The Sandlot is an absolute childhood classic, especially for kids born in the ’80s and ’90s. It was one of my favorite films growing up, and I still enjoy it today just as much as I did back then. It’s hard to believe that it was released in 1993 and is now celebrating its 25th anniversary, but here we are. For the occasion, a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray has been assembled. Here’s my take on it:
The film itself is pure gold. It takes place in the summer of 1962 in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved there and desperately wants to fit in. The local sandlot baseball team gives him a chance to join the team, but he can’t play baseball. His stepdad (played by Denis Leary) isn’t the most helpful in teaching him how to play. Luckily, team leader Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez (Mike Vitar) takes Scotty under his wing, teaches him the basics, and gets him a spot on the team. From there, the boys have quite a summer as we follow their escapades and we learn the legend of “The Beast”: a massive dog that lives in the backyard behind the sandlot who is feared by all the kids.
The video and audio are top notch on the Blu-ray. The video is a 1080p HD transfer that’s presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. It looks and sounds great. The Blu-ray purchase also comes with a digital copy of the film.
The special features is where the disc is really lacking. Only two bonuses are included, one short 5 minute featurette that has some clips from the film with minor interviews from the cast and crew and then about 5 minutes of trailers and TV spots. These are the exact same special features from previous editions of the film on Blu-ray/DVD so this is pretty disappointing for a 25th anniversary edition.
The physical extras that come with the set are pretty cool. There are 10 Topps baseball cards that each have one of the boys on them and then there’s also one with The Beast. There’s also a booklet that comes with some messages from the director and a small poster. These are all a nice touch.
Bottom line, this 25th anniversary collector’s edition of The Sandlot has the same classic film many of us grew up with looking and sounding fantastic, but it only has two bare bones special features. On the contrary, the physical extras are quite cool. At $13, you can justify buying the Blu-ray, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary if you already own another version of the film. As you ponder buying this edition, I’ll leave you with this memorable quote from the film: “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die. Follow your heart kid, and you can never go wrong.”
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.