All right, we’re pleased to offer you all a brand new View from the Cheap Seats column from our own Bud Elder.  In this installment, Bud remembers a dear friend recently lost – veteran Western actor Dale Robertson, who passed away last month.  It’s a great column so do give it a read.

We’ve also posted Russell Hammond’s weekly update of the Release Dates & Artwork section with all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and Video Game cover artwork and Amazon.com pre-order links.  As always, a portion of anything you order from Amazon after clicking through to them from our links goes to help support our work here at The Bits and we really do appreciate it.

Now then… we’ve got a bunch of new announcements to report this afternoon…

First up, 20th Century Fox has set A Good Day to Die Hard for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/14.  The 2-disc Blu-ray will include both the theatrical cut and an extended cut of the film, audio commentary with director John Moore and first assistant director Mark Cotone, 7 deleted scenes (Jack Scopes Out Courthouse, Collins Gets Approval to Move, John McClane Original Introduction, Russian Girls on Plane, Safe House Intrusion, Gun Store and Fight with Anton), the 15-part Making it Hard to Die documentary (includes Introduction, Stunts, Helicopters and Aerial, Special Effects, Motion Base, Armoury, Russia and Budapest, The Look of the Movie, Chernobyl, Camera Work, Editorial Los Angeles, Color Grading, Visual Effects, Film Scoring and Wrap Up), 3 Pre-Viz clips, 5 additional featurettes (Maximum McClane, Anatomy of a Car Chase, Two of a Kind, Back in Action and The New Face of Evil), VFX Sequences, 2 image galleries and theatrical trailer, plus a DVD and Digital Copy disc.  See the cover artwork below.

Meanwhile, Summit Entertainment has set the “zombie-reversal romance/comedy” Warm Bodies for Blu-ray and DVD release on 6/4 (SRP $39.99 and $29.95).  Extras include audio commentary with director Jonathon Levine and actors Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer, 9 featurettes (Boy Meets, ER, Doesn’t Eat Girl, R&J, A Little Less Dead, Extreme Zombie Make-Over!, A Wreck in Progress, Bustin’ Caps, Beware of The Boneys, Whimsical Sweetness: Teresa Palmer’s Warm Bodies Home Movies and Zombie Acting Tips with Rob Corddry), plus deleted scenes with optional director's commentary and the Shrug and Groan gag reel.

Paramount will release Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters on Blu-ray Combo and DVD on 6/11.  The Blu-ray will include the film in an unrated edition, along with 3 featurettes (Reinventing Hansel & Gretel, The Witching Hours and Meet Edward the Troll).  The DVD will include the theatrical version of the film.

And Warner Home Video has set Shane and The Odd Couple for Blu-ray Disc release on 6/4.  SRP is $19.98 each.  You’ll find cover artwork for those below as well.

In other release news, Dark Sky Films will release Manborg on DVD only on 4/30.

Virgil Films will release Future Weather on DVD on 4/16.

PBS Distribution has set Frontline: Cliffhanger for DVD release on 4/30.

And Well Go USA Entertainment has set Back to 1942 for Blu-ray and DVD release on 5/14 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98), followed by Nightfall on both formats on 5/2114 (SRP $29.98 and $24.98).

Here’s a look at the Blu-ray cover art for A Good Day to Die Hard, Summit’s Warm Bodies, Paramount’s Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Warner’s Shane and The Odd Couple, and Criterion’s Things to Come (due 6/18)…

Stay tuned!

- Bill Hunt