Watch Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade For Free

The Age of Commercialism

Please don't spend money on this.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

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

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

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.

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.