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Screen Grabs: Chuck cowers in the HD-DVD graveyard
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dt com. An eagle-eyed reader pointed this one out: Where do HD-DVD players go when they're no longer hot items? That's right: Hollywood, where they help make up the backdrop of Buy More's in-store Halloween display. Chuck was involved in some horrifying shenanigans, and then we were horrified by sitting through most of an episode of Chuck. And the circle is complete. [Thanks, Ryan]
Engadget HD Giveaway: Win Chuck: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray!
It's a tough job keeping up with all the TV shows starting their new seasons this fall, so let us make it easier on you with a copy of Chuck: The Complete Third Season on Blu-ray before the next season kicks off September 20. All it takes to win is to leave a comment on this post, so go ahead and double check the rules and trailer after the break, then do what comes naturally -- but just once each, please. Special Thanks to Warner for providing the discs!
Chuck: The Complete Third Season Blu-ray review
Among Warner's slew of TV show releases this week is Chuck: The Complete Third Season, and we took a quick look at the boxed set before it hit shelves. In case you're still unfamiliar with the NBC show, Chuck Bartowski was a regular employee at the Buy More electronics store before accidentally downloading a computer database into his head and becoming a secret agent -- all without telling his family, friends and co-workers. In the third season, Chuck makes steps towards becoming a full-fledged agent on his own and the show has a lot more action, but it still retains the comedy elements that have kept it going so far. In the Blu-ray box set the four discs contain all 19 episodes, plus a deleted scene or two from most of the episodes. The other extras available are a 20 minute behind the scenes featurette that's thankfully in HD and should be very entertaining for fans of the series, plus an incredibly detailed (and also HD) 10 minute Behind the Music-style documentary focusing on the band formed by two of Chuck's coworkers, Jefster. Otherwise, there's some lower-res gag reel footage and Warner's standard BD-Live hooks on the fourth disc, that allow users to mark the disc in their collection and view trailers and extras from upcoming releases like The Big Bang Theory. Unfortunately, there's no commentaries to be found here and there doesn't appear to be any extra downloads or streaming on the way. While the audio and video here are of good (though still grainy by choice) quality, some will be disappointed by the lack of a lossless audio soundtrack. While it crosses the line of fulfilling the standard expectations for a boxed set in 2010, it doesn't go too far beyond that. While we should probably just be glad the show is returning later this month for a fourth season it'd be nice to see even more of Blu-ray's technology put to use to bring the fans into the show -- Chuck community screening sponsored by Subway seems like an obvious choice to us.
TUAW's Daily App: Zombie Wonderland
Zombie Wonderland was a game I didn't get to see at E3 a little while back when I met up with Chillingo, but I recently checked it out, and it's an interesting little zombie fightin' title. The undead action is somewhat removed -- instead of directly shooting the shambling brain-eaters, you're simply directing a little dude named Chuck around, trying to defend all sides of a house being attacked. The gameplay can be busy but isn't always compelling -- you're also tasked with cleaning up the floors in a pretty bizarre mechanic that seems meant to add a little excitement to the festivities, but even when Chuck is racing around, things never get to a real fever pitch. That's ok, though -- the polish of the models (there's a Minigore aesthetic going on), the smoothness of the animation and the feeling that you really are defending a homestead from the onrushing zombie horde all make the experience quite fun despite the simple gameplay. And since the game is on sale for just 99 cents, it's definitely worth a look. For the last day of this year's Independence Weekend, try declaring your brains off-limits to the walking dead.
Chuck vs. Sanctuary smackdown: Which product tie in wins?
Two shows. Two iPhone tie ins. One TUAW fighting ring. Two will enter; one will leave. Whose cuisine will reign supreme? No wait, that's Iron Chef. Anyway, which show's tie in will take the crown and walk away with the "Worth Downloading" title? Let's have a quick look. In the left corner, wearing the black and white NerdHerd-colored shorts is Chuck. The well-loved (yet criminally underwatched) NBC show Chuck is now entering its third season. Its ongoing story is about a friendly IT guy who has been sucked into the world of international intrigue. Chuck a character-driven comedy/action show that should be on everyone's must-watch list. Its hero, Chuck Bartowski, works "undercover" (so to speak) at a BuyMore store, a large box chain modeled on Best Buy. Torn between his public and secret life, the show somehow manages to balance Chuck's emotional growth with the kind of spy-centered action you'd expect from a high concept series like this. If you're not watching this, start. Really. No, I mean it. Go set your TiVo now. The "Chuck Me Out" iPhone app [iTunes link] is available for free on App Store. It provides a simple photo overlay game. You select an existing photo or snap a new one the built-in iPhone camera. You then select a show-themed overlay, and mail, tweet, or plant a facebook with the result. With "Chuck Me Out", you can create NerdHerd (think "Geek Squad") ID tags, backstage all-access passes for the fictional rock group Jeffster, or you can just substitute faces into cast-member poses. Overall fun factor? Kind of meh, except for the super fanatical Chuckaholic who might get more than a single chuckle. (See what I did there? Yes, that pun was totally intended.)
