Blu-ray Review Walk of Shame Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Kevin EK]

Walk of Shame Blu-ray Review

Walk of Shame staggers onto Blu-ray with a no-frills release of a movie that may leave viewers with a bigger hangover than the main character. Ostensibly, this is supposed to be a comedy about a young news anchor (Elizabeth Banks) who gets stranded in the middle of Los Angeles with no way to get to the interview of her life. And of course, hijinks ensue. The problem is that the movie isn’t even remotely funny. It’s also not believable or even tolerable. Technically, the movie looks and sounds fine, but that can’t get a viewer past the complete lack of content here. Fans of Elizabeth Banks are advised to watch one of her many other films rather than lose 90 minutes of their lives sitting through this one.

Studio: Universal

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1

Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HDMA

Subtitles: English SDH

Rating: R

Run Time: 1 Hr. 35 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray, Digital Copy, UltraViolet

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: ABC

Release Date: 06/17/2014

MSRP: $26.98

The Production Rating: 1/5

Walk of Shame is one of those movies that really defies explanation. It’s clear that the filmmakers thought they were making a variation on The Hangover, this time with a female lead trying to walk her way through a comic minefield of misadventures on the way to getting herself home. Unfortunately, writer/director Steven Brill forgot to bring the funny, not to mention the story logic. There are so many holes in this movie, one could imagine an entire convoy of trucks rumbling through them. The paper-thin story features Elizabeth Banks as Meghan, a local news anchor in Los Angeles who has a one night stand and then winds up without her wallet, ID or phone and must somehow navigate her way across the city as she has a very important interview to attend. The major fault in this premise shows up immediately – how is it that not a single person recognizes Meghan during her odyssey across the city? The movie makes a point of showing how popular she is, and even the advertising pushes the notion of her face being on the usual billboards. But we’re meant to just accept that nobody remembers her. Okay. Then we can add the problem that it seems like not a single person will allow Meghan to use their phone so she can call in to her office or to any of her friends to help her. Then we can add the fun of how the movie has Meghan hanging around with crack dealers and somehow masquerading inside a massage parlor. To quote George Harrison, “It’s All Too Much”. And the worst part is that it isn’t even funny. Elizabeth Banks is certainly trying hard here, but the result is less exciting than cringe-inducing. The best thing I can do for unsuspecting viewers and Elizabeth Banks fans is to advise them to steer well clear of this one.Walk of Shame was released on June 17^th on Blu-ray. The Blu-ray includes just the movie itself, but the packaging does have instructions for downloading a digital copy.

Video Rating: 4/5 3D Rating: NA

Walk of Shame is presented in a 2.40:1 1080p AVC encode (@ an average 34 mbps) that looks solid. There’s a variety of urban environments and textures on display, with Meghan’s bright yellow dress being the constant part of every scene. (And that’s another issue – how the heck can she make it across Los Angeles unrecognized in THAT dress?)

Audio Rating: 3.5/5

Walk of Shame has an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix (@ an average 3.0 mbps, going up to 4.0 mbps in the bigger moments) which keeps most of the emphasis in the front channels. There’s some music in the surrounds and some occasional opportunities for atmospherics (particularly when Kevin Nealon has his cameo as the local traffic reporter in the helicopter), but there’s not much to speak about here. There are no other languages or options present on the disc.

Special Features Rating: 0/5

Walk of Shame thankfully comes with no special features. This is a relief because it would not have been fun to watch the cast having to say the usual comments about what a great movie this has been to make, how great the script is, etc.Digital/Ultraviolet Copy – The packaging has an insert that contains instructions for downloading a digital or ultraviolet copy of the movie. Subtitles are available in English and Spanish. A standard chapter menu is included for quick reference.

Overall Rating: 1/5

Walk of Shame looks and sounds fine on Blu-ray, but the movie itself is one viewers may be embarrassed to rent. Elizabeth Banks is a more interesting comedienne than this material allows her to demonstrate. Frankly, it’s not a pleasant experience to watch a movie stumble over itself in the frantic manner that this one does.

Reviewed By: Kevin EK

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