Featurettes, commentary track by Billy Bob Thornton, interviews

A fascinating glimpse into the lives of ordinary foks down south as seen through the eyes of a mentally handicapped man, “Sling Blade” debuts on Blu-ray with a very nice transfer and extras ported over from the previous film. Although there have been many accolades thrown at this film over the years, it’s the tone and atmosphere that Billy Bob Thornton creates that makes "Sling Blade" so memorable. I’ve felt that Thornton’s performance of Karl Childers the mentally handicapped man institutionalizd for murdering his mother and her lover was a very affected performance. I’ve felt, unlike other performances Thornton has given, that you can see beneath the mannerisms and see the cogs of the performance turning. It just doesn’t strike me as a genuine performance as much as an imitation of someone Thornton met years ago. Regardless of that minor criticism, the film speaks volumes with its portrayal of Karl and those around him. It's the overall imact of the film that makes the film so memorable. ***

Karl Childers (Thornton) has finally been released from the mental institution where he has been hospitalized since killing his mother and her lover with a sling blade. At the time Karl murdered them he was only 12 years old so his entire adult experience has been behind the walls of the hospital. When he’s released he returns to the town he grew up in as a child and gets a job fixing motors at a local repair shop. While there he befriends a boy named Frank about the age he was when he was sent away. Linda, Frank’s mom, meets Karl and invites him to move into the family garage. An almost familial bond grows between Linda, Frank and Karl. The one problem in this relationship is Linda’s boyfriend Doyle (Dwight Yoakam). Doyle’s abusive relationship with Linda disturbs Frank and, in turn, Karl. Karl decides he must stand up to Doyle for his new family in order to save their lives ---

Image & Sound:

The image quality of the original film has noticeable grain giving the film a nice, film appearance. The grain provides a nice texture and it's not at all distracting adding atmosphere to the film. Many newer films there’s virtually no noticeable grain. It adds to the earthy quality of the film. The transfer here appears to be a brand new one. The clarity and image detail are both quite good with nice reproductions of the film’s original color palette. The 5.1 mix doesn’t use the format very well except in some of the more atmospheric or outdoor scenes but that’s not to be unexpected in a character driven film like “Sling Blade”.

We get the following extras: audio commentary by writer/director/actor Billy Bob Thornton. Featurettes/documentaries include the following “Mr Thornton Goes to Hollywood”, “Bravo Profiles: Billy Bob Thornton. We also get “A Roundtable Discussion with Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, Mickey Jones and Producer David Bushell”. “A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Robert Duvall”, “A Conversation with Robert Duvall”, “A Conversation with Billy Bob Thornton and Composer Daniel Lanois”, “The Return of Karl’, “On the Set: Billy Bob at Work”, “Doyle's Band: The Johnsons’, deleted scenes Doyle Gets Pummeled,“Doyle's Dead” with Introduction by Billy Bob Thornton. ---

Final Words: