The Big Lebowski [HD DVD]
Universal Big Lebowski (HD-DVD)
The hilariously twisted comedy-thriller stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Julianne Moore. Join the "Dude" and his bowling buddies on their journey that blends unforgettable characters, kidnapping, a case of mistaken identity and White Russians. Enter the visually unique and entertaining world from the creative minds of the Coen brothers and remember: the Dude abides.
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
After the tight plotting and quirky intensity of Fargo, this casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen (Ethan and Joel) brothers seems like a bit of a lark, and the result was a box-office disappointment. The good news is, The Big Lebowski is every bit a Coen movie, and its lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hairnetted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. Be sure to watch with snacks in hand, because The Big Lebowski might give you a giddy case of the munchies. --Jeff Shannon
The Big Lebowski [HD DVD] Accessories
The Big Lebowski [HD DVD] Reviews
This is without a doubt one of the funniest movies I've ever watched in my life. everytime we watch it, for days afterwards, my son walks around quoting the movie "hey, I've got a beverage here!" I always thought they didn't have to kill off Donnie, but who am I? still, an uproarously funny funny flick. THe part when his car gets stolen "have you got any leads?" is my favorite.
It's becomea cult movie but is somewhat of a "gutter ball" - acting is not that great.
I bought this for my hubby cause he is a big fan. He loved it. He said it was one of his favorite gifts EVER. hahaha. He keeps it in the box for full bowling affect. Brings 2 DVDs. One is the movie and the other is of extras and interviews. No different from other extras. What makes this special is the packaging. It looks AWESOME!
Blood Simple was a great noir debut about misunderstanding identity.
Raising Arizona was a screwball comedy about stealing an identity.
Miller's Crossing was a deep gangster movie about discovering identity ("Nobody knows anybody. Not that well")
Barton Fink was a Hollywood insiders movie about understanding your own identity.
The Hudsucker Proxy was a fast-talking dialogue driven 1930s comedy about keeping your identity in the face of all odds against.
Fargo changed the thread to highlight one of the all time great quiet heroes, perhaps as an embodied example of a hero totally secure in her identity.
And now Lebowski. First, let me say when Lebowski came out, at about the same time as Kingpin, I judged (correctly, I think) that one should only see one bowling movie in one's life, so I chose (incorrectly, I think) Kingpin. This means that I had not seen Lebowski until now as I started watching the Coen Brother catalog in chronological order, and when the movie is now both a huge cultural touchpoint and a cult classic that is probably the Coen Brothers' most-seen movie. Because of these heightened expectations, I must confess to being disappointed with Lebowski.
First the bare bones of the plot: Jeff Lebowski, known as and introduced by himself as "The Dude" (and variations), is mistaken for another ("The Big") Lebowski by a couple of small town thugs. Attempting to get restitution from the Big Lebowski, Dude and his bowling buddies Walter (John Goodman) and Donnie (Steve Buscemi) get tangled up in a comedy of errors that involves the possible kidnapping of the Big L's trophy wife. Craziness ensues as The Dude muddles (and tokes) his way through life as he always does.
So, how to relate to the Dude? He seems sure of his identity, although it is hard to be certain of this because while taken aback by the straight but sometimes bizarre dialogue that people throw at him, we often find him repeating the dialogue back later in other and often unrelated situations. Is this his voice, or is it the weed talking? Because of Jeff Bridges' sympathetic portrayal, aging-stonerism ha become if not an accepted lifestyle, certainly one that many find hilarious to consume as entertainment and imitation.
Is he a hero? Well, he certainly is to the cult core who consume his lifestyle (and his recreational drugs?) as entertainment and imitation. And he does survive to the end of the movie, and could even be said to transcend the ensued craziness that takes place. Sometimes muddling through with weed and bowling can be heroic, but making it the core of one's worldview and living it out everyday seems to me to be difficult to identify as heroic. He's likable, he would be a fun and funny (but very frustrating at times) friend, but a hero? No.
The movie-making choices also struck me as odd in this movie. While almost all the Coen Brothers movies to date have features fantastic elements, they indulged their fantasies in a couple of extended fantasy segments here that may have advanced characterization, but just seem weird when watching the movie straight. Yeah, I get it, trippy fun, but inspired movie making? The language also was off putting. IMDB counts:
292 F-words or variants
161 Dudes
147 uses of "Man" as an interjection by the Dude
As narrator and Deus ex machina Sam Elliot points out to the Dude, the curse words are excessive, as well as suggesting just plain intellectual laziness. It is well known that the Brothers script their dialogue down to the pauses and punctuation, so we know the language is not ad-libbed or accidental. Clearly the language is intended to frame the Dude, Walter, and Donny as lazy, just as the fantasy sequences are supposed to (I suppose?) identify the Dude as a weeded-up dreamer. They work as intended by the Coen Brothers, but I'm not sure it is the inspired movie making I expect from them.
I know I'm on an island here with these criticisms, based on the popularity and cult intensity of the fan base for Lebowski. And in truth, at the end of the movie, I was smiling and enjoying the ending, breathing a sigh of relief that all ends well, or as well as a movie can that concludes with the main characters back at a bowling alley and happy to be there. When the movied ended I initially thought that I would rate it 3 stars, but 24 hours later as I write my review bumped it up to 4 stars. So far it is my least favorite CB movie, but one that I suspect may grow on me.
Am I wrong here?
I purchased this and didnt realize it was a HD DVD so it wouldnt play on anything I own. Wasted my money, but I learned to read the fine print and slow down when making an order on line.
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