I'M NOT ASHAMED Blu-ray Review

I'M NOT ASHAMED (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD)

Release Date: January 24, 2016

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 1080p Widescreen

Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DVS 2.0

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Special Features - ★ ★ ✰ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ½ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
She believed.

Reviewed by Gavin King

The world is a dangerous place. There's no denying that. Every day, we face loads of struggles, imperfections, and challenges that life slaps in our faces, sometimes even impairing us from enjoying everyday habits and activities, such as talking at the dinner table, hanging out with a friend, or even simple tasks like getting into bed. As much as we would like to believe it, the world is not perfect, and it seems like, for some people, every day is another struggle through life's pavement of negativity along the way. We all want to be completely happy, carefree, joyous human beings. We all wish to be consistently positive, never pessimistic, and live each day like it's our last, by embracing every little touch that one goes through with their everyday lives. But that's just not the case for many people. Sadly, too many children and teens and even adults are victims of bullying, harassment, and even death threats. But stop and think about this for a moment. What if we could simply throw all of our emotional downfalls into the trash? What if there was a way we could take all of our struggles and simply leave ourselves in the comfort of a caring, devoted guidance? What if, with God in our thoughts, He could give us faith, belief, confidence, and love through these bumps in the road? What if God could be the one who would give us strength through these tough times and be the one to look up to when things get rough? I'm Not Ashamed is the fantastic film about Rachel Joy Scott, the girl who was unfortunately killed first in this tragic Columbine High School shooting. It's not an easy film and will likely take some time to sit well with certain viewers in the first place, but once it sits through, it's a film that won't soon be forgotten and a powerful story of how God can influence, help, and strengthen us when life situations get difficult, uneasy, and burdensome.

It should have been a normal school day for Rachel and her friends...

Rachel Joy Scott (Masey McLain) isn't living the best life. Her parents had a divorce and she's raised in a somewhat strict household. But the light that comes out is the family's worshipping of God. She wants to make a difference. She wants to walk down the hallways and sit in the cafeteria of Columbine High School, being noticed out of the cacophony of teens bustling down the school. But she's struggling. One day, Rachel is assigned a mentor in her Drama class named Alex (Cameron McKendry). She's instantly in love with him, knowing that he's the exact person she wants to be in the school. The two fit a spot in the school play and bond with each other while reciting their roles and just plain having fun. In the midst of all this, Rachel goes to the local youth group every night. She meets a boy there named Nate (Ben Davies), who's skeptical of Rachel at first but after a few talks gets to better know the girl and sees her true colors. But aside from Rachel getting to know a few guys, her faith is her biggest issue. None of her friends, including her new "guy" friends, know that's she's a Christian, and she wants to keep her devoted life to God while in the hubbub of keeping with her friendships and relationships. But little does Rachel know that her and the students of Columbine's lives are soon to be at stake when two rebel teenagers, Eric (David Errigo, Jr.) and Dylan (Cory Chapman) have plans of their own to doom Carinholm and its members.

I'm Not Ashamed seems like, in many ways, your average Christian film. It's got messages of God, faith, and other Christian morals. But the emotional impact of it all is what makes it stand out from the pack. The shooting of Carinholm high school is no laughing matter, and the way the film handles the seriousness of the subject is surprisingly exceptional. Amid all of the partying her and her friends (mostly her friends) partake in, Rachel is a relatable character. She wants to find her worth in the world. As she walks down the school hallways, she questions her purpose in the school and how she can find a way to be noticed and not just some invisible, wordless ghost dawdling down the hallway. It's what makes her such a remarkable character, and easily one of the film's biggest highlights. She's so fleshed out in her faith and Christian beliefs that it's a shame few other film's get this standout character development. Even as the film's minor characters, such as Rachel's close friends, don't immediately pounce out of the screen, Rachel is likable, sympathetic, and caring, and easily one of the film's strongest assets.

Busy doing classwork.

Even as Rachel's character powers the film, one cannot walk out of the film in speechless shock of the film's events. The film's final act leading up to the shooting is so tense and nerve-wracking that even the most stalwart of viewers will likely get crazily anxious. Performances are generally quite good. While there's a few that could be a little stronger in terms of character realization - particularly Rachel's friends - there's no denying that Masey McLain is powerful as Rachel Joy Scott. She gives an outstanding performance not just in an emotional sense but also in the way she portrays the film's faith-based values and Christian messages in a sincere and positive manner. Cameron McKendry shines as well as Alex, the boy Rachel meets when the two are assigned for a Tutoring project in their Drama class. The two have a very enjoyable chemistry, as does Ben Davies as Nate in the scenes with him and Rachel in their youth group.

At first, I'm Not Ashamed's Christian focus throughout the film may offset some viewers looking for a more traditional, less-faith-based drama, but the Christian addition to the film is more than welcome for those ready for it. The importance of faith plays a very big role in the movie, amid all of the high school drama with boys and gossip. There's some important, vital messages about trust, acceptance, and appreciating one for who they really are inside. Like I mentioned earlier, Rachel wants to find her place in the Columbine High School. She doesn't want to be this hidden outcast where no one cares about her. That's kind of her mission in the movie. She wants to be cared. She wants someone to love her not just for her looks, but for her personality; her true thoughts and feeling of who she truly is. What a truly exceptional message. It's a message that schoolchildren of every age and grade should absorb and a film for all ages that can handle the intense, unsettling nature of the final act/buildup of the film.


I'M NOT ASHAMED Blu-ray - Video Quality

I'm Not Ashamed's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed image sometimes looks great, sometimes less-than-stellar. The image sees a handful of shots that feature some significant noise, especially (and understandably) in darker scenes. It's not irritating to the point of a mental breakdown, but in the scenes where it's most prominent (most notably in outdoor nighttime shots or indoor locations with little to no lighting), it does become a bit bothersome and very noticable. Crush is also lightly evident in these darker bits, but not as prominent as the noise. There's a few hazy/smooth shots that prevent the image from being as sharp as it can be, but on the whole details such as the typical facial odds and ends as well as clothing and nooks and crannies around Rachel's school are satisfying enough when they're not dimmed in darker locations. Colors are generally fine. Green trees, Rachel's pink lipstick, the light Purple in Celine's hair, and the blues of a high school stage show as well as other intricacies showcase good punch and fine accuracy. Very mild aliasing is mildly evident on the film's text, but surprisingly banding isn't in sight here. This image is good enough, but far from extraordinary, so don't get your hopes up too high.

I'M NOT ASHAMED Blu-ray - Audio Quality

I'm Not Ashamed really isn't a big showcase for Hollywood blockbuster sound design, and the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack follows suit. However, this is not a ho-hum track; there are a few surprises thrown in to spruce up the less-than-bombastic sound atmosphere. At the beginning of the film, we see the bullies throwing a "nerd" against a door, and there's good enough surround activity and bass to satisfy and accompany the onscreen action. A few musical notes and numbers lightly spread across the surrounds, even as the film tends to be a tad more front-dominant with its musical content. There's good attention paid to ambient environmental effects across the stage, whether school hall clamor and chatter, outdoorsy noises, or a few party noises. Dialogue is clear and consistent across the center channel; it's always sharp and never too buried in the mix of elements. I'm Not Ashamed isn't a film that depends upon seriously booming sound editing, but the film handles its limited soundscape quite well.

I'M NOT ASHAMED Blu-ray - Special Features

- Deleted Scene - Rachel Gets Ready for School

- Deleted Scene - Trench Coats

- Deleted Scene - Nathan and Rachel Window

- Not Ashamed Music Video As featured in the film's end credits.

- Mark Pettit Interview Pettit is interviewed about the film itself, his favorite part of it, and a few other subjects.

- Social Media Sadie Robertson talks very briefly about the film's important Christian themes and how she can relate to them.

- Sadie Talking INA Robertson is, again, interviewed about the film and its vital themes.

- Bella Talking INA Bella Robertson is now interviewed about the film.

- Rachel's Last Words Rachel's final letter is recounted as is her unfortunate death.

- Rachel's Personal Items (Mom Into Drowning) Rachel's mother shares us a few of Rachel's keepsakes.

I'M NOT ASHAMED Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

I'm Not Ashamed may not be everyone's idea of a good time at the movies, but it's a wonderful film for those who decide to brave the film and fully grasp it. The film deals with a very sensitive subject whilst touching on important Christian themes without reverting to sappy melodramatic territory, something of a rarity in today's tearjerker category of cinema. Performances are solid and emotional depth is phenomenal, likely to make even the most stalwart of viewers shaken in the film's excellent portrayal of the terrifying real life events. Universal's Blu-ray isn't the sharpest on the block, but generally it gets the job done. Video quality is fine, if problematic at times. Audio mix doesn't ask for much, but presents fairly well with its limited source material. Supplements could be a bit more depth-appreciative, but what we have here is okay. Recommended.

EXTRA SCREENSHOTS (Right-click and select 'Open image in new tab' to see full size)

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4K Blu-ray Review

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN (4K UHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray + Digital HD)

Release Date: December 13, 2016

Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Video: 1.85:1 2160p Widescreen

Audio: English Dolby Atmos (TrueHD 7.1 Core), Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Russian DTS 5.1, Ukranian Dolby Digital 5.1

THE RATINGS

The Movie Itself - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

Video Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★½

Audio Quality - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special Features - ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰

Overall - ★ ★ ★ ★ ✰

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THE FILM ITSELF Our Reviewer's Take
4K is this release's Peculiarity.

Reviewed by Gavin King

When it comes to young-adult book-to-screen adaptations - particularly of the action/romance hybrid - critical and commercial reception is often projected as frowned upon, and in some cases for good reason (take a look at Allegiant, for goodness sake). Not only do some films predictably stray away from the true roots of the book-bound regions, but some happen to stick a bit too much, yearning the need for a sign on the movie theater auditorium door reading the following in big bold type: “For hardcore fans only.” Earlier this year, we got swayed with the unremarkable The 5th Wave, which had its very mild moments - particularly near the film’s beginning, unsurprisingly - but was overall doomed by poor plot execution and its relatively slow pace. As we go a bit further into September of 2016, the book-to-screen adaptation of Ransom Riggs’ hit novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, directed by the one, the only, Tim Burton, and starring the likes of Asa Butterfield, Eva Green, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson, comes into play. What a breath of fresh air in the YA genre. Instead of reverting to unnecessary dullness and monotonous execution, what we get is a fun, entertaining, and well-paced ride that may not be up to Burton’s true best, but is far from his worst collaborations (ahem… Alice Through the Looking Glass.) and shows true potential for a franchise.

Jake (Asa Butterfield) has lived his whole life being told stories by his grandfather Abe Portman (Terence Stamp) about him spending his life at “Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children” and battling evil monster who dare take over their territory. But one day, when Jake gets home from his often-ridiculed job of a grocery store clerk, something mysterious happens at his house. He realizes his grandfather has been attacked by the dreaded monsters who attack the Peculiars. A dying Grandpa Abe tells him that he must go to Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children, located in Cairnholm, to help save the so-called Peculiars from these monsters before it’s too late. Jake and his father (Chris O’Dowd) then head off to Cairnholm and stay a while at a bar in the small, foggy town. Jake then sneaks off through the woods and spots Miss Peregrine’s home, but realizes it was destroyed during a German invasion in September of 1943. Luckily, he’s greeted by a few Peculiars, and they’re sent along with him through a time loop back in 1943 when their home was still intact. Jake then meets Miss Peregrine herself (Eva Green) who introduces him to the Peculiars and tells him about the time loop he was sent back on and how it benefits her and the Peculiar children. The time loop is set to September 3, 1943, the day before their home was bombed by the Germans, and Miss Peregrine switches the time loop back 24 hours so the Peculiars can live the same day over and over again, without aging. But now they face a new threat. The Hollows (led by Samuel L. Jackson’s character) are hungry for peculiars after a failed experiment in which they were Peculiars but now are revenge-seeking monsters who crave the eyes of Peculiars. Now in more danger than they ever thought they would be, Miss Peregrine and the Peculiars must defend themselves to take down these vengeful beasts once and for all - and have Jake discover that he’s Peculiar, too.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children mixes an interesting concept with satisfyingly ooky creepiness. It’s not up there with the classics of Tim Burton (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice), but there’s no denying the film has his eye for the occasional creepy factor, fun action sequences, and memorable characters. The whole idea of the Peculiars is an intriguing concept altogether. It’s nice enough to see Ransom Riggs’ beloved novel translated to the screen in passionate finesse, but to make it a concept that moviegoers flee for is truly special. When’s the last time you’ve seen a movie in which special people, different from the rest of the ordinary world, are kept in a unique establishment so they can all fit in whilst showcasing their, well, peculiar talents? It’s a good thing the wonderful concept is interweaved with great execution. 

And that great execution is largely thanks to the film's unique visual style. It's a shame few other films - destined of this kind of genre and not - get this much advanced and inspired digital construction behind them, on and behind the camera via special effects. Many of the interesting specail effects come to play via the Peculiars. There's a really fun scene about 20 minutes into the movie where there's a bar mishap that takes place with the Peculiars trying to save Jake from being "taken care of" by older townsfolk. A couple of the Peculiar children come to save him, and one particular Peculiar by the name of Emma Bloom literally starts a fire with her bare hands to burn down the old pub. The digital effects artists have done a remarkable job at bringing Riggs' wonderful world of Peculiarity to astonishing life, and no praise can be given enough to the accomplishment they have done to sastisfy general moviegoers as well as lovers of the original book.

The cast is up for the challenge, too. Asa Buttefield, Ella Purnell, and Eva Green are just some of the many great acting talents that protrude happily and strongly through the movie, but Samuel L. Jackson as Barron the Hollow is arguably the film's big standout. That's not too much of a huge surprise, considering Sam Jackson's resume in movies like The Avengers and Snakes on a Plane, but there's no denying he has a wonderful enthusiasm and gleefully entertaining villainry to bringing the eye-craving, ultra-menacing Barron to the screen with oompah power and delivery. The movie could use a little bit of work in a few very mild areas. Pacing seems to be a bit sluggish towards the entry of the film's final act and the film could do without at most  20 minutes, but overall this is a fun, enjoyable, inventive, and surprisingly thought-provoking entry into Tim Burton's endless canon of creepiness.


MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4K Blu-ray - Video Quality

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was actually finished on a 4K digital intermediate, making this one of the rare cases in which a 4K UHD Blu-ray isn't upscaled from a 2K digital intermediate. And the upgrade looks fantastic. While it's not particularly up there with the cream of the crop of the best 4K UHD releases out there, such as Storks - it's nonetheless a worthy upgrade and one that offers subtle yet obvious improvements over the already terrifc 1080p Blu-ray transfer. Details are a bit more refined on faces, grassy areas, the odds and ends in Miss Peregrine's home, and clothing fabrics, as is general depth of field particularly in a scene where Miss Peregrine hunts a Hollow (I believe) with an arrow. Colors are more nuanced, too. Take note in the scene where Jake and his father are in Carinholm. They're a smidge darker yet a bit more realized than on the 1080p Blu-ray, just one of the fine examples of expert color grading on this UHD Blu-ray. There's slightly darker contrast in less lit sequences, such as the battles between the Peculiars and the Hollows, and the black levels in those scenes never falter when it comes to pinpoint accuracy and lifelike satisfaction. Obviously, there are no compression anomalies to report here, since this is coming from a 4K DI. Miss Peregrine's 4K UHD Blu-ray presentations offers up everything an eager videophile would want from a film of this caliber with spot on, though not overtly groundbreaking, improvements that make this worth buying for those interested in purchasing the film and fans alike.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4K Blu-ray - Audio Quality

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 was strong-sounding on the Blu-ray, and with an upgraded Dolby Atmos track here on the UHD, it lightly yet appreciably adds to the film's atmosphere very well. First off, the net 7.1 effects are similar here: what many audiophiles will race to this track for is obviously the film's big set pieces. There's lots of fun to be had in the ways of surround activity and nicely-done LFE that fully saturate the stage in blasting arrows, musical score, fun foley effects, and much, much more. Music, whether the aformentioned score or an electronica-like piece that plays at the 100 minute mark, offers plenty of front-end support and ample surround spacing that sets the viewer into the stage comfortably and immersively. The overheads come to play in a number of moments, particularly in more commendatory roles such as better atmosphere immersion but bringing some big battle sound effects to bigger and better life. General dialogue is consistently anchored into the front channel, with natural positioning and lifelike precision and never wanting for extra clarity or clearness. This is a hugely strong, subtly yet admiringly improved track that takes all that's great about the original Blu-ray's DTS-HD MA track and adds a few nice little touches to make it a little bit better and more fun along the way.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4K Blu-ray - Special Features

Note that all supplements are located on the original 1080p Blu-ray disc, included with this package.

- The Peculiar Story looks a bit at Ransom Riggs' original book, the story of/behind it, and how it translated to the big screen, with interviews with Riggs and company.

- The Peculiars consists of several parts, and each featurette looks at each Peculiar and their themes and personalities that make them a Peculiar. These include the following: Abe, Miss Peregrine, Jake, Emma, Bronwyn, Claire, Olive, Enoch, Fiona, Horace, Hugh, Millard, The Twins, Miss Avocet, and Victor. (That's a lot, but hey, y' can't leave 'em out, right?)

- Hollows & Ex-Hollows focuses on the film's main menacing villains, led by Samuel L. Jackson's character, Barron.

- Map of Days looks at the time loop aspect of the movie in two segments: Miss Peregrine's Home and Blackpool Tower.

- "Wish That You Were Here" Florence + The Machine Music Video

- Gallery includes Photographs and Sketches by Tim Burton.

- Theatrical Trailers Theatrical Trailer A and Theatrical Trailer B.

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN 4K Blu-ray - Overall Recommendation

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children shows that Tim Burton hasn't lost his eye (no pun intended, if you can catch it) for this type of filmmaking. It may not go down in history as a Burton classic unlike film such as Beetlejuice, but the film's visual style, excellent performances, and fun, consistently entertaining action make it well worth a recommendation. Add that to a third act that's a total blast and up there with Burton's best action sequences and a script that's faithful to the original source material, and you've got a film that's popcorn-munching, edge-of-your-seat fun for those seeking a break from tired, cliched action money-rakers. Fox's 4K Blu-ray is largely excellent. With the added benefit of a 4K digital intermediate, there's a subtle but noticable upgrade over the original 1080p Blu-ray's video transfer. What's also lightly but nicely improved is the audio track; the switch from 7.1 to overhead/height-enabled Atmos is welcomed. Supplements stay quite interesting in content. Highly recommended for home theater enthusiasts.

EXTRA SCREENSHOTS (Right-click and select 'Open image in new tab' to see full size)