Warner Home Video has just officially announced the Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on 3/19 (SRP $44.95, $35.99 and $22.97).  Extras on all three versions will include the New Zealand: Home of Middle Earth documentary, 10 behind-the-scenes video blogs (Start of Production, Location Scouting, Shooting Block One, Filming in 3D, Locations: Part 1, Locations: Part 2, Stone St. Studios Tour, Wrap of Principal Photography, Post-production Overview and Wellington World Premiere), 5 theatrical trailers (Dwarves, Letter Opener, Bilbo Contract, Gandalf Wagers and Gollum Paths) and 3 videogame trailers (for The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-Earth, Guardians of Middle-Earth and Lego The Lord of the Rings).  All three versions will also include UltraViolet.  Here’s a look at the official final cover artwork.  Amazon.com pre-orders are expected to start at any moment (we’ll update the cover links as soon as they go live)…

In addition, the film be available via digital streaming as early as 3/12.  Other important details: Warner Home Video has now officially confirmed that an Extended Edition will be available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD “in time for the holidays.”  Also, director Peter Jackson will offer fans the first sneak peek at the second film in the trilogy, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, in a live streaming event on Sunday, March 24th (at 3:00 PM Eastern/Noon Pacific) on the official website.  The film is due in theatres around the world on 12/13/2013.

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

All right, just a very quick early update this morning to follow up on that Star Trek movie Blu-ray post from yesterday.  We’ve checked in with our sources – both officially and unofficially – and have confirmed that the classic Star Trek feature film Blu-rays that Paramount is reissuing on 4/30 are in fact the very same discs they’ve released previously.  These are just single-film editions of the same discs that were released in the 2009 box set.  None are new transfers and all are just the theatrical cuts only.  We know – Bones is grumpy about it too.  We had a feeling the press site was incorrect and that its indications that The Motion Picture was the Director’s Cut were too good to be true.  We’d hoped that the studio might take the opportunity afforded by the May theatrical release of Star Trek Into Darkness to re-issue the classic Trek films on Blu-ray with better HD transfers and maybe include the existing director’s cuts at some point, but that’s clearly not happening yet.  We’ll let you know if anything changes.

In the meantime, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three and Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds are definitely coming to Blu-ray on 4/30 (the latter isn’t available for pre-order yet from Amazon in the U.S. but we’ll let you know when it is).  And obviously, Star Trek: Enterprise – Season One is officially announced for Blu-ray release on 3/26.  Here’s a look at the cover art for each of those confirmed releases…

One other quick bit of release news today: Holy Motors is set for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/26 from Indomina Releasing.

More as it comes in.  Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

All right, hope you guys all had a great weekend. Strange Super Bowl yesterday.  Hype aside it was surely one of the weirdest NFL games I’ve seen in a long time.  But hey – the new Star Trek Into Darkness teaser spot sure looked good.  Here’s hoping the film delivers the goods.

Anyway, we’ve got some interesting stuff for you today…

First, it looks like we’re finally going to get a look at Sony’s big plan to deliver 4K content to their 4K displays later this month… and it’s looking very much like that plan involves the PlayStation 4.  Numerous sources are now saying that Sony is expected to officially unveil the PS4 at a mysterious “PlayStation Meeting” press event on 2/20.  Sources are reporting that the code name for the system is “Orbis” and that Ultra HD streaming content and videogames will be a significant part of Sony’s plan for the device.  More here and here at arstechnica.com, and here’s Sony’s official tease video for the event.

By the way, it’s entirely possible that Microsoft’s next generation Xbox will delve into the 4K realm as well.

Also today, Warner Home Video and Warner Archive have just BETA-launched their own online movies-on-demand streaming service called Warner Archive Instant.  It will allow you to watch movies on your computer and also in high-definition if you have a Roku set-top box.  Word is Warner Archive is working to solidify deals with BD player, TV, smartphone and tablet manufacturers to allow Archive Instant access on those devices as well.  Pretty cool – we think this is actually great idea.  There are lots of really deep, deep catalog titles that would probably sell poorly (if at all) on disc, but that we’d still love to be able to watch in good quality somehow.  Access to the BETA is restricted at the moment, but we’ll post more details on all this soon.

In announcement news today, Paramount and CBS have officially set Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three and Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds for Blu-ray release here in the U.S. on 4/30.  That same day, Paramount will also re-release Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek: Nemesis on Blu-ray as singles (Star Trek II and IV aren’t yet listed on the site).  Here’s the kicker though – Paramount’s press site claims that Star Trek: The Motion Picture will be the “newly restored Director’s Cut.”  Frankly, this seem way too good to be true so we’d suggest you not get too excited.  Rest assured, we’re trying to confirm this one way or another.  We’ve asked if any of the other films will feature newly-remastered transfers as well.

