Sure, the "director's cut" of many movies on DVD sounds appealing, but in this case the additional footage completely messes up the pacing and flow of the movie, and even saps away some of its magic. It seems pretty clear that director (and writer, actor) Billy Bob Thornton wanted to take this chance to make it up to the people who were good enough to be in his low-budget indie film only to wind up on the cutting room floor, by re-inserting them back into the film. But don't fall for it. This is the version that was shown in the theaters, the one we all fell in love with. If you find it, grab it. The movie is a straight-up masterpiece.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
"Sling Blade" is actually based on a short film that Billy Bob Thornton wrote in 1993 called "And Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade", which starred himself as Karl Childers , a retarded man being released from a mental institution where he has been incarcerated for twenty-five years for a murder committed when he was a child. In this short film, Karl Childers is interviewed by a high school reporter (played by Molly Ringwald) about his release, and Karl begins a long monologue about the murder of his mother and her lover at his hands, with a sling blade. 'Cuz I wuz sittin' out there in the shed one evenin' not doin' too much o' nothin', just starin' at the walls waitin' for my momma to come out an' give me my bible lesson... yeah. I heard a commotion up in the house... so I run on the screened in porch to see what's goin' on. I looked in the window theres and saw my mother lyin' on the floor without any clothes on. I seen Jesse Dixon layin' on top o' her... he was havin' his way with her. Well, I just seen red. I picked up a kaiser blade sittin' by the screen door, some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade. It's got a long handle kinda like an axe handle. With a long blade, shaped, like a bananer. Sharp on one edge and dull on the other. It's what the highway boys use to cut down weeds and whatnot. Well, I was there in the house and hit Jesse Dixon upside the head with it, knocked him off my mother. Well, I reckon that it didn't quite satisfy me, so I hit him again with the sharp edge and blown near cut his head off, keeled him. My mother jumped up and she hollered, "What'd you kill Jesse for? What'd you kill Jesse for?" Well, gone to find out I don't reckon my mother didn't mind what Jesse was doin' to her. I reckon that made me madder than what Jesse made me. So I taken the kaiser blade, some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade, and I hit my mother upside the head with it. Keeled her. "Sling Blade" begins with the exact same sequence as ASFCIASB, and then follows Karl out into the real world. Though SB has often been compared to "Forrest Gump", when we first hear Karl speak about the murder, instead of friendly and soft-spoken manner of Mr. Gump, we hear Karl's gruff voice, see his expressionless face with perhaps a glimmer of evil under the surface, and see his habit of rubbing his hands together as he speaks. As he speaks about hacking his mother and her lover to death, the moody lighting and his didactic recitation demonizes Karl, and it is hard to determine if he is sincere about being reformed. I reckon I'm gonna have to get used to lookin' at purdy people. Guess you do. I reckon I'm gonna have to get used to them lookin' at me too. Karl is then released, and he boards a bus to his home town. After wandering around for most of the day, he befriends a boy at the laundromat, Frank Wheatley (Lucas Black), and helps him carry his laundry home. He gets a job at a local garage, taking like a duck to water fixing small engines, and lives in the back room. Don't you have anybody? No, sir. Never did know too much o' nobody down there. Not that be helpin' me out no way. Look Karl, the truth is I don't know where they expect you to go or what they expect you to do. If it was up to me, you can come back and stay if you wanted to. I'm just tryin' to do my job. You follow me? A few days later, he meets Frank again, and meets his mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday). Sensing that Frank feeRead full review
What a great movie. It's got some classic lines that I use everyday :) . Billy Bob was out of this world. Dwight Yoakam was good in the movie too.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This is the best movie I'd seen in a long time and I watch it over and over again. This is a great story of a mentally challenged man who only looks to do the right things for people. I was emotionally connected to the character and felt my emotions poor out for him. THis is easily Thornton's best role and best movie every. It's too bad he couldnt' continue to act in more roles like this. I highly recommend this movie for people who enjoy great story-telling and who want to have their emotions tapped by the movies they watch. OUTSTANDING!!
I like this movie because it did not fit the regular hollywood movie cookie cutter mold. It was written by Billy Bob Thorton which also had the leading role in the movie. I think he did an outstanding acting job. It has a spiritual message with some unexspected twist.
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