Found Footage: That sinking, gonna-need-a-new-phone feeling
What other recent TV show (Big Bang Theory aside) has given geeks as much cred as Chuck? The hourlong spy-dramedy returned with first-run episodes this week, but promptly threw a wet blanket on our enjoyment by... well, just look. No matter what Andy Ihnatko's experiments demonstrated, I don't think a pile of white rice is going to fix this. Past episodes of Chuck have featured an all-knowing classic Mac, a thinly veiled dig at our favorite iCEO and a weaponized G5 tower, much to our delight. We've been loyal fans, NBC, but we must protest the wanton cruelty shown to an innocent smartphone in this scene: it's brutal, it's damp, and it will not stand. [Apologies to our international readers for the US-only Hulu clip. Once there's a geographically agnostic version of the video available, we'll link to it.]
Poll: What winter TV premiere are you waiting for?
Of course the big daddy Lost is preparing for a February return and its final season, but there's going to be plenty of new shows to watch on our HDTVs over the next few weeks, plus the return of some other familiar faces. So let us know, what are you most ready and waiting for? %Poll-39212%
TurpsterVision: Hands on with Chen Stormstout
We can't believe it either – Turpster has been let loose on WoW.com to bring you videos from in and around the World of Warcraft! You've heard him on the WoW Insider Show, and now see him on TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com. So it's Black Friday for a lot of you guys out there -- Happy Thanksgiving for yesterday and yes, my Turkey was awesome thanks for asking! A day for picking up electrical bargains and stopping The Intersect falling into Fulcrum's hands -- I'll be honest, my knowledge of Black Friday stems pretty much directly from episodes of Chuck. I was lucky enough to have my latest purchase come through today and I am super stoked to be able to show you guys, Chen Stormstout! This guys is many kinds of huge -- some say he looks like a fat Gene Simmons, I don't see that being a bad thing since The Demon is also pretty awesome (though he's no Starchild). Standing over 8" tall and weighing in at 4.5 lbs, this guy is built to impress. The detailing is beyond anything I've seen on my previous DC Unlimited figures. Enjoy the video and pick one up if you haven't already -- I wonder how much mine is worth now that it's out of the box... Check out more of Turpster's work, recent work like sites made for a Bristol Garden Landscaper or classic stuff from his WoW parody songs to TV previously on Massively.com, not forgetting everyone's favorite podcast 'The WoW Insider Show' and of course, TurpsterVision right here on WoW.com!
We've got a sub for that...
In the UK, iPhone and iPod touch users who are used to hearing Apple's "there's an app for that" tagline in advertisements are now doing a double-take when they go to their nearby Subway sandwich shop. Sharp-eyed TUAW reader Welby McRoberts was accompanying some buddies to Subway for lunch when he noticed that things seemed a little too familiar. As you can see in the photos from Welby's blog that are also in the gallery below, Subway UK is using the similar phrase "We've got a sub for that" in their in-store signage and on employee shirts. McRoberts notes that "It appears that subway are imitating Apple's "there's an app for that". It turns out that this campaign has been done by McCann Erickson and is a 'light-hearted' campaign complete with UK TV adverts. The phrase Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery comes to mind." There's no word on whether this campaign will migrate to any of the other 90 countries with Subway franchisees, or if Apple is going to refer to the fabled iTablet as a "Five-Hundred Dollar Foot Long." Chuck and the CIA should be very happy with this new campaign! %Gallery-72459%
Steve Jobs impersonators take over NBC on Chuck and 30 Rock
It seems that Hollywood is beginning to miss Steve Jobs almost as much as we are. This is especially true for two of NBC's hit comedy shows; "30 Rock" and "Chuck." Both were new this week and overflowing with appreciation for Stevie J. For most Apple fans it is easy to spot when many TV shows and movies feature Apple gear. The most recent episodes of "30 Rock" and "Chuck," however, go above and beyond featuring a shameless homage to the man himself, Steve Jobs -- in 30 Rock's case, doing a great take on a worldchanging Apple announcement from the not-too-distant past. I won't get into the details of the episodes themselves but I have posted the clips after the break. In case you missed it, both episodes are online over at Hulu. Thanks to everyone who sent this in. [via Gizmodo and Crunchgear]
Did NBC's promotional shove help or hurt 3D?
