Sling Blade - Director's Cut (Miramax Collector's Series)

Starring:Lucas Black (II), Sarah Boss, Brent Briscoe, Kathy Sue Brown, Natalie Canerday, Vic Chesnutt, Rick Dial, Robert Duvall, Bruce Hampton (II), James Hampton, Mickey Jones, Ian Moore, Wendell Rafferty, John Ritter, Scott Stewart (III), Judy Pryor Trice, J.T. Walsh, Christy Ward, Dwight Yoakam
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this mesmerizing drama with haunting overtones of To Kill a Mockingbird. Thornton plays a mentally retarded man who has spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital for killing his mother and her lover. Released into the community from which he came, he befriends and protects a lonely boy regularly harassed and abused by his mom's boyfriend (a terrific performance by Dwight Yoakam). The story is ultimately about sacrifice, but Thornton certainly doesn't get twinkly about it. Some of the best material concerns the hero's no-big-deal efforts to integrate into a "normal" life: working, eating fast food, earning admiration for his handyman skills, and attaining a semblance of community among other damaged souls. John Ritter has a great part as a gay shopkeeper who tries to assuage his own loneliness by spilling his guts out to Thornton's uncomprehending character. --Tom Keogh

Description

The Miramax Collector's Series proudly presents the two-disc release of the powerful motion picture applauded by critics and moviegoers alike ... written, directed, and starring Billy Bob Thornton (1996 Academy Award(TM) Winner, Best Adapted Screenplay and Academy Award(R) Nominee, Best Actor). Twenty five years after committing an unthinkable crime, a quiet man named Karl (Thornton) is finally returning home. Once there, he is befriended by a fatherless boy and his mother. But when his new-found peace is shattered by the mother's abusive boyfriend (Grammy-winner Dwight Yoakam), Karl is suddenly placed on a collision course with his past! Also featuring Robert Duvall (OPEN RANGE), John Ritter (BAD SANTA), and J.T. Walsh (BREAKDOWN) -- SLING BLADE is an unforgettable movie experience!

Customer Reviews:

Sling Blade .......2007-06-27

This story really shows just how we think of people that are a little slower than the rest. But, at the end you will see who is the retarded ones. I love this movie and watch it time & time again. The actors are great and the plot is even better. You must see it.

Slingblade.......2007-06-27

This is a fantastic movie. An open-minded person with an understanding for special needs people...you'll love this one. Many of us that have seen this movie have agreed we believe it's Billy Bob Thornton's best ever.

Hm, I Likes Dem DVD Easter Eggs, Mm Hm!.......2007-05-20

This is the way classic award winning films should be released on DVD. Billy Bob Thornton's classic triple-threat (starring/writing/directing)debut is an American masterpiece. With portraying life in the South without ever being patronizing or stereotypical, this film about tortured soul Karl Childers, a simple yet disturbed man coming home after 25 years of being hospitalized for the murder of his mother and her lover at the age of 12, is quite frankly one of the last great American film classics of the past fifteen years. There's no denying the acting expertise of Thornton, who worked at his craft for over ten years before finally being given the chance to show his creation to the world with his stunning transformation into the embodiment of Childers, and all without the use of today's special effect makeup or dreaded CGI. It's all Thorton, and played amazingly. It's no wonder then in 1996, he won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay ("adapted" due to his earlier 1994 short film version of Karl in "Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade") as well as being nominated that year for the Best Actor Oscar.

This new 2005 second edition DVD, is packed with mandatory new features. First, the movie itself is now 13 minutes longer (totaling 2 hours and 28 minutes long!) with additional & extended scenes that add to the film without altering the overall feel of the original. Second, the DVD's second disc is jammed packed with Bonus features ranging from a historial view of the career & life of Thornton, roundtable discussions with the majority of the film's cast (including excellent reflections by the late great John Ritter), and behind the scenes featuring Billy Bob directing the film and the amazing physical transformation he did to become Karl Childers.....

....However, that last one isn't so visibly accessible. For it's this Collector Series' DVD Easter Egg! So, I'd like to tell you how you too can access this brief yet interesting Easter Egg, here we go:

Go to Disc Two, and choose the first documentary "Mr Thornton Goes To Hollywood". At this point either select Chapter 11 "Lightnin', You're The Boss" or "Play All" and go to exactly 52:09 into the documentary. Once at that point, wait until you reach the part with John Ritter starting to explain the visual transformation of Billy Bob becoming Karl and you will see in the bottom right hand corner of your screen a silhouette of Karl sitting down facing the left. Quickly press "ENTER" on your remote to activate this button (this is the only way to get to this). Once there, you will see what Ritter was talking about, showing footage on the film's set Billy Bob physically changing into Karl right before a few takes each, lasting only about 21 seconds total. After it plays the DVD will automatically take you back to the exact point in the documentary where you left off.

This is an excellent DVD to add to anyone's library, standing proudly by other classics like "Rain Man", "Forrest Gump", and "I Am Sam". Entertaining as well as informative, this film gets better and better with repeated viewings. And this Miramax Collector's Series 2 Disc DVD finally does this film, as well as the talent of Billy Bob Thornton, justice.

Thank you for readin' I reckon, mm hm!

CAN'T BEAT BILLY BOB!.......2007-05-12

HE IS TERRIFIC PLAYING ANY ROLE. I LOVED SLING BLADE.

Some Folkes called it a sling blade.... He calls it justice........2007-04-29

Some folkes Call it a sling blade I call it a kaiser blade. With those words coming from the man that saved a young boy and his mother from a country western singer/construction worker/drinker/sometimes violent boyfriend. Billy Bob Thornton plays Karl Childers who was sent to what he calls the nervous hospital for killing his mother and lover. 30 years later he was released from the state hospital. Karl get's a job at what it apears to be a lawnmower shop, a wiz at fixing lawnmowers ever since he was a kid. While working for the master of the shop Bill Cox, Karl has already met Frank Wheatley and his mother Linda. But soon Karl realizes something in Lind'a boyfriend Doyle Hargraves, brilliantly played by country singer Dwight Yokam, a violent monster with a meanstreak of mickey hughs and david arnold brown rolled up into one. Karl is now on a collision course with his past to stop the madness of one close-minded maniac and finally bring peace love and happiness to all those who we're there, and witness it. Buy this movie. Some folkes call it a sling blade... What would you call it?

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