Sling Blade
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Template:Infobox Film Sling Blade is a 1996 film that takes place in rural Arkansas. It tells the story of a simple-minded man who is released from a psychiatric hospital where he has lived since committing murder at age 12. He befriends a young boy, begins a friendship with the boy's mother and must confront the mother's violent boyfriend, as well as his own dark past. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, J.T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, Col. Bruce Hampton, Vic Chesnutt, Stacia Thomason and Robert Duvall.
The movie was adapted by Thornton from his short film and previous screenplay titled Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade.
It won the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Billy Bob Thornton).
Parodies
- Mad TV aired a comedy sketch entitled Sling Blade 2: Judgment Day (alternately, The Reckoning, as sources vary on the subtitle) during their third season, a Terminator 2 parody. A second sketch entitled Blades (aka Blade/Sling Blade) aired during their fifth season, which featured Karl teamed up with vampire-hunter/dhampir Blade to hunt down vampires. The most memorable part was Karl's dubious line, "I bit me a vampire once... tasted like corn."
- In the South Park episode "Towelie", Cartman says a few lines from the movie ("You shouldn'ta done that, he's just a boy," and "poor little feller") with an accent and all, when referring to Stan's mom's tampon he found in the trash.
- In the Family Guy episode "The Fat Guy Strangler", Stewie makes a reference to "French Fried Potaters".
Reference
Thornton's character refers to using a "kaiser blade," which he says some folks call a "sling blade." Exactly what garden tool this refers to is open to some question. Sometimes "sling blade" is used to refer to a pole with a thin, replaceable cutting blade attached horizontally to the end. This type of tool is used to cut light grasses. However, it would not be a terribly effective weapon. It is more likely that Thornton's character was referring to what is also called a "ditch bank" or "kaiser" blade. This features a hardwood pole with a wide, heavy steel blade with a half-hook point attached firmly to the end. It is usually kept sharp on both sides and is used for cutting earth and roots as well as heavier vegetation. It would make a very lethal weapon.