Blu-Ray Review: Sling Blade

Sling Blade
Written and Directed by Billy Bob Thornton
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, and Robert Duvall

Blu-Ray Specs: 1080p High Definition/1.85:1, English DTS-HD Master Audiom Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital, English SDH, and Spanish Subtitles

Bonus Features: 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 Billy Bob Thornton and Composer Daniel Lanois, The Return of Karl, On The Set: 1-Billy Bob at work, 2-Doyle's Band: The Johnsons, 3-Doyle Gets Pummeled, "Doyle's Dead" with introduction by Billy Bob Thornton, and feature commentary from Writer/Director/Actor Billy Bob Thornton.

From the box:

For the first time, Miramax proudly presents this riveting motion picture in the phenomenal intensity of Blu-ray Hi-def. Applauded by critics and moviegoers alike, the award winning masterpiece written, directed by, and starring Billy Bob Thornton (Monster's Ball) achieves new heights of greatness as Thornton's vision is now fully realized in High Definition. 25 years after committing an unthinkable crime, a quiet man named Karl (Thornton) finally returns home. Once there, he's befriended by a fatherless boy and his mother. But when his new found peace is shattered by the mother's abusive boyfriend (Grammy winner Dwight Yoakam), Karl is suddenly placed on a collision course with his past! Also starring Robert Duvall, John Ritter, and J.T. Walsh, this emotional powerhouse is an unforgettable experience for the eyes and ears as well asthe heart. Feel the stirring power of Sling Blade as never before in Blu-ray High Definition.

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By all rights, Sling Blade deserves to be called a Modern American Classic. There hadn't really been anything like it up until its release and really hasn't been much like it since. The film was a brilliant look at a deeply flawed man who found himself with an unlikely friend and who did what he had to do to keep his friend safe.

It's a stunning film and now, thirteen years later, it's being released in glorious Blu-ray High-Def. Now, Sling Blade isn't really a film that you'd expect to need on Blu-ray. It's not an epic special effects extravaganza but the clarity of the picture and the crispness of the sound puts you into the film in a whole new way.

Billy Bob Thornton came from seemingly nowhere with this movie. He had been around for years but I don't think anyone really noticed him until this movie. He certainly wasn't a household name.

It was his turn as Karl Childers that rocketed him to stardom and it is well deserved. Sling Blade continues to be a beautiful film and Thornton's performance, nothing short of remarkable.

As a director, Thornton is able to get some stunning performances from his cast. There isn't a bad performance in the bunch including a shockingly great and vicious performance from country singer Dwight Yoakam.

The film looks great on Blu-ray. The colors are sharp and the sound is perfect. It makes a fantastic film even better.

The disc is loaded with special features including cast interviews, commentary, and more. There is a lot of supplemental info about the film but no deleted scenes or anything like that.

The real star here, of course, is the film. And after 13 years, it's stands up as a beautifully realized, spectacularly written and wonderfully acted film.

Do yourself a favor and pick this up. It's almost like seeing it for the first time.

Sling Blade is available on Blu-ray now.