• Release Date:
  June 7th, 2005
• Genre:
  Drama
• Edition:
  2 Discs DVD
• Format:
  DVD
• Disc Aspect Ratio:
  • 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide-Screen)
• MPAA Rating:
  R Restricted
• Runtime:
  2 hours 28 minutes
• Studio:
  Miramax
• UPC:
  786936239096
• Number of Discs:
  2
• Disc Sides:
  2
• Production Year:
  2005

Sling Blade marked the directorial debut of country singer turned actor Billy Bob Thornton, who also authored the script (expanding George Hickenlooper's acclaimed short Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade) and stars in the picture. Thornton plays Karl Childers, a mildly retarded man who spent most of his life in a mental institution. When Karl was a boy, he was severely mistreated by his abusive father (Robert Duvall). At age 12, Karl found his mother having intercourse with a man who tormented him endlessly; he snapped, flew into a homicidal rage, and killed both individuals by decapitating them. Years later, as a middle-aged man, Karl is deemed harmless to society and released from the mental institution where he resides. Karl says he has learned his lesson and adds, "I reckon I got no reason to kill no one." He returns to the town of his boyhood, where he's befriended by Frank (Lucas Black), the son of a widowed mother who sees the eccentric but open-hearted Karl as a kindred spirit. Karl also gets a job at a fix-it shop and resides in the backroom, until Frank's mother, Linda (Natalie Canerday), takes a liking to Karl and lets him stay with them. However, Karl also meets Doyle (Dwight Yoakam), Linda's boyfriend, a sadistically cruel, narrow-minded drunk who tosses casual abuse at Frank, treats Linda like dirt, and mocks Karl endlessly. The late John Ritter co-stars as Linda's friend Vaughan, a mild-mannered homosexual who works at the neighborhood dollar store. Musicians Col. Bruce Hampton and Vic Chesnutt are among Doyle's party guests. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

• Special Features
  • cc
  • Disc 1:
  • Sling Blade director's cut
  • Feature commentary with writer/director/actor Billy Bob Thornton
  • Disc 2:
  • Mr. Thornton goes to Hollywood
  • Bravo profiles: Billy Bob Thornton
  • 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
  • Doyle Gets Pummeled
  • "Doyle's Dead" - With introduction by Billy Bob Thornton
  • Sling Blade reviews
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound
  • Widescreen (1.85:1) - enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • Spanish subtitles

• Region
  1
• Languages
  • Unknown
• Display Format
  • Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Audio
  • Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel

• Chapters
  • Side #1 -- Sling Blade, Disc 1
  • 1. State Hospital [7:49]
  • 2. "Some Folks Called it a Sling Blade, I Call it a Kaiser Blade" [9:44]
  • 3. "French Fried Potaters" [4:11]
  • 4. Frank Wheatley [3:38]
  • 5. "I Never Was No Good With History" [5:39]
  • 6. Bill's Repair Shop [6:07]
  • 7. Hoochie's Dollar Store [4:39]
  • 8. Frank's Secret Place [4:32]
  • 9. Doyle Hargraves [8:00]
  • 10. Potted Meat [1:19]
  • 11. "Not Funny Ha Ha, Funny Queer" [5:17]
  • 12. "Get the Band Together" [6:19]
  • 13. Drunk Drivin' [1:37]
  • 14. "Cookies of Discontent" [8:07]
  • 15. Biscuits and Mustard [1:36]
  • 16. Jerry Checks Up on Karl [4:20]
  • 17. Supper at Vaughan's [2:12]
  • 18. Melinda [3:18]
  • 19. Karl's Baby Brother [4:01]
  • 20. Frank Brings Karen Flowers [4:38]
  • 21. An Apology From Doyle [2:50]
  • 22. "A Wiz With Small Engines" [3:38]
  • 23. "I Ain't Never Found No Way to Not Be Nervous" [1:07]
  • 24. "I Darn Near Made Me a Touchdown" [2:07]
  • 25. "I Ain't Got No Boy" [1:34]
  • 26. Karl's Baptism, Doyle's Sermon [6:04]
  • 27. "You Will Be Happy" [5:45]
  • 28. Doyle's in a Bad Way [8:21]
  • 29. "It Was Too Big" [11:02]
  • 30. Credits [3:29]
  • Side #2 -- Sling Blade, Disc 2
  • 1. Play All [5:04]
  • 2. Growing Up in Arkansas [2:15]
  • 3. My First Big Break [3:40]
  • 4. Not Just From a Saw Background [6:48]
  • 5. Billy Bob and Tom Head to New York [4:06]
  • 6. Meeting Billy Wilder [5:23]
  • 7. "A Funny Story Not Even Billy Knows About" [7:45]
  • 8. Diagnosis: Myocarditis [4:02]
  • 9. Andy Griffith Was My Hero [6:36]
  • 10. The Creation of Karl [5:30]
  • 11. Sling Blade Gets its First Screening [:55]
  • 12. Lightnin', You're the Boss [1:32]
  • 13. The Perfect Cast [9:34]
  • 14. Daniel Lanois Scores the Movie [1:00]
  • 15. Just a Kid From Malvern, Arkansas [2:29]
  • 1. Play All [7:52]
  • 2. Garage Bands [12:11]
  • 3. How We Met [7:12]
  • 4. Casting Lucas [6:02]
  • 5. Think About Your Mama [13:27]
  • 6. John Ritter [6:55]
  • 7. Hillbilly Zen [4:51]
  • 8. Billy Imitates Duvall [3:21]
  • 9. Influences [8:05]
  • 10. Favorite Line [2:00]
  • 11. The Reckoning [:55]
  • 12. She Hated the Movie [2:23]
  • 13. Success of the Film [:00]
  • 1. Play All [3:03]
  • 2. How We First Met [1:24]
  • 3. Two-Hamburger Lunch [3:43]
  • 4. How it Came Together [:20]
  • 5. Working Together Again [:00]
  • 1. Ten Years After [1:06]
  • 2. How I Met Billy Bob [1:09]
  • 3. Robert's Shooting Day [3:58]
  • 4. How the Movie Holds Up [:24]
  • 5. Billy Bob's Oscar [:14]
  • 6. On Billy Bob's Success [:41]
  • 1. Daniel Performs Omni [2:24]
  • 2. How I Found Daniel [4:49]
  • 3. Recording Asylum [5:25]
  • 4. Favorite Cues [4:32]
  • 5. Success of Movie and Soundtrack [4:29]
  • 6. Omni in Sling Blade [1:17]

• Menu
  • Side #1 -- Sling Blade, Disc 1
  • Play Movie
  • Special Features
  • Feature Commentary With Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton: On
  • Feature Commentary With Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton: Off
  • Scene Selection
  • Set Up
  • Captions: English for the Hearing Impaired: English
  • Subtitles: Spanish
  • Subtitles: None
  • Side #2 -- Sling Blade, Disc 2
  • Mr. Thornton Goes to Hollywood
  • Bravo Profiles: Billy Bob Thornton
  • 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
  • Play All
  • A Conversation With Billy Bob Thornton and Composer Daniel Lanois
  • Play All
  • The Return of Karl
  • On the Set
  • Billy Bob at Work
  • Doyle's Band: The Johnsons
  • Doyle Gets Pummeled
  • "Doyles Dead" with Introduction By Billy Bob Thornton
  • Sling Blade Reviews
  • Richard Corliss, Time Magazine
  • Stanley Hauffmann, The New Republic
  • Anne Beatts, Los Angeles Times