Meanwhile, Paramount and CBS have also set James A. Michener’s Texas, Flashpoint: The Fifth Season, Gunsmoke: The Eighth Season, Volume One, Gunsmoke: The Eighth Season, Volume Two, Have Gun - Will Travel: The Sixth and Final Season, Volume One and Have Gun - Will Travel: The Sixth and Final Season, Volume Two for DVD only release on 5/7.

Lionsgate has set The Impossible for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/23 (SRP $39.99 and $29.95).  The film stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor.  Extras will include audio commentary with director J.A. Bayona, writer Sergio G. Sánchez, producer Belén Atienza and María Belón, 2 featurettes (Casting The Impossible and Realizing The Impossible) and deleted scenes.

Sony has set the animated Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/16 (SRP $30.99 and $26.99).

And Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s Zero Dark Thirty is now available for pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD from Amazon.com – no official street date yet.

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

All right, to close the week out right I’ve got another new Blu-ray Disc review for you today, featuring my own thoughts on the unrated movie version of Universal’s long-awaited new Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome.  As many of you know, I’m a huge Battlestar fan – I’ve watched the Ron Moore series three times start to finish on Blu-ray.  So was Blood & Chrome worth the wait?  Well, mostly.  Click here for all the details.  For the record, the Blu-ray and DVD street on 2/19.

In release news today, Disney and Yahoo have just officially unveiled the trailer for the late-2013 Blu-ray Disc release of The Little Mermaid.  The street date is expected to be 10/1.  You can see early BD cover artwork for the release below.

Meanwhile, Shout! Factory has announced a pair of new Scream Factory Blu-ray/DVD Combo titles for release on 5/21, including The Burning and The Town That Dreaded Sundown.  The Burning (SRP $29.93) will include audio commentary with director Tony Maylam and moderated by Alan Jones, as well as the Blood ‘n’ Fire Memories featurette.  The Town That Dreaded Sundown (SRP $26.99) will include the special bonus movie The Evictors and more TBA.

According to Amazon.co.uk, the long-awaited war classic The Great Escape is finally due to be released by MGM and Fox on Blu-ray on 6/3 in the U.K.   Expect a similar release date here in the States.  We’ll post official details as they come in.

Also, look for Fox to release the new miniseries The Bible on Blu-ray and DVD sometime in March.  It debuts on The History Channel on 3/3.

And Image Entertainment has set The Dick Van Dyke Show: The Complete Second Season for Blu-ray release on 5/7.

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

All right, we’ve got another great new Blu-ray Disc review for you this afternoon from our own Joe Marchese.  Joe’s given Warner’s new Blu-ray Book release of the 1927 classic The Jazz Singer a look, and he’s got his thoughts on it for you all to read today.  Enjoy!

Speaking of Warner, as many of you know Amazon.com recently pulled pre-orders of BD and DVD release of Cloud Atlas, which had been listed on the retail site as coming on 2/5.  The studio is sending out reminders to the press today reiterating once again that Cloud Atlas isn’t coming on 2/5 and that in fact the title has not yet been officially announced by the studio, just in case there was any lingering confusion.  So put your plans on hold for the time being and we’ll post official details as they come in.

Meanwhile, Amazon is already taking pre-orders for the Blu-ray Combo and DVD release of Universal’s Les Misérables, directed by Tom Hooper (SRP $34.98 and $24.98).  No street date or official announcement is available yet.

In other release news today, Anchor Bay and The Weinstein Company have just set Killing Them Softly for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/26 (SRP $39.99 and $29.98).  The film stars Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta, Sam Shepard and more.  Extras will include deleted scenes and The Making of Killing Them Softly featurette.

Music Box Films has set Any Day Now for Blu-ray and DVD release on 4/23.

Magnolia Home Entertainment will release John Dies at the End on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/2.

Flicker Alley will release Nanook of the North, The Wedding of Palo and other Films of Arctic Life on Blu-ray on 3/12.

Severin Films has Zulu Dawn (1979) set for Blu-ray release on 3/12.

And a heads-up for you Disney animation fans: Lady and the Tramp, Lady and the Tramp II and all three Lion King films are apparently set to go “back in the vault” in March.  So if you want to get your hands on the Blu-rays, they might cost you more on the secondary market if you wait too long.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray covert artwork for Killing Them Softly, Weinstein’s The Master (due 2/26) and revised/final Blu-ray 3D cover art for Fox’s Life of Pi (3/12)…

Stay tuned.

- Bill Hunt

Here at The Bits today, our own Tim Salmons has checked in with a new Dailies column and also a Blu-ray Disc review, in which he checks out Lionsgate’s new Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection.  It’s a nice set so do check it out.

The big release news today is that Fox, MGM and Sony have finally officially announced Skyfall for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/12.  The DVD will include 4 Shooting Bond webisode featurettes (The Title Sequence, DB5, Women and Locations).  The Blu-ray will include those, plus 10 more Shooting Bond webisode featurettes (Intro, Opening Sequence, 007, Q, Villains, Action, Music, End Sequence, M and The Future), an additional Skyfall Premiere featurette, 2 audio commentaries (one with director Sam Mendes and another with producers  Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and production designer Dennis Gassner) and the theatrical trailer.  It’s a shame that the recent Epix Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 documentary isn’t included somehow, but with any luck it will be released separately on disc at some point.  It just came out on DVD in the U.K., but here in the States it seems to be a streaming only release for the time being.

Also today, CBS’ Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com.  No street date is yet listed, but we hear 4/30 is the likely date.  We’ll post additional details as they come in.

Anchor Bay will release Down the Shore on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/9 (SRP $24.99 and $22.99).  The film stars James Gandolfini and Famke Janssen.

Image Entertainment and One Village Entertainment have set BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire for DVD only release on 2/5.

Warner Home Video has set Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete Third Season for DVD release on 5/14.

And Inception Media Group has set 4 Assassins for DVD release on 2/19.

Here’s a look at the BD cover art for Skyfall, Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Three and Fox’s Life of Pi Blu-ray 3D (due 3/12)…

Stay tuned.

- Bill Hunt

Welcome to Dailies, a column dedicated to bringing you both the obscure and the mainstream on DVD and Blu-ray. Being that a lot of us seem to have such a large appetite for varying film genres, this column will cover virtually everything I can get my grubby little paws on. Some of it will be good, and some of it not so much, but hopefully it will illuminate a few titles that you might not have seen otherwise, or perhaps just needed a reminder about. Either way, enjoy!

Today I’m going to be covering the release of the Francis Ford Coppola: 5-Film Collection on Blu-ray from the good folks over at Lionsgate. But first, let’s discuss Francis Ford Coppola and his work a little bit...

First up today, our own Russell Hammond has updated the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Videogame cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links.  As always, a portion of absolutely anything – not just DVDs and BDs – that you order from Amazon after you click through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it.  It make a big difference in helping us continue our work here for you guys.  So thanks in advance for the support.

Now then, the first big bit of release news today is that 20th Century Fox has finally officially announced Ang Lee’s Life of Pi for Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/12.  It appears as if the DVD will contain the movie only, plus the Digital Copy.  The regular Blu-ray version will be a 2-disc set containing the DVD disc and a Blu-ray that features the film in 2D, 3 documentaries (Remarkable Vision, Epic Journey and Tiger, Tiger Burning Bright), a stills gallery (featuring artwork by Joanna Bush, Haan Lee, Dawn Masi and Alexis Rockman) and a second gallery of storyboards.  The Blu-ray 3D Combo will be a 3-disc set containing the DVD, the regular Blu-ray and a Blu-ray 3D disc that offers the film in 3D, 5 deleted scenes in both 2D and 3D (Anandi’s Second Dance, Time to Grow Up, Happy Birthday, Did I Say Something Wrong? and Darkness), 2 VFX Progressions in both 2D and 3D (Tsimstum Sinking and The Wave Tank) and the film’s theatrical trailer in both 2D and 3D.  The final 2D Blu-ray cover art is below.

The other big bit of release news today is that Universal has just set the Judd Apatow comedy This is 40 for Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/22.  Both versions will include the theatrical cut of the film, feature commentary with Apatow, deleted scenes, Music from Graham Parker and the Rumour and Ryan Adams, and Line-O-Rama.  To this, the Blu-ray will exclusively add the unrated version of the film, additional deleted, extended and alternate scenes, 9 featurettes (The Making of This Is 40, This Is Albert Brooks (at Work), Graham Parker & The Rumour: Long Emotional Ride, Brooks-O-Rama, Biking with Barry, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Kids on the Loose 3, Fresh Air with Terry Gross and Bodies by Jason Commercial) and more than 30 minutes of additional Music with Graham Parker and the Rumour and Ryan Adams.  You’ll find the BD cover artwork below.

In other release news this afternoon, Sony has set Ghost Storm for DVD only release on 3/19.

Image Entertainment has set Day of the Falcon for Blu-ray and DVD release on 2/1, followed by The Devil’s in the Details on both formats on 2/7 and Magic Journey to Africa on both formats on 4/23.

Shout! Factory has set the cult series Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: The Complete Series for DVD only release on 3/26.  Shout! and Marvel Knights Animation have also set Inhumans for DVD only release on 4/23.

Entertainment One has set Freaky Deaky, based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, for DVD only release on 2/26.

