Billy Bob's Filmography

SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE (1994)

Movie Quote
KARL:  I picked up a kaiser blade that was a layin' there by the screen door, some folks calls it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade.  it's just a long handle like a axe handle with a long blade on it that's shaped kind of like a banana.  Sharp on one edge and dull on the other.  It's what the highway boys use to cut down weeds and whatnot.

Plot
It's essentially the SLING BLADE opening sequence in the mental hospital, ending at the point after the confessional monologue, when Karl is released into the world. J.T. Walsh still cuts loose with that scary monologue about the Mercury, the chicken stand, and the sad fate of David Liggitt Hunter's wife.

What Billy Bob Gets To Do
He gets to wear a shirt with the $14.95 K-Mart tag still attached to the sleeve.

Backstory
This is how SLING BLADE looked when it was being shopped around at film festivals. George Hickenlooper (who also directed GHOST BRIGADE) filmed the seedling version in black and white over the course of three days, giving it an entirely different mood from Billy Bob's full-color feature.  Shot on location in an abandoned hospital in Simi Valley (also used as a location in TERMINATOR 2),  the 25-minute short also stars Molly Ringwald, J.T. Walsh, and Tony nominee Jefferson Mays. Look for Brent Briscoe as an orderly. A well-traveled tale, SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE made the selection for the Sundance, New York, and Locarno International Film Festivals.  

Awards (for SOME FOLKS CALL IT A SLING BLADE)
Aspen Shortsfest (Best Short Film, George Hickenlooper) - 1994 - Winner
San Sebastian Film Festival - 1994 - First Place
Aspect Short Film Festival - 1994 - First Place
Vila Do Conde Festival, Portugal (Fiction Prize) - 1994 - Winner
USA Film Festival, Dallas (Jury Prize) - 1994 - Winner
Chicago International Film Festival (Certificate of Merit) - 1994 - Winner

Relevant Links
IMDb Link
Amazon Page with reviews