Love it or hate it, 3D has been on a tear in 2009, and it enjoyed the biggest audience yet over the last two nights with a quick Super Bowl ad and follow up hour long 3D episode of Chuck, both on NBC. However, given the mixed opinions, and the questionable tech used to bring 3D to homes that aren't really equipped to deal with it, we're not sure if the movement went forward or backwards last night. Our friends at Cinematical and TV Squad have chipped in opinions on the Monsters vs. Aliens promo (embedded after the break) and special TV event, but what about you? As a glasses-only affair it required an audience a bit more prepared than usual than usual for TV, and there were plenty of chances for problems and misunderstanding. PR reps for theater 3D companies were quick to point out their stereoscopic technology provides much higher quality (we agree) than you saw on NBC, and while that begs the question why bother at all, it seems like the chance to seed the potential of 3D -- even with a subpar anaglyph display -- was too big of an opportunity to ignore.Read - I don't care what NBC is saying... 3D on TV still doesn't workRead - Poll: Did You Like The 3D Superbowl Movie Commercials?
Monsters vs. Aliens 3D promo gets detailed
For those searching for a few more details on how exactly the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D trailer will be seen on Super Bowl Sunday, you've arrived at the right place. According to a new AP report on the topic, around 150 million 3D glasses will be given away for free at Pepsi / SoBe Life Water displays at 28,000 locations including grocery, drug and electronics stores and big-box retailers -- in other words, you shouldn't have to look hard to find 'em. The three minute promo will utilize Intel's InTru 3D and ColorCode 3-D technologies, which are said to be far superior to the old red-blue Anaglyph system. In fact, those without 3D glasses will still be able to make out what's going on. Oh, and if you were even the slightest bit curious as to how serious DreamWorks Animation is about pulling this off, get a load of this: the outfit's CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg is calling the stunt "perhaps the biggest media-advertising event in history," noting that it will involve "tens of millions of dollars." Gulp.[Image courtesy of AP Photo/Matt Sayles]
Monsters vs. Aliens trailer, Chuck to air in 3D in February on NBC
This won't come as any surprise to folks watching the absolutely thrilling Chargers vs. Colts matchup on NBC, but 3D has officially hit the mainstream. NBC has been feverishly pushing a 3D airing of a Monsters vs. Aliens trailer on Super Bowl Sunday, and a 3D episode of Chuck will follow later in February. We were even blasted with a shot of Jerome Bettis rockin' some super ugly 3D glasses, of which you'll be able to procure yourself for free in the coming weeks at select Pepsi and Sobe kiosks. Obviously, since the ads were shown to all watching tonight's tilt, no special television will be needed to enjoy the eye-popping content; now, let's just wait and see if any 3D clips are snuck into the actual Super Bowl.[Via TVByTheNumbers]
Blu-ray releases on November 11th 2008
Just when we thought there wasn't another comic book movie this holiday season until The Dark Knight, along comes Hellboy, which we somehow forgot about. It's available both in regular and extra geeky, the latter will set you back another $20, but while both include a digital copy, only the Collector's Edition includes a scary looking figurine and we're not sure what else. Also this week, Weinstein has the made for TV movie about the NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt, which is sure to be a popular stocking stuffer for Blu-ray NASCAR fans -- not sure how many of those there are. Star Wars fans can look forward to the animated feature Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while WW2 junkies can can relive Band of Brothers for the first time on Blu-ray. That isn't the only TV show series this week though, as Warner has both the first season of Chuck and the third season of Supernatural. And finally, Fox offers up the first, and regrettably, the only season of Firefly. Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Universal) Hellboy II: The Golden Army Collector's Edition (Universal) 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story (Weinstein) Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Warner) Band of Brothers (HBO) Chuck: The Complete First Season (Warner) Supernatural: The Complete Third Season (Warner) JFK (Warner) Firefly: The complete series (Fox) Harry Potter Years 1-5 Giftset (Warner) This Christmas (Sony)
Does Morgan have a Zune? One guess.
Any fan of NBC's geek-centric espionage comedy Chuck knows that there's a healthy helping of Apple tech all over the show, going back to the very first episode. Despite the heavy product placement volume, relatively few Apple fanboy lines make it into the scripts; after all, these folks work at Best BuyMore, which probably sells a lot of HP and Dell gear.This week, however, a not-so-subtle dig at Microsoft's music player found its way into the episode's closing scenes. Chuck's sidekick Morgan -- not the coolest cat in the junkyard -- jokes that he has a Zune, and then goes off to get his iPod to help Chuck save the world. Nice work if you can get it. The segment is viewable to US residents via this Hulu link.If you notice other ficitional characters praising Apple and dissing the competition, be sure to let us know via our tips page or Twitter replies. You can also grab screenshots of your favorite Apple gear product placement moments and tag them for our appleontv Flickr pool.Thanks Mike[hat tip to When Will Apple for multiple versions of the video clip]
HDTV Listings for September 29, 2008
What we're watching tonight: NBC (1080i) has the season premiere of Chuck at 8 p.m., Heroes at 9 p.m. and season premiere of Life at 10 p.m. CBS (1080i) lines up The Big Bang Theory at 8 p.m., followed by How I Met Your Mother, Two and a Half Men, Worst Week and CSI: Miami ABC (720p) has Dancing with the Stars at 8 p.m. and Boston Legal at 10:01 p.m. Fox (720p) brings Terminator: SCC at 8 p.m. followed by Prison Break CW (1080i) has Gossip Girl at 8 p.m. followed by One Tree Hill ESPN (720p) presents Monday Night Football with Ravens/Steelers at 8:30 p.m. USA (1080i) has WWE: Raw at 9 p.m. Mojo HD (1080i) drops in Pressure Cook at 9 p.m. TNT (1080i) has Raising the Bar at 10 p.m. HBO (1080i) presents Taxi to the Dark Side at 9 p.m.
Original Mac appears in Season 2 of "Chuck"
If you downloaded the freebie episode of the week from iTunes, then chances are you saw some vintage Apple hardware. That's because episode 1 of Chuck's second season features one of the original Macs in it. It's kinda funny that they're supposed to be building a new system to take over Chuck's job, but they use some really old hardware (at least it's a Mac). Still, this is consistent with last year's premiere, which featured a Mac Plus at the core of the CIA system.We won't spoil the episode ending, but it involves the Mac blowing up (just sayin'). This is, however, an awesome start to another season of Chuck. It is ironic that most of the computers in the show are Macs ... despite the fact that it airs on NBC. Get this free episode while you still can! It's definitely worth a watch. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Best Buy employees compare real store to Chuck's 'Buy More'
We know, it's off the beaten path a bit, but Sound & Vision's latest writeup comparing the actual Best Buy with 'Buy More' in NBC's quasi-hit Chuck was too good to ignore. The site rounded up a couple of Best Buy / Geek Squad employees and asked them to compare their experiences with scenes in the show. Comically enough, we learn that at least some Squaders do indeed joyride in their company car, employees actually do have to undergo training to interact with and persuade customers, and yes, workers are beaten over the head with selling those ridiculous replacement plans. If you're in need of a chuckle (ahem), there's quite a few waiting in the read link.
MD police completes fishing daily IRL
Not everyone enjoys fishing. Even the fishing quests from 2.4 can only do so much to liven it up. Still, I know several folk who put up with the pain of fishing for the chance to capture that most cagey of crocolisks -- Chuck. (And his three closest friends: Muckbreath, Toothy, and Snarly). In honor of those farmers of fish, we bring you the latest in real life imitating WoW (hereafter referred to as the Rocky Files, owing to the previously-covered real life Mechanical Squirrel). Officer Glenn Johnson from animal control in Maryland has completed his first fishing daily by catching an 18 inch alligator with a fishing pole. Apparantly, the little fella had been cruising a local golf course. After a few days of baiting the gator with dog and cat food, Johnson broke out the big guns. He set up camp by a lake with a fishing pole and fried chicken. By the afternoon, he'd succeeded -- gator in a bucket. The baby gator is being hosted in a local zoo, but his name hasn't been announced yet. We're all pulling for him to go by Chuck.
New NBC shows are in iTunes Store (sort of)
Update: As our commenters have pointed out, the two premieres now appearing in the iTunes store -- although broadcast by NBC in the US -- are actually produced by other studios such as Fox and Warner Brothers. Since the online distribution rights are separate from the broadcast rights, it would seem that the content owners are more than happy to have their shows sold in iTunes. Unfortunately for fans of Heroes, Law & Order, The Office and 30 Rock, all those shows are produced by NBC/Universal and they are, as expected, not updating with the current season's content.Original post: When NBC announced their intention to pull their content from the US iTunes Store by December, Apple promised to make that happen much sooner:"Apple has decided to not offer NBC TV shows for the upcoming television season beginning in September."A few hours later, NBC stated that their new shows will be available in the US iTunes Store. Today, I found Journeyman [iTunes link] and Chuck [iTunes link], two brand new shows, ready to go. I bet other hits like My Name is Earl and The Office, which premiere on Thursday night, will also be posted. Why? I imagine a boardroom conversation that sounded something like this: NBC Exec. A: Heh. We showed them. We'll make a bundle on the new stuff and then, bam! We slam the door in December. Cha-ching! NBC Exec. B: Um, sir? They're going to pull all of our stuff immediately. No new shows. NBC Exec. A: *Wilhelm scream* B-But, they can't do that. NBC Exec. B: It's done, sir. NBC Exec. A: Damn. Get Jobs on the phone. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
