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for Paramount’s The Guilt Trip, Warner Archive’s The Hudsucker Proxy (due to ship on 2/16) and Universal’s Hyde Park on Hudson (due 4/9)…

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

We’ve got some good stuff for you today!

First up, our own Joe Marchese has just posted a new Blu-ray Disc review featuring Suddenly (1954) in high-def from Image Entertainment.  The film stars Frank Sinatra and the disc is now available, so enjoy!

Also today, Russell Hammond has completed the Release Dates & Artwork update for this week, featuring all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links.  As always, you can help support our work here at The Bits by ordering stuff (pretty much anything) from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links and we really do appreciate it!

In announcement news today, Universal Studios Home Entertainment has officially set Les Misérables (2012) for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/22 (SRP $34.98 and $29.98).  Both versions will include audio commentary with director Tom Hooper, 3 featurettes (The Stars of Les Misérables, Creating the Perfect Paris and The Original Masterwork: Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables) and the usual Digital Copy, UltraViolet and interactive options.  To this, the Blu-ray will exclusively add 4 additional featurettes (Les Misérables Singing Live, Battle at the Barricade, The West End Connection and Les Misérables on Location).  You’ll find the cover artwork below.

Also we’ve got another big title announcement for you today:  Sony has just set Zero Dark Thirty for release on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 3/19 (SRP $40.99 and $30.99).  Extras will include 4 documentary featurettes (No Small Feat, The Compound, Geared Up and Targeting Jessica Chastain) and that’s it.  Again, see the cover artwork below.

Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has set New Line’s Driven (the Stallone film) and Running Scared for Blu-ray release on 6/11 (SRP $19.98).

And Lionsgate has set Gamer for re-issue as a Blu-ray 3D release on 5/7.

Here’s a look at the BD cover art for Universal’s Les Misérables, Sony’s Zero Dark Thirty and Lionsgate’s Gamer 3D…

Don’t forget that Skyfall officially hits stores on Blu-ray and DVD today.  Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

All right, first things first today… our own Jeff Kleist has turned in a review of Echo Bridge and Miramax’s Fortress on Blu-ray.  The disc is currently available only as a Best Buy exclusive but will become widely available on 5/7.  Enjoy!

Now then… Warner Archive is starting to take pre-orders on select limited “manufactured in small batches” Blu-ray titles and the first up is the Coen Brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy!  SRP is $19.95 and the disc is expected to start shipping on 2/26.  There’s no word on extras if any (perhaps a trailer) but audio will be in DTS-HD 2.0.  We expect more titles to be available soon. [Editor’s Update: Hudsucker is actually the third such title after Gypsy and Deathtrap - just FYI.]

Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has officially set their Clint Eastwood: 40 Film Collection DVD box set and Clint Eastwood: 20 Film Collection Blu-ray box set for release on 6/4 (SRP $178.98 and $129.95).  You may remember that we first revealed these titles way back in October at Warner’s 40th Anniversary press event.   Each set will include the exclusive new Eastwood Directs: The Untold Story documentary in addition to all the bonus content on the individual film discs.  Click here for the complete list of titles.

Warner is also releasing A&E’s Longmire: The Complete First Season on DVD only on 5/28.  The 2-disc set will include all 10 episodes along with The Slow Burn: Shooting Longmire featurette, a still gallery and deleted scenes.  Presumably that means the second season will start airing on A&E in June.

Speaking of the Coen Brothers, Shout! Factory is getting ready to release Sam Raimi’s Crimewave on Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 5/14 (SRP $26.99).  The film was written by the Coens.  Bonus content is still TBA.

Shout! has also officially announced the DVD release of the animated Beetlejuice: The Complete Series on 5/28.  The 12-disc set will include all 94 episodes.  Note that this set will only be available at Amazon.com.  See the cover artwork below.

In other news, Sony has set Rust and Bone for Blu-ray and DVD on 3/19.  Extras audio commentary with director/writer Jacques Audiard and co-writer Thomas Bidegain, 6 deleted scenes with commentary and 3 featurettes (Making Rust and Bone: A Film by Antonin Peretjatko, VFX Breakdown by Mikros and On the Red Carpet: Toronto International Film Festival).

Sony has also set Pegasus vs. Chimera for DVD only release on 4/23.

Anchor Bay Films has set Girls Against Boys for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/26.  The film was an official selection at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival.  Extras will include audio commentary.

Anchor Bay has also set Pawn for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 4/23 (SRP $29.99 and $24.98).  Both will include a behind-the-scenes featurette.

Lionsgate and Miramax are releasing Robert Rodriguez’s Curandero: Dawn of the Demon on DVD only on 3/12.

Here’s a look at the cover art for Sony’s Rust and Bone Blu-ray, Warner’s Fringe: The Complete Series (due 5/7) and Shout! Factory’s Beetlejuice: The Complete Series DVD…

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

All right, we’re rounding out the week with a bit more announcement news…

First up, Lionsgate has officially announced the DVD only release of Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection on 4/30 (SRP $26.98), as well as the Blu-ray release of Strictly Ballroom the same day (SRP $14.99 – we posted the cover art for this one a couple days ago).  Night of the Living Dead: Resurrection will include audio commentary with director/co-writer James Plumb, director of photography/co-editor James Morrissey, 1st assistant director Victoria Rodway, sound recordist Paul Brookes and actress Mel Stevens.  Strictly Ballroom will include 2 featurettes (Strictly Ballroom: From Stage to Screen, Samba to Slow Fox Dance), a deleted scene, a design gallery and audio commentary with director Baz Luhrmann, production designer Catherine Martin and choreographer John “Cha Cha” O’Connell.

For you music fans, Eagle Rock Entertainment has set Pat Metheny Group: We Live Here – Live in Japan for DVD only release on 3/12 (SRP $14.98).

Disney will release Private Practice: The Complete Sixth Season on DVD on 5/7 (SRP $39.99).  Extras will include outtakes, deleted scenes and the Saying Our Goodbyes featurette.

Blue Underground has announced a 4-film Spaghetti Westerns Unchained DVD box set for release on 5/21 (SRP $29.98), set to include Django, Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!, Keoma and Texas, Adios.  The set will include interview featurettes, commentary, trailers and still galleries.  Also coming on that day from Blue is director Giancarlo Santi’s Grand Duel on DVD, staring Lee Van Cleef (SRP $14.98).  It’s mastered from a new HD transfer of the original negative, and will include commentary, a trailer and a Spaghetti Westerns trailer reel.

Warner Home Video has announced a 5-film Hats Off to Dr. Seuss: Collector’s Edition for release on both Blu-ray and DVD on 2/19 (SRP $59.99 and $44.98).  The set will include The Lorax, Green Eggs and Ham and Other Stories, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Cat in the Hat and Horton Hears a Who!, along with new original bonus content and a booklet of rare Dr. Seuss artwork.

And Warner has also announced official release details for their forthcoming Tom and Jerry: The Golden Collection – Volume 2, which is due on Blu-ray and DVD on 6/11 (SRP $34.99 and $26.99 – we posted the BD cover art yesterday).  The 2-disc set will officially include 42 remastered shorts plus bonus content.  The shorts included are Polka-Dot Puss, Nit-Witty Kitty, The Little Orphan, Cat Napping, Hatch Up Your Troubles, The Flying Cat, Heavenly Puss, The Duck Doctor, The Cat and the Mermouse, The Two Mouseketeers, Love that Pup, Smitten Kitten, Jerry’s Diary, Triplet Trouble, Tennis Chumps, Little Runaway, Little Quacker, Fit to be Tied, Saturday Evening Puss, Push-Button Kitty, Texas Tom, Cruise Cat, Jerry and the Lion, The Dog House, Safety Second, The Missing Mouse, Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, Jerry and Jumbo, The Framed Cat, Johann Mouse, Cue Ball Cat, That’s My Pup!, Jerry and the Goldfish, Just Ducky, Jerry’s Cousin, Two Little Indians, Sleepy-Time Tom, Life with Tom, His Mouse Friday, Puppy Tale, Slicked-Up Pup and Posse Cat.

Finally, we’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of legendary film make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, who passed away in London on Tuesday at the age of 98.  Freeborn is of course best known as the co-creator of Yoda of Star Wars fame, though he also crafted the look of key characters in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove , Fagin from David Lean’s version of Oliver Twist and the infamous “Dawn of Man” ape sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  He will surely be missed.  More here at The New York Times.

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

All right, we’re working on more BD reviews which we hope to have up over the next couple days.

Meanwhile, in announcement news today... Warner Home Video has officially set National Lampoon’s Vacation: 30th Anniversary Edition and National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation for Blu-ray Disc release on 5/21 (SRP $19.98 each).  We’ve mentioned extras details previously.

HBO has just set Aaron Sorkin’s The Newsroom: The Complete First Season for Blu-ray and DVD release on 6/11 (SRP $79.98 and $59.99).  Extras on the Blu-ray will include episodic previews and recaps, deleted scenes, 2 featurettes  (The Rundown and Mission Control) and 5 audio commentaries with the cast and crew including Aaron Sorkin, Alan Poul, Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston, Emily Mortimer and more.

HBO has also set the photojournalism documentary series Witness (produced by Michael Mann and directed by David Frankham) for DVD only release on 5/7 (SRP $19.98).

