VIDEO CAPSULE: Sling Blade (7/10)

[SirReel]

Not a bad movie "I reckon", but certainly not as great as I'd hoped it'd be - or at least heard it was. I mean, Billy Bob Thornton is fantastic as the leading character Carl - no question, but I don't know, I think the movie would have played better as a radio program.

Seriously. Halfway through the movie I yanked the draw-string straight from my sweat pants and began tying odd-ball knots through the latter half of the movie. (Not that I'm an expert with knots or anything - I was just visually bored.) I listened to the rest of the movie without missing a beat. The plot and story lines or glaringly obvious, not that they're no good - just unimaginative in a way.

I do not mean to rain on Thorton's parade as the movie is worth seeing just for his performance, but expect nothing more... I just wasn't inspired by any other facet of the movie.

"All right then..."

SirReel

[Tuukka]

For me this is one of the greatest movies ever made. But I definitely wouldn't recommend to everyone. This film is very, very slow and there doesn't happen very much. The visual style is extremely simple and many of the scenes are done with only one, continuous shot.

The film has outstanding performances all around. Thornton is obviously brilliant, but also the young Lucas Black shows major screen presence and the guy was only 12 year old when they made the film! The script is highly intelligent with wonderful, three-dimensional characters and excellent dialogue.

For me this is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen. Some scenes actually made me cry, and no other film has ever done to that to me. I rented this film from a video store two years ago and I saw it three times in two days. Everytime it managed to make me laugh (film is quite funny in many places) and cry. Especially the scenes by the lake when two main character talk about life are heartbreaking.

One of the five greatest movies anyone has ever made.

10/10

[JoBlo]

<moderator bump>

[Brock Landers]

Hey, I dig dem french fried pa-taters as much as anyone…But Dwight Yoakum was my favorite…

Doyle: What am I supposed to do
about supper while you're out runnin'
around with that fag?
Linda: You're not cripple, get in there
and make it yourself.
Doyle: Talkin' back and everything.
That kinda makes me horny, Linda.
Linda: Frank, maybe you better go
play in your room if Doyle's gonna
talk nasty.
Frank: I don't wanna go play in my
room.
Doyle: He don't wanna go play in his
room.

.

Doyle: What are you doing with that
blade, there, Karl?
Karl: I aim to kill you with it, mmm
hmm.

Fellow independent filmmaker
Jim Jarmusch appears as the
"Frosty Kreme" worker in the
beginning...sweet

[DaN]

7/10? I gave it more like an 8.5/10. It's a classic. Seriously, a classic. I didn't mind it's slower pace any. It was a masterful movie. The best part of the movie is the following two parts:

1. The masterful monologue at the beginning. Damn! How the hell could he remember ALL that! Damn!

2. The monologue to the kid about his killing.

This movie is terrific

[TobyDammit]

I love this movie, some call's it a film, I call's it a movie, hmm mmm.

[Brock Landers]

Hey... you... guys! (Electric Company-style)...I have been collecting the DVD's that are titled "SHORT" for a while now, they feature short films from around the world and they are pretty damn kick-ass...MY POINT is that one of the first "SHORT" DVD's featured the short film "Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade" which was the short film that got the movie made in the first place...It's really worth checking out...

[the night watchman]

I fell asleep during "Armageddon," but I sure didn't fall asleep during this flick. Great movie. Dwight Yoakum is astounding. Who'da thunk? I'm with DaN - I'd give it an easy 8.5/10.

I like your idea of presenting it as a radio play, though, SirReel

[Brock Landers]

here's some extra info about "Sling Blade"...

referenced in:
Doctor Dolittle (1998)
Bowfinger (1999)
Scream 3 (2000)

spoofed in:
Swing Blade (1997)
Godson, The (1998)
Doctor Dolittle (1998)

version of:
Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (1993)

[playgames]

This is one of my favorite movies too.The performance of J T Walsh was great too.Man I hated it when I heard the news of his death.He was a great actor in my book.It seemed like he was in 90% of the movies made in the years before his death,if only for a scene or two.

one great line from sling blade:
He's not funny ha ha ,he's funny.........