TxMike 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.

mst7883 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.

MartinHafer 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!

MisterWhiplash 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+