Customer Reviews

Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Should have been an added bonus to the movie DVD, not a seperate DVD. Not really worth buying as it is almost the identical dialogue from the movie, except in black and white. This original short is interesting, maybe worth renting, but I think it should have been put on the movie's DVD as a bonus feature...

Director George Hickenlooper shows us his all, including a short film entitled Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade.

The film is a dark black & white depiction of Billy Bob Thorton's "Karl" whom Thorton developed while looking at his reflection with time on his hands, then later brought to life on stage with one-man shows.

In collaboration with Billy, Hickenlooper hoped to use this film as a springboard to making a feature film (which of course happened - Sling Blade). But that's where the off-stage drama begins.

Besides being a great short film and a "hoot," if you will, being the first incarnation of our beloved "Karl" (those whom have seen Sling Blade know what I mean, those whom haven't, order both films), This DVD contains an extensive director-ography of Hickenlooper, and the reason he ultimately declined to work on the feature film Sling Blade.

It shows a different side of Thorton - albeit hearsay, but interesting at any rate. I still love the man because he has a band.

But one thing struck me as quite ironic - while filming Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade, Hickenlooper didn't like the idea of doing Thorton doing his monologue as a close-up, and felt Thorton wanted it that way so he could use the film as an 'acting reel' to get more film parts.

But amidst the DVD segment where he says this - "The Evolution of Sling Blade," Hickenlooper showcases his own material, citing every film he's directed (involving Billy Bob or not), with very extensive clips.

Who's acting reel?

But ironic or not, this is a great short film that stands on its own. I just wish I saw it before I saw Sling Blade. Not so much the same impact, I reckon.

This independent short is essentially a b&w of the opening sequence of Sling Blade. The late JT Walsh is here, and Molly Ringwold will be recognized as the reporter interviewing Billy Bob Thorton's Karl in this version. Very good except for the price. Director George Hickenlooper takes potshots at Thorton in the Bonus Features. Recommended for people who really like Sling Blade, but again, they are selling it at full price.

when i saw 'slingblade' for the first time, i was totally knocked out. i wondered how one man, b.b. thorton, could put together a film that is so multi-faceted. having grown up in the midwest, everything about the movie struck a chord in me and when i found that this short was available, i grabbed it! it is well worth the price and will give you some insight as to how thorton created the character of karl childers. highly recommended!

I had no idea Billy Bob Thorton could play such a well-meaning and likeable character. I've only known him in recent roles (such as Bad Santa) so it came to a complete shock to me that a movie THIS emotionally powerful from Billy Bob Thorton playing a main character could be so incredibly good.

I give this movie the highest grade you can possibly give. I really loved Billy Bob's performance. This is a really good film because it helps you understand and appreciate people who are different. There's an important message behind it, and the fact that you are guaranteed to remain interested in it from beginning to end makes Sling Blade all the better. Really good performance and story. A must see.

Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade: 5 out of 10

A curiosity piece for Sling Blade fans this short is the opening act of the original film done in black and white with Molly Ringwald as the reporter and a nebbish mental health director.

Everything else is the same right down to J. T. Walsh's rape stories. The only real surprise is how quickly it is over. (25 brisk minutes) Unlike other viewers I really didn't notice a menacing nuance in this version. It really seemed almost note for note. One might rightly wonder why this short simply didn't appear as an extra on the Sling Blade proper disc. The included behind the scenes docs explain that pretty clearly.

The first doc is of little interest except to see J.T. Walsh chain smoke and hear director George Hickenlooper expound on how he likes short films and how European it is to make one. The second doc proves all that art for art sake stuff a lie.

Hickenlooper shows very lengthy clips from three of his features. The first Heart of Darkness a Filmmakers Apocalypse looked interesting. Even more interesting is how Hickenlooper got a directing credit even though Coppola's wife shot all the footage. The other two features The Killing Box and The Low Life look awful. The Killing Box is a vampire/civil war hybrid from which Hickenlooper removed the vampires and The Low Life seems like one of those self-conscious autobiographical films that comes out of Project Greenlight.

The real treat is hearing Hickenlooper completely trash his former friend Billy Bob Thorton, basically describing him as an unstable maniac. Since Thorton went of to fame and fortune and Oscar gold. (Hickenlooper even attacks Billy Bob's eligibility to win an Oscar for best adapted screenplay) and Hickenlooper was not asked to direct one can only assume a little payback was in order during this "record straightening".

Even funnier Hickenlooper accuses Thorton of trying to turn the short into an audition reel (Why else would you do a short?) while in the next breath explaining he was going to use it to shop a feature film. (Moreover, all of this in one of the most self-centered promotional docs I have ever seen. It is like a childhood film retrospective at a sweet sixteen party.) The whole mess is imminently skippable except for the morbidly curious.

This original version is far superior to the full length release. Thornton is exceptional in both...but the real suprise in this release is the exceptional performance by Molly Ringwald...someone I had written off as just so much fluff. A dark room...and Karl Childers...will scare the hell out of you. You just know he is out there...

Be aware that this is the short black and white version, not the full length motion picture. I accidentally rented this thinking I was getting the full length one. Wow, what a powerful movie. I was blown away. Personally I was disappointed in the full length version after seeing this. This version is especially hard hitting with amazing acting and filming. This movie actually got me into watching short movies. A well done short movie can be much more powerful than a full length one. This movie is one of the best shorts I have ever seen. But short movies are not for everyone.

This is a must for any Independent film maker. This is a great way to see how you can have a great story and do a Low budget short and show how much of an impact even a short can be. If you like Sling Blade or not I recomend this to all just to see how movies are started and then made into a blockbuster hit !

i love this movie if you like any of billy bobs work this is one you have got to see. billy goes beyond acting in this role. youll be surprised by at how many celebs make an apperance in this film. all of them in roles you will not believe! its a strange and almost comical drama. i think you will enjoy this movie over and over again.