Shout! Factory has set Crimewave (1985) for Blu-ray Combo release on 5/14, followed by Captain America (1990) and The Burning (1981) on Blu-ray Combo on 5/21.

And Sony has set director Jonas Akerlund’s Small Apartments for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/16.

Also today, CBS has just posted trailers for the Blu-ray release of Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds (due 4/30) and Star Trek: Enterprise – Season One (due 3/26) on YouTube.  Here’s a look (be sure to select 1080p for the best quality)…

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover art for both of Warner’s Vacation titles plus their Tom & Jerry: Golden Collection – Volume Two (due 6/11), HBO’s The Newsroom , Shout!’s Captain America and Paramount’s Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds (which is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the links)…

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

All right, our own Russell Hammond has once again posted the weekly update of the Release Dates and Artwork section chock full of all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links.  Don’t forget, anything at all (movies, books, electronics, whatever) that you order from Amazon after clicking through to them through our links helps to support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it.

Here at the site this afternoon, we’ve got a new disc review for you.  Tim Salmons has checked out Universal’s recent End of Watch on Blu-ray Combo, and has found it to be well worth your time.  It’s now available in stores, so do check it out.  And check back tomorrow for another BD review as well.

In announcement news today, some of you TV fans are going to go nuts over this news:  Time Life has revealed that they’re exclusively releasing China Beach: The Complete Series online as a 21-disc DVD collector’s set (SRP $199.95).  Pre-orders are now open only on the ChinaBeachonDVD.com website.  All 62 episodes will be included along with 10 hours worth of extras including cast reunion videos, interviews with the cast and crew, audio commentary tracks, featurettes and a 36-page book called Tales from the Five & Dime.  A special 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of the series will also be available (SRP $274.95) that adds 3 complete scripts signed by the entire cast, 4 8x10 cast photos and special packaging.  Here’s a look (click the image to visit the official site)...

Meanwhile, Universal has set Hyde Park on Hudson for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 4/9.  The film stars Bill Murray (as President Franklin D. Roosevelt) and Laura Linney.

Universal has also set the documentary Planet Ocean for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/9.  The discs will include a trio of bonus featurettes.

Here’s something exciting:  Magnet Releasing has officially obtained the rights to the recent science fiction/horror film Europa Report.  Looks like they’re planning a limited theatrical release followed by digital distribution, Blu-ray and DVD.  We’ll let you know when we hear more.

Warner Home Video has set Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures: Volume 4 for DVD only release on 5/28 (SRP $19.97).  It will include 16 more episodes of the series on 2 discs, including Flea for Your Life, The Return of Batduck, Toons Take Over, Toons from the Crypt, Two-Tone Town, Buster’s Directorial Debut, Washingtoon, Toon TV, Grandma’s Dead, Music Day, The Horror of Slumber Party Mountain, Sports Shorts, Weekday Afternoon Live, A Cat’s Eye View, Best of Buster Day and It’s a Wonderful Tiny Toon Christmas Special.

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has set the Jack Palance classic Panic in the Streets for Blu-ray release on 3/26.

Paramount will release Cirque Du Soleil: Worlds Away on Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 3/12.

We’ve teased it before, but Shout! Factory has now officially set Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swan for Blu-ray release on 3/19.  Extras will audio commentary with director William Dear, interviews with producer Michael Nesmith and Dear, and a storyboard gallery.

Shout! has also set the documentary film Jackie Robinson: My Story for release on DVD only on 4/2.

Our friends at Hen’s Tooth Video have informed us that their upcoming DVD re-issue of The Navigator (1988) is finally presented in anamorphic widescreen (at the proper 1.85:1 ratio) and the film elements were sourced directly from the New Zealand Film Commission.  So the disc should finally present the film in the quality it deserves.  SRP is $19.95 and we’ll let you know the official street date as soon as we have it.  [Editor’s Note: The street date is officially 4/30.]

BBC Home Entertainment is releasing Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown on Blu-ray and DVD on 2/26.  It’s part of their BBC Earth line-up of documentary programs.

And Lionsgate has set A Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia for Blu-ray release on 4/16, followed by Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom on Blu-ray on 4/30.

Also today, if you happen to pick up a copy of Disney’s Peter Pan on Blu-ray (which hit stores on Tuesday), you’ll find a paper insert inside that teases the Spring 2014 release of The Jungle Book: Diamond Edition.  We’ve been waiting for that one for a while now.

Here’s a look at the cover artwork for Lionsgate’s The Impossible (due 4/2), Shout! Factory’s Timerider and Lionsgate’s Strictly Ballroom…

By the way, it looks as if listings for all three versions of The Hobbit are now up on Amazon.com (see yesterday’s post – the linked cover art) but BD pre-orders aren’t quite running yet.  We’ll let you know.

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt