This year's Oscar race, the Weinstein's raked in the nominations thanks to their films; The Artist, My Week with Marilyn and The Iron Lady. Yet, back in the brothers best days, nearly every year in the 90's at the awards was dominated by Miramax, the studio that Bob and Harvey Weinstein ran. In 1996, the brothers were at fever pitch with the films they were buying at film festivals and distributing around the world. One film that year that caught many off guard was Sling Blade. Based on the short film, Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade, which writer, director and lead actor Billy Bob Thornton also created, Sling Blade is the story of a man, Karl, who was institutionalized in a mental hospital after killing his mother and her lover at the age of 12 with a kaiser blade. After he leaves the institution, he has to find his place back in the real world. Back on his feet with a real job, Karl befriends a 12 year old boy in the small Arkansas town and becomes a father figure to the pre-teen. With the two now sharing a bond, the boys mother's abusive boyfriend begins to plague the relationships of everyone around him and Karl is forced to step in. With a brilliant cast from Thorton to Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, J.T. Walsh, Robert Duvall and music by Daniel Lanois, Sling Blade shows off every reason why it is one of the most praised independent films of all time.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Movie of the Month - Sling Blade
This year's Oscar race, the Weinstein's raked in the nominations thanks to their films; The Artist, My Week with Marilyn and The Iron Lady. Yet, back in the brothers best days, nearly every year in the 90's at the awards was dominated by Miramax, the studio that Bob and Harvey Weinstein ran. In 1996, the brothers were at fever pitch with the films they were buying at film festivals and distributing around the world. One film that year that caught many off guard was Sling Blade. Based on the short film, Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade, which writer, director and lead actor Billy Bob Thornton also created, Sling Blade is the story of a man, Karl, who was institutionalized in a mental hospital after killing his mother and her lover at the age of 12 with a kaiser blade. After he leaves the institution, he has to find his place back in the real world. Back on his feet with a real job, Karl befriends a 12 year old boy in the small Arkansas town and becomes a father figure to the pre-teen. With the two now sharing a bond, the boys mother's abusive boyfriend begins to plague the relationships of everyone around him and Karl is forced to step in. With a brilliant cast from Thorton to Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, J.T. Walsh, Robert Duvall and music by Daniel Lanois, Sling Blade shows off every reason why it is one of the most praised independent films of all time.