FilmWorks Entertainment has set The Wanderers for DVD only release on 4/23.

And a quick release date change: The street date for the wide BD release of Warner’s The Terminator Anthology has officially moved from 3/5 to 3/26.  Adjust your plans accordingly.

We’ll leave you today with a look at the BD art for Universal’s This is 40 and Sony’s Playing for Keeps (due 3/5), as well as the 2D Blu-ray art for Fox’s Life of Pi… 

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

Afternoon, folks!  We’re kicking off the new week today here at The Bits with a new Blu-ray review from our very own Tim Salmons… Disney’s Frankenweenie.  Enjoy!

In announcement news today, Lionsgate has set The Kick for DVD release on 4/2, followed by Sexy Evil Genius on DVD and Boss: Season Two on both Blu-ray and DVD on 4/9.

Warner Home Video has set To the Arctic: IMAX for Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD release on 3/26.

Speaking of Warner, the studio is now taking pre-orders via Warner Shop.com for The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Sixth Season on Blu-ray and DVD with a street date of 9/10.  They also have The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fourth Season listed as coming on both formats on 8/27.

Also, we’ve learned from Warner today that their Fringe: The Complete Fifth and Final Season on Blu-ray and DVD (due 5/7) will include the A Farewell to Fringe featurette, video of the Fringe panel at Comic-Con 2012, audio commentary by the producers (presumably at least on the finale) and a gag reel.

In other news today, Amazon.co.uk is reporting that CBS and Paramount have set Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds for Blu-ray release on 4/29.  This is the two-part episode edited together as a movie, complete with exclusive bonus content available only in this disc.  Check out the cover artwork below.

Sony has set Men at Work: The Complete First Season for release on DVD only on 3/26.

Artsploitation Films has set Russian director Alexander Vartanov’s Bullet Collector for release on DVD on 2/19.

PBS and the BBC have set Masterpiece Classic: Mr. Selfridge for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 4/23.

And Image Entertainment will release Ghost Hunters: Season 8, Part 1 on DVD on 3/19, followed by Frankenstein Theory! on DVD on 3/26.

Finally, we’ve got a quick follow-up on Friday’s Echo Bridge/Miramax catalog BD news.  The titles we mentioned are all due in stores widely on 3/26 and 5/7 in two separate release waves, but they’re going to be available as Best Buy exclusives before that time, and in fact the first wave (3/26 wide date) is now slowly starting to arrive in Best Buy locations.  Just FYI.

Here’s the BD cover art for CBS’ Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Best of Both Worlds (note that this link is to the Amazon.co.uk page until officially announced here in the States), plus the BBC’s Spies of Warsaw (due 4/16) and Warner’s Terminator Anthology (3/5)…

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

Well… we’re closing out the week here at The Bits with another slow news day.  But we do have a couple things to report announcement-wise...

Virgil Films will release A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman on DVD only on 2/12.

Shout! Factory has a Jackie Chan Double Feature of Police Story and Police Story 2 coming on Blu-ray on 4/16.

Shout has also announced that their Phantasm II: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD (due 3/5 – SRP $29.93 and $19.93) will include audio commentary with director/writer Don Coscarelli and actors Angus Scrimm and Reggie Banister, The Ball is Back! documentary, The Gory Days with Greg Nicotero featurette, additional behind the scenes footage (Makeup Effects and On the Set), deleted scenes, alternate takes and additional gore footage from the work print, trailers for Phantasm, Phantasm II and Phantasm III, original TV spots, 3 still galleries (Behind the Scenes, Makeup Effects and Hollywood Premiere) and a rare short film starring Rory Guy (a.k.a. Angus Scrimm) as Abraham Lincoln.

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has set Kill for Me for DVD only release on 2/12.

Millennium Entertainment has Spiders coming on DVD only on 2/8.

And Echo Bridge Home Entertainment will release a number of Miramax catalog titles on Blu-ray for the first time, including Down to You, Senseless, Beautiful Girls, Benefit of the Doubt, Playing by Heart, Bounty Hunters, Immortality, Music of the Heart, Marvin’s Room, American Son, The Shipping News and Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back on 3/26, and Hoax, Bounty Hunters 2: Hardball, Full Frontal, Fresh, She’s So Lovely, Nameless, Hellraiser VII: Deader, The Grifters, Heaven, Dragon Lord, Jersey Girl, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Mother’s Boys, Best of the Best: Without Warning and Fortress for Blu-ray release on 5/7.

We’ll leave you with a look at the Blu-ray cover art for Warner’s Fringe: The Complete Fifth and Final Season (due 5/7), and final BD cover artwork for Universal’s Continuum: Season One (3/26) and Jurassic Park 3D (4/23)…

Back on Monday with reviews and more.  Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt