Afternoon, folks! We’ve got a bunch of good stuff for you today here at The Bits, including news about two popular genre TV series coming to Blu-ray next year.

First though, I’ve finally posted my in-depth review of Fox’s new Prometheus: 4-Disc Collector’s Edition on Blu-ray. It took a while to get through all the content… and also to really put a finger on my thoughts on the film. Read on if you’re interested…

Also, in honor of this weekend’s release of Skyfall in theatres, we’ve got Mario Boucher’s look back at the history of the Bond franchise and all the many changes it's undergone over the years: James Bond: 50 Years of Impact in Cinema. Enjoy!

Now then… the big news today is that Star Trek.com (and this CBS which runs it) has officially confirmed something we’ve been suggesting was in the works for months now: Star Trek: Enterprise is on the way to Blu-ray Disc in 2013! Our sources tell us that Season One will be out probably in Q2 of 2013 and then if sales are good Seasons Two, Three and Four will follow before the end of the year. You can actually vote on the cover artwork that CBS will use for the packaging (click here for that) – I like the crew shots myself (the first pair of images below) but be sure to weigh in yourself. Here’s a look at the choices…

Finally today, while we’re on the subject of TV on Blu-ray, our industry sources are telling us that 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is planning to bring its popular genre series The X-Files to Blu-ray in 2013 as well! You can read more about that in today’s re-launch of our ever-popular Rumor Mill column here at The Digital Bits. Don’t miss it!

Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

All right, we haven’t had a Rumor Mill update in a very long while, so now that we’re up and running on the newly-redesigned Bits, it feels like it’s time to get the Mill going again, yes? And with a nice Cold War-era, espionage-inspired logo to boot!

So here’s today’s dispatch: A number of our industry sources are now telling us that Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment is planning (and in fact may already be gearing up to) release their classic TV series The X-Files on Blu-ray. As fans will already be aware, the first four seasons of the show were produced in 4x3 format, like many TV programs of its era. The series then went to a 16x9 widescreen format for the remainder of its run, as anamorphic widescreen displays were starting to become common. The entire show was still broadcast in standard definition – not actual high-definition – and the visual effects and post-production were finished in SD. (Note that the first actual HD broadcast on Fox was for the 2004 NFL season, while X-Files ended its run in 2002.) Our sources say Fox has likely decided to “rebuild” the seasons in high-definition, in much the same way that CBS has done with Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Provided all the original camera negative has been properly stored and archived, it’ll presumably be an easier task as the show featured fewer and less elaborate visual effects.

This wouldn’t be the first time Fox has upgraded a show to Blu-ray: They did something roughly similar with Firefly on Blu-ray back in 2008, although to be fair all of the show’s visual effects were upconverted to HD rather than re-rendered in actual high-definition to save costs.

If all goes well, we’re told the first seasons of The X-Files could appear on BD sometime in late 2013. We’ll post additional updates as they come in. Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

Bond. James Bond. For 50 years, the 007 movies have entertained audiences worldwide. Throughout those years, the franchise has always responded to the time period in which the films were released. As those times have changed, so too have the films evolved.

All right, there’s even better news today for you Battlestar Galactica fans…

Just as we suspected, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome (part one of which debuts on Machinima tomorrow) on Blu-ray/DVD Combo and DVD in early 2013 and in fact they’ve now officially announced the title with a street date of 2/19 (SRP $34.98 and $29.98)! Both versions will offer a 97-minute unrated edition of the film. Extras on both will include the Blood & Chrome Visual Effects featurette as well as 6 deleted scenes. The Blu-ray will also add 7 more exclusive deleted scenes. Nice. Check out the cover artwork for both versions below – they’re now available for pre-order on Amazon.com by clicking on the coverts. Cool news indeed!

Here at the site today, we’ve got a review of Fox’s long-awaited Patton on properly-remastered Blu-ray Disc. It’s now available and it’s a must-have for anyone that loves the film. Just toss your original, DNR-ridden BD in the trash – trust me, it feels good.

In other news today, Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the Day is Fox’s Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray for just $25.99 – a whopping 68% off the regular retail SRP! Don’t miss it.

Also for you Bond fans, we’re told that Best Buy currently has all of the non-exclusive Bond BD singles in stock for just $10 each, and each of them includes $10 in movie bucks to see Skyfall in theatres this weekend. Just FYI.

Speaking of Skyfall, the movie opens in theatres around the U.S. tonight at Midnight (it’s already debuted in IMAX) and we hear it’s AWESOME. You can bet I’ll be in line to see it tomorrow and I imagine I won’t be the only one.

In honor of Bond and the film’s release, be sure to check back here tomorrow with our own Mario Boucher will have feature piece on the history of the Bond franchise. My own review of Fox’s Bond 50 Blu-ray box set will also be up soon – probably on Monday.

Here’s a look at Universal’s Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome cover artwork, along with Shout! Factory’s Jackie Chan Double Feature of The Protector and Crime Story (due 1/15)…

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

All right, we’ve got some more announcement news today, and a cool bit of news for you Battlestar Galactica fans as well…

First up, in announcement news today, Sony has officially set Resident Evil: Retribution for release on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD on 12/21 (SRP $45.99, $35.99 and $30.99). The DVD will include director and cast commentary, a second commentary with the director and producers, the Drop (Un)Dead: The Creatures of Retribution featurette and outtakes. To this, the Blu-ray version will add deleted and extended scenes, the Project Alice: Interactive Database and 6 more featurettes (Maestro of Evil: Directing Resident Evil: Retribution, Evolving Alice, Resident Evil: Reunion, Design & Build: The World of Resident Evil: Retribution, Resident Stuntman and Code: Mika). The Blu-ray 3D disc will also have the deleted and extended scenes and the outtakes in full 3D. All three versions will include UltraViolet.

Sony has set The Words for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/24. Both will include the theatrical and extended versions of the film, plus two featurettes (Unabridged: A Look Behind the Scenes of The Words and A Gentleman’s Agreement). The Blu-ray will add 2 more featurettes (Clay and Daniella and The Young Man and Celia).

Sony has also set Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love for release on both formats on 1/15/2013. The only extra will be a behind-the-scenes featurette – Con Amore: A Passion for Rome.

Warner Home Video will release The Nativity Story as a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo pack on 3/5/2013 (SRP $19.98). Extras will include The Nativity Story: A Director’s Journey featurette and a theatrical trailer.

HBO has set The Girls: The Complete First Season for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 12/11 (SRP $49.99 and $39.98). Extras on both versions will include 3 featurettes and 5 audio commentaries. The Blu-ray will exclusively add an additional “making of” featurette, deleted and extended scenes, gag reels, cast audition and table read videos and an additional audio commentary on Episode Six, plus a booklet.

HBO has also set the documentary 41 for release on DVD on 12/11, followed by Funny or Die Presents: The Complete Second Season and The Life & Times of Tim: The Complete Third Season on DVD on 12/18.

Disney has announced The Odd Life of Timothy Green for release on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 12/4.

Well Go USA Entertainment has set The Assassins for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/8/2013. The film stars Chow Yun-Fat.

And Green Apple Entertainment has set the horror film The Millennium Bug for DVD only release on 12/18.

In other news, Shout! Factory has announced that it’s made a deal with Warner for DVD release rights to MADtv and the Beetlejuice animated series. Look for them to be released on disc in 2013.

Now for that Battlestar news: Remember all that brouhaha about whether Syfy would EVER release Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome? Turns out they will – starting THIS FRIDAY you’ll be able to see the film as a 10-installment series “webisodes” (of 7-12 minutes) on the online video network Machinma. Then sometime in 2013, Syfy will air it as a complete 2-hour film. We hope (and suspect) that Universal will release it on Blu-ray and DVD in 2013 as well. Ain’t it Cool News has more information here and of course you’ll be able to watch the webisodes here in just two days. Here's the trailer...

Finally today, La-La Land Records is hosting a special Star Trek: The Original Series screening and soundtrack release event in L.A. on 12/3 (7:30 PM) at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Admission is free but tickets must be obtained here via RSVP. The event will include screenings of the episodes Amok Time and Mirror, Mirror on the big screen, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with original series composer Gerald Fried and writer David Gerrold, hosted by Trek music writer and TOS soundtrack set co-producer Jeff Bond. The event celebrated the release of La-La Land’s 15-disc Star Trek: The Original Series Soundtrack Collection on 12/4 (SRP $225), which includes every bit of score recorded for Star Trek including much that’s never been heard before.

Here’s a look at cover artwork for Warner’s The Nativity Story and Sony’s To Rome with Love, Les Miserables (due 12/11), both the 2D and 3D versions of Resident Evil: Retribution, and a 5-film Resident Evil Collection BD box set (SRP $95.99 – due 12/21)…

Stay tuned...

- Bill Hunt

All right, today is of course Election Day here in the States. In honor of the joyous occasion/apocalypse (depending on the outcome and your own particular political leanings) we thought we’d review an appropriate and recently released title on Blu-ray – Warner’s new HD upgrade of The American President. Enjoy!

Note that we’ll have the regular weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section posted later this afternoon, so be sure to check back for it.

In the meantime, Amazon is now taking pre-orders on Disney’s Peter Pan: Diamond Edition on Blu-ray. Street date is 2/5/2013 as expected (SRP $44.99).

Kino Lorber has set a White Zombie: Kino Classics Remastered Edition for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/29/2013. This 1932 gem stars Bela Lugosi.

Olive Films will release a Cujo: 30th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray on 1/22/2013, along with King of the Pecos (1936), Frontier Horizon (1939) and The Quiet Man (1952). SRP is $24.95 each.

And Magnolia has set Nobody Walks and Nature Calls for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/22 as well.

Don’t forget... Fox’s remastered Patton Blu-ray streets today, along with Von Ryan’s Express. And the studio has Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure coming on Blu-ray next week (11/13). Here’s the cover art (click on each to pre-order from Amazon.com)...

Back tomorrow. Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

Morning, folks! Hope you all enjoyed the weekend. If you live in the hurricane-ravaged Northeast, here’s hoping the new week finds you and yours dry and with full power restored. We tend to take such things for granted until they’re taken away. Given all the political advertising on TV these days, some of the rest of you probably wish you didn’t have power! Ah well – with any luck there’s just one more day to have to put up with it all.

Here at the site this morning, we’ve posted a new Blu-ray Disc review – my own take on Eagle Rock’s excellent HD upgrade of Peter Gabriel: Secret World Live. If you’re a fan of Gabriel’s music, it’s not to be missed.

In news today, Amazon.com is now taking pre-orders on Sony’s Looper on both Blu-ray Disc and DVD (SRP $35.99 and $27.98). No street date is yet available, but we expect details to be announced soon. Click on the links for the Amazon pre-order pages.

Speaking of Sony and Amazon, the retailer also has Resident Evil: Retribution available for pre-order on Blu-ray 3D Combo, Blu-ray Combo and DVD. Street date is listed as 12/21 (SRP $45.99, $35.99 and $30.99). Again, click on the links for the respective Amazon pre-order pages.

Meanwhile, Hannover House has set Toys in the Attic for release on Blu-ray on 2/5/2013.

Funimation has set Shorts HD Presents: Oscar Winning Short Films for release as a Blu-ray/DVD Combo on 1/29/2013 (SRP $24.98). Among the shorts included will be God of Love, The New Tenants, Toyland, West Bank Story, The Lost Thing, Logorama, The Danish Poet, Ryan and Harvie Krumpet.

Shout! Factory has moved the release of Ridley Scott’s The Duellists on Blu-ray from 12/18 to 1/29/2013. Adjust your plans accordingly. Shout! has also set a double-feature Blu-ray of Jackie Chan’s Crime Story and The Protector for release on 1/15 (SRP $19.93).

And in other news for you Star Trek Fans, Fathom Events is holding another theatrical screening of remastered Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes on 11/29 – Q Who? and The Measure of a Man: Extended Version. Click here for details on tickets and participating theatres.

We’ll leave you with a look at the cover art for Fox’s The Big Trail (due 11/13) and Archer: The Complete Season Three (1/8/2013), as well as Warner’s Easter Parade (2/19/2013). All three can be pre-ordered now on Amazon by clicking on the covers...

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

We’ve got a bit more announcement news to report today, as well as updates on some previously announced titles…

First up, CBS has revealed more details about the extras that you’ll find on the Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two Blu-ray set due on 12/4 (SRP $130). In addition to including all 22 episodes from the season, you’ll get The Measure of a Man in both the original broadcast version and an Extended version “which includes deleted scenes and different angles from the broadcast version.” You’ll also get a Hybrid Extended Cut of the episode that combines the broadcast version with “video of the extra material taken from an early VHS rough-cut of the episode that was in the writer’s (Melinda Snodgrass) archives.” Audio commentary on the episode is also provided by Snodgrass and Mike and Denise Okuda. Nice! That’s one of my all-time favorite episodes of the series, so this should be a real treat. [UPDATE: I'm told there's also a second audio commentary for the episode Q Who? with director Rob Bowman, VFX supervisor Dan Curry and Mike and Denise Okuda.] On top of that, you’ll also get promos for each episode, an On-Air Season Two promo from 1998, a 1988 Reading Rainbow segment with LeVar Burton, a 2012 Reading Rainbow iTunes promo, a gag reel, deleted scenes [from the episodes The Icarus Factor and Up the Long Ladder], 5 Archival Mission Log featurettes (including Departmental Briefing Year Two: Production, Inside Starfleet Archives: Penny Juday, Star Trek Coordinator, Selected Crew Analysis: Year Two, Departmental Analysis Year Two: Memorable Missions and Mission Overview Year Two), an additional featurette (Energized! Season Two Tech Update), the all-new Reunification: 25 Years After Star Trek: The Next Generation cast documentary [hosted by our old friend and regular Bits Comic-Con panelist Robert Meyer Burnett] and the 2-part Making It So: Continuing Star Trek: The Next Generation retrospective production documentary (includes Part 1: Strange New Worlds and Part 2: New Life and New Civilizations).

Are any of you fans of TV’s JAG or the classic Mission: Impossible? Well, CBS is releasing both in new complete series DVD box sets on 12/11. JAG: The Complete Series - Collector’s Edition (56 discs - SRP $310.99 but just $267.83 on Amazon) includes an exclusive bonus disc with new cast and crew interview featurettes (The Jagged Edge and JAG: Beyond the Scenes) plus promos and a 40-page JAG Manual. Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible - The Complete Television Collection (56 discs - SRP $370.99 but just $267.83 on Amazon) also offers a new bonus disc of extras including 5 featurettes (Birth of the Mission, Mission Debriefing, Hour Magazine segment featuring Martin Landau, Peter Lupus and Greg Morris, Clip from CBS Fall Preview Show “Seven Wonderful Nights” (1966) and Archival interview with Greg Morris), select series and episode promos and a photo gallery montage with a vocal version of the show’s theme performed by The Kane Triplets. Here’s what the opened packaging will look like for each (you can click on the image to pre-order on Amazon)...

Meanwhile, Warner Home Video has set the animated Duck Dodgers: Dark Side of the Duck - Season 1 for DVD only release on 2/19/2013 (SRP $19.97). Warner also has the 29-disc Gossip Girl: The Complete Series (SRP $199.70) and Gossip Girl: The Complete Sixth Season (SRP $39.98) coming on DVD only on 2/19. And for you Christopher Guest fans, Warner has set the pedigreed pooch comedy Best in Show for Blu-ray release on 2/19/2013 (SRP $19.98)!

Universal has set Guns, Girls and Gambling for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/8/2013. The film stars Gary Oldman, Christian Slater and Dane Cook.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has set the documentary Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis for DVD only release on 1/22/2013. SRP is $19.98. The films looks at the comedian’s life and career.

Also, Artsploitation Films has set Lapland Odyssey – essentially the Finnish version of The Hangover – for DVD only release on 1/8/2013.

Shout! Factory has announced that they’ve acquired the U.S. home video release rights to a pair of British titles – the zombie apocalypse comedy Cockneys vs. Zombies and the action-thriller Tower Block. Look for them to be released in early 2013.

And don’t forget that Disney has The Muppet Christmas Carol: 20th Anniversary Edition due on Blu-ray on 11/6. That same day they’ll also have the Prep & landing: Totally Tinsel Collection on Blu-ray Combo featuring the original Prep & Landing and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice.

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover artwork for CBS’ Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season Two, Shout! Factory’s The Nest (1/22/2013), Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, Fox’s Beasts of the Southern Wild (12/4) and Warner’s Best in Show, along with DVD cover artwork for Warner’s Duck Dodgers: Dark Side of the Duck - Season 1…

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt

Happy Halloween, folks! Hope you’re all enjoying this spookiest of days on the calendar each year. Here at The Bits today, we’re celebrating in a couple ways…

First, the good Dr. Jahnke has delivered the coup de grace in this year’s Hell Plaza Oktoberfest with a review of Criterion’s new Rosemary’s Baby on Blu-ray – just the perfectly creepy film to end the Fest-ivities with and it’s a great release to boot. And hats off to Adam for another successful Oktoberfest celebration – his sixth in a row!

Also today, we’re kicking off a new regular column here at the site – Tim Salmon's Dailies! This first installment features another Halloween-appropriate topic with Tim's in-depth appreciation of the Friday the 13th franchise. We hope you enjoy it!

In release news today… 20th Century Fox has set House at the End of the Street for release on Blu-ray and DVD on 1/8/2013. Both will include an unrated cut of the film. The BD will exclusively add the Journey into Terror: Inside the House at the End of the Street featurette and the film’s theatrical trailer.

Warner and the BBC have set Red Dwarf: X for Blu-ray and DVD release on 1/8/13 (SRP $39.98 and $34.98). This is the brand new series. No word yet on extras if any, but all 6 episodes will be included.

Magnolia Home Entertainment has set the ‘Claymation’ animated film The Adventures of Mark Twain for release as a Blu-ray and DVD Collector’s Edition on 12/4 (SRP $19.98 and $14.98). Extras will include director’s commentary, 2 featurettes (Story of Claymation and Behind the Scenes), soundtrack selections, crew interviews, a gallery and the film’s trailer.

Magnolia also has V/H/S coming to Blu-ray and DVD on 12/4 (SRP $29.98 and $26.98). Extras will include deleted scenes, 3 featurettes (Visual Effects, Behind the Scenes and AXS TV: A Look at V/H/S) and trailers.

And Shout! Factory has revealed the extras to be included on their Deadly Blessing: Collector’s Edition Blu-ray and DVD (due 1/22/2013). Look for an all-new audio commentary with director Wes Craven, 4 interview featurettes (Say Your Prayers!, Secrets Revealed, Rise of the Incubus and So It Was Written), radio and TV spots, and the film's theatrical trailer.

Also today, I wanted to let you know about a couple changes we’ve made here at The Bits based on some of your reader suggestions about the new website. A number of you had mentioned that you missed the way you could read an entire week’s worth of daily My Two Cents news columns in one glance just by scrolling down the home page. Some of you had also expressed a dislike for the way the new site made you click into a post to read the whole thing, then click back out and into the next one, etc. I totally agree with both points! So what we’ve done is:

• On the home page, you can now read an entire week’s worth of My Two Cents posts in their entirety without having to click in and out of individual posts.
• To read back beyond a week, we’ve added a link at the bottom of the home page: READ MORE MY TWO CENTS>> Clicking on that will take you to the My Two Cents column page where all the columns are archived.
• On the My Two Cents column page, I’ve also altered the formatting so you can scroll through a full week’s posts in their entirety without having to click in and out of individual posts. What’s more, going back to read older columns is easy – all you have to do is navigate back a page at a time using the links at the bottom of the page or you can access all the posts for a particular month using the MY TWO CENTS ARCHIVES links on the right-hand column.

So there you go! Hopefully, that will make the experience of reading my daily news update here on the new updated Bits similar to that of the old site.

All right, we’ll leave you with a look at more new cover artwork. Here’s the updated BD Book art for Warner’s Empire of the Sun (now set for release on 11/13), Warner and the BBC’s Red Dwarf: X and Shout! Factory’s Deadly Blessing: Collector’s Edition…

Have a happy and safe Halloween and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! Stay tuned…

- Bill Hunt

"His name was Jason..."

When it comes to the slasher sub-genre of horror films, it's difficult to find any that are unique and bring something new to the table. Most of the ones that came out of the early 1970's and throughout the 1980's followed a particular formula: teens go into woods; teens drink & do drugs; teens have sex; teens get slaughtered. That pretty much sums up the genre, more or less. Immortalizing that formula was the Friday the 13th franchise, a series of films made specifically to cash in on the success of the original and annually provide entertainment for horror fans.