A whopping thirteen deleted scenes have been tossed onto the disc, most of which show how Barbara Hershey's character had more of a purpose and how her relationship with the coach made more sense. Before each scene (which are in terrible condition by the way), both Anspaugh and Pizzo talk about the reason for the cut. They seem genuinely annoyed about most of them, forced by the studio to trim the film down. One is pretty major, causing a rather glaring continuity error. A photo gallery is the next to last feature.
There's little question that the inclusion of the ACTUAL game between Milan and Muncie being included is the best extra to ever grace a sports movie DVD. Where they dug this one up is unknown, but finding game film from a high school basketball game from 1954 can't be an easy task. Granted, it's not really all that exciting (there's a long stall at one point), but for true sports fans, it doesn't get much better. (*****)
You might have read that the nifty embossed case this set comes in can be blown up. That's not true. Not sure where the rumor started, but it should be blatantly obvious that cardboard doesn't inflate. Regardless, this set is beautifully packaged, the inner disc housing presenting a gorgeous fold out of that final shot, one of the most memorable moments in sports film history. Based on the packaging alone, this one is worth a purchase. Add in those extras, and you have a must buy.
Article comments
1 - Michelle
I am a native of Milan, IN and am responding to the comment...finding game film from 1954 can't be an easy task...Actually, we grew up on it. This was the first state championship to be broadcast on TV. The original reel-to-reel was converted to VHS when that was possible. I have had a VHS copy for years. Finding this game would have been relatively easy. That's how important this one is to Hoosier Basketball and the REAL March Madness.