Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade (1994) watch online HD

I have mixed feelings about this short. Sling Blade is my all time favorite movie. I absolutely fell in love with it the first time I saw it and I still never tire of watching it. This, on the other hand, is an entirely different take on the Karl Childers character. While he is likeable and friendly in Sling Blade, he is intimidating and scary in "Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade". Also, I could not stand Molly Ringwold's version of the reporter. She was bitter, hateful, and downright cold while the reporter in Sling Blade has a timid, sweet manner and is kind to Karl. The ending left you with an odd feeling (yes, I know all of this was intentional) and made you wonder just WHY they were letting this menacing person out of the "nervous hospital".

This is a very well done short. The mood is dark, the setting is perfect, and Hickenlooper really seems to know what he is doing. I just wasn't too crazy about his interpretation of the story. Had I seen this before I saw the full-length version, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

The video has a really cool "behind the scenes" featurette that is a must for fans of Sling Blade.

Oh, and thank you Billy Bob, for giving us YOUR interpretation of the story and telling it the way it was meant to be told.

Pretty much everything has been said by previous reviewers here. It is probably pertinent to add that but for the success of this little independent number, the full length SLING BLADE most probably would never have gotten made three years later.

Obviously a labor of love for creator Billy Bob Thornton. He presents a markedly different Karl Childers here. As retardedly backward but infinitely more menacing. It was probably on reflection that the character was made more "marketable" and sympathetic the second time around. Both films are such an absorbing focus on what is essentially a simple man turned (by dint of social expectation) feral by circumstances totally outside his control. The villain of the piece of course was Karl's father, played in a marvellous one-off cameo by Robert Duvall in the feature-length film.

In SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE, the reporter is played by Molly Ringwald. Many seem not to have approved of her interpretation of the part, preferring the cutesy high-school reporter in the 1996 release. I thought she handled it well, after all she was dealing with a quite different "Karl Childers.'

Either way, this makes for a fascinating back-up to SLING BLADE. If anything, it adds to one's understanding of the man himself.

Previous reviewers have commented (negatively) on Molly Ringwald's interpretation of the reporter. I have to disagree. I enjoyed it much more than the reporter in the full-length version (which is one of the greatest films of all times.) I didn't realize that the reporter was so weak in "Sling Blade" until I saw "Some Folk....". By the end of the interview with Karl, she (Ringwald) 'gets it' - she understands the horrific conditions that Karl endured, and why he did what he did, and she shows it, simply by the expressions on her face. I did not find this Karl any more menacing than the Karl of "Sling Blade" - I think it does show more the fear he has of leaving the safety and relative comfort of the hospital. Imagine how it would be if being in a hospital is a better situation than your only memories of life "outside". Long time prison inmates describe it all the time. This is a magnificent piece - where less is definitely more. I loved it.

All else aside I found her more credible as a journalist (the actress in the feature was more the "schoolgirl", which may have been intentional); Ringwald's performance did more to make me wonder at the end of the film just what she would write for her paper. Would that have been a distraction as we watched Carl's re-entry? I don't recall any followup to that in the feature.

Altogether this was fascinating, not to be compared head-to-head with the full-length film which has justly become an American classic. Films like "Sling Blade" can stand with the best of what is often considered superior European cinema.

I saw this movie when I rented a DVD that came with a lot of brief "movies" such as this. I wonder if it was done to show the head of a studio what a great feature length movie this would make. I enjoyed the short story format and was impressed with Molly Ringwold's acting.

Billy Bob Thornton proves himself to be great in this short independent picture about a killer who is released after 25 years in a mental home. This later was transformed into a longer version called Sling Blade which was released in 1993 to world-wide acclaim, but this is much better. Why, because technically, this is the beginning of the feature Sling Blade, and the beginning is the best part. Kudos to Thornton and director George Hickenlooper for creating a original short film that is as good as the hype. A+

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 nebbishy 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 auto-biographical 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. (And all of this in one of the most self centered promotional docs I have ever seen. It's like a childhood film retrospective at a sweet sixteen party.) The whole mess is imminently skippable except for the morbidly curious.

Billy Bob Thornton's screenplay manages admirably to catch the inevitability of violence in impossible family situations. The question one might ask is: who has been wronged most? You simply can not lock up a child in a shed for years and expect it to act rationally. George Hickenlooper does well to restrict his staging to a cool minimum. The actors get more space that way. Molly Ringwald, J.T.Walsh and Billy Bob Thornton are equally good in this gripping short. Although I'm not certain whether I agree with Hickenlooper's choice of two-shot for the interview scene -B.B.Thornton shot the same scene almost completely in close up for his SLING BLADE; and to good effect- his decision to use black and white photography was a wise one. This kind of film is not a dime a dozen, it should be treasured.

I'm going to have to go out on a limb here and say that I enjoyed "Sling Blade" far more than this short, which preceded the feature film by three years. Maybe it was the snotty, hands-on-hips, childish performance by Molly Ringwald that bothered me here. Or maybe it was the horribly stereotyped view of the residents of what, in the full-length, Karl calls the "nervous hospital." Yes, the short strongly resembles the opening of the full-length film, but I think it's weaker in many ways. The cinematography is better in the feature film (and I have no problem with black and white); Molly Ringwald's performance really sours the whole 25 minutes; and left on its own, this opening really implies things I don't like. Rather than actually speculating on how Karl will deal with living unsupervised, it seems to portray all the residents of the hospital as soulless victims. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to feel at the end of the film. At the end of "Sling Blade," I felt I had gotten to know a man. At the end of "Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade," I just thanked my lucky stars that Billy Bob Thornton decided to direct a version of it himself.

Billy Bob Thorton succeeds in creating not only a story but a character of true remark. Molly Ringwald gives a stirring portrayal of the definite cynic while the late and great JT Walsh shines as a sick rapist who doesn't understand what he's doing. Is it the system that has created such people or the people themselves? That's the question asked in the brave, "Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade."

This is the short film that lead to the feature, Sling Blade. It covers just the opening interview of Karl before he's let out. Billy Bob Thorton and J.T. Walsh play their same roles and Molly Ringwald plays the reporter that interviews him. It was interesting to see what led to Sling Blade, especially since I never knew it existed.

*** (Out of 4)

Having always loved the full feature film 'Sling Blade' and Billy Bob' transformation and convincing portrayal of this character, this short was a must!

This is a 25-minute short film from over 20 years ago written by and starring Billy Bob Thornton, who was still in his 4th marriage at that point and hadn't even met Angelina Jolie, his 5th of (so far) 6 wives. The director is Emmy winner George Hickenlooper and Thornton's co-stars are Golden Globe nominee Molly Ringwald and Emmy nominee J.T. Walsh. The latter is the only one of the trio who returned for the full feature movie that was loosely based on this short film. Hickenlooper and Walsh died very early. Thornton went on to win an Oscar for "Sling Blade" in the Screenplay category beating the dominant movie from that year: "The English Patient".

Anyway, this short black-and-white film here did not impress me too much. I cannot say that this somehow motivated me to watch the full feature film. The performances weren't too memorable and I have to say I did not find the story really great or think that Thornton's character could make it into my all-time favorite villain list. He plays a murderer in a prison / insane asylum who is paid a visit by a journalist who wants to interview him. There is a problem with the journalist being a woman early on, but none of this was really a factor during the actual interview, which was really more of a monologue. All in all, I hoped this would be better. Not recommended.

The nice thing about Netflix streaming movies is you can find such a great and extensive assortment of titles, and I found this one, the film short Billy Bob Thornton wrote, and which later became the theme for the full-length, award-winning movie 'Sling Blade.'

Billy Bob Thornton is Karl Childers who as a teenager had been convicted of murder. Now, after about 25 years in prison, this is the day of his release. Karl seems to have a mind that works well, but his viewpoints often seem odd. If you live long enough and observe carefully, there really are people like Karl.

His story and impending release from prison have stirred up local interest, and local reporter, Molly Ringwald as Teresa Tatum, has asked if she can interview him. She is cautioned, he isn't comfortable with women, he doesn't like to have questions asked, and the fluorescent light bother him. So Karl and Teresa are in a darkened room, on opposite sides, and he begins to speak, telling his story in his own odd delivery and choice of words.

This is a very short film, B & W and just under 25 minutes, but what we see supports the story exactly. Particularly good is the lighting. Now it makes me want to see 'Sling Blade' again.

I guess that if you are watching this, that means that you've already watched more known movie Sling Blade. Sling Blade is actually an extended version of this short, including the life of Karl after leaving a psychiatric institution. This short movie will leave you speechless. It's dark atmosphere, dark subject that it's dealing with, together with great performances from everyone, especially Billy Bob Thornton and Molly Ringwald, makes this an unforgettable experience. If you haven't seen Sling Blade yet, I suggest you to see it first, and then to see this movie.

Overall 9/10

There are similarities to Hamlet, though it's not an exact replica: The tormented main character, instead of the Prince of Denmark, appears in the form of a mentally retarded man born to a cruel father and mother in a rural Southern setting. He, like Hamlet, is faced with a big decision, one that the "ordinary" folks are unwilling and incapable of making, and for which he is totally unprepared..or so it would seem. His retardation renders him "youthful" though he is advanced in physical age, so he is ill-equipped for the huge life issues forced on him.

Even the royalty of the Old World can be seen in shadowy form in the Deep Southern town where the Aristocracy once ruled over its Plantations, and which now has no grandeur remaining, and little sense of direction. How similar to the corrupt kingdom of Denmark which faced Prince Hamlet!

Though dark, the movie has many heart-warming and humorous moments. A humbling experience to watch, it's one of my favorite films of all time. I LOVED this movie and enjoy re-watching the excellent and unforgettable performances.

Bob

Having seen and really appreciated the full-length film, SLING BLADE, I was interested in finding a copy of SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE. That's because this short film was much of the basis of SLING BLADE. It was based on Billy Bob Thornton's stage production and the success of this short led to financing that allowed for SLING BLADE to be made. In other words, first it was a show, then a short and then a full-length film.

If you are worried about SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE being too much like the full-length film, then you will be mistaken. While the same essential character stars in each (Karl Childers), the scope and purpose of the film is very different. In the 25 minute version, you don't even see Childers leave the psychiatric hospital. In other words, it ends where the full-length film begins. So, in essence, it's a prequel and the focus is very different. The emphasis of SOME FOLKS is really on the original crime itself as well as his apparent inability to care for himself because he is so institutionalized and low-functioning.

In addition to it being a prequel, of sorts, another big difference is the female reporter (Molly Ringwald) who interviews him just prior to his discharge--an interesting plot device, as she plays the voice of society. She is outraged that such a killer could be released to the world AND she once she meets him, she is the voice of concern about what is to become of this human being.

Overall, an exciting and exceptional short that is a must-see for anyone who liked SLING BLADE. Excellent acting, direction, cinematography---you name it!

I think that when this movie was first written and produced, it was a very interesting character study. However, now that the narrative has been expanded into a full-length movie, it works more like an extra for those interested in seeing the development of the character over time.

Billy Bob Thornton's imagining of this character is honestly one of his crowning achievements as an actor and someone working in movies. Sling Blade is a modern classic, and he portrays the character so well that having an earlier short like this is nice because the audience gets a chance to spend more time with him than just the feature-length movie.

However, this short isn't produced nearly as well as the movie, and that doesn't necessarily have to do with the fact that it was a smaller budget, more limited production. The acting isn't all around as well-done, even by familiar actors we've seen before. The directing is kind of sloppy and only enough visual to pull off a narrative we can get into. All in all, Billy Bob Thornton is about the only reason to watch this film.

There's also a sense that, though he had written it, Thornton hadn't yet completely figured out what he wanted this character to be. Afterwards he returned, and afterwards he created Sling Blade. This short seems destined to always be overshadowed by the majesty of the later work. I can live with that.

--PolarisDiB

I did not see Sling Blade and knew nothing about this film. In the interview (or rather monolog) part Karl Childers is so real that it feels like a documentary. It is disturbing. The reporter is not shown at the same cut as Karl Childers, and I thought the filmmakers used a documentary. Billy Bob Thornton played his part perfectly.

After seeing the feature film, I had to see the short. It's great. I found it on an amazing DVD compilation called SHORT 1: Invention. I've become an avid fan of the whole SHORT series. I highly recommend checking it out. You can find it on any on-line retail outlet. Check it out!!! It's a phenomenal disc!!!

Twenty-five years after committing a double murder, Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton) is going to be released from an institution for the criminally insane. A local reporter (Molly Ringwald) comes to talk to him, and after some fussing about her gender, the institution's director lets her talk to Karl.

If you want to see a creepy little black and white film with Thornton making a strange voice and chatting with Molly Ringwald about murdering people, I guess this is the film you want to see. Or, you could watch the actual "Sling Blade" (though I do not think Ringwald is in it).

This is the kind of picture that stands alone and does just fine, without need to be expanded to a full-length feature. And yet, they did that with great success. Well played.