10 Years Later, Coen Brothers’ classic bowls fans over

Cult hit ‘The Big Lebowski’ being re-released for anniversary

September 17, 2008
By Drew Thomason
Staff Writer

www.danlindblom.com

With Ethan and Joel Coen’s latest creation “Burn After Reading” being released this past weekend, it is no surprise a 10th anniversary edition of their cult classic, “The Big Lebowski” went on sale last Tuesday.

For those who aren’t familiar with the film, it is the story of a pothead slacker bowler, Jeff Lebowski, a.k.a. “The Dude,” and his helpless involvement in a kidnapping caper. The Dude’s (Jeff Bridges) crew, Walter (John Goodman) and Donnie (Steve Buscemi) make a complicated situation even more convoluted and hilarious.

In recent years, the film has developed a cult following among all walks of life, from college students to Buddhists, all of which the movie’s 10th anniversary edition’s special features attempts to cover.

The most entertaining extra on the DVD for both hardcore fans and those
new to “The Big Lebowski” is entitled “The Dude’s Life.” In this featurette,
the actors talk about what they thought about the characters they played and how they attempted to turn the script characters into living humans. Actors of the movie discuss the magnetism of The Dude to the gun nut Walter to the reclusive Donnie.

Another interesting featurette on the first disc discusses the cultural impact of “The Big Lebowski.” Bridges notes that he doesn’t watch movies he has been in when they appear on television, but when “The Big Lebowski”
comes on, he gets drawn into the story. Through out this extra, the actors discuss the “Lebowski” fans who come up to them on the street and spout lines, mostly filled with profanity, from the movie.

There is a second disk that is dedicated to behind the scene looks at the
movie, and there is a mini documentary discussing one of the cultural
impacts “The Big Lebowski” has had, that of “Lebowski Fest.” Every year fans of the movie gather, drink copious amounts of alcohol and bowl. In fact, the festival came to Chicago this year.

For those who aren’t obsessed with the film, there is only one other bonus feature worth checking out. Throughout the filming of “The Big Lebowski,” Bridges documented various events with a camera, which he later turned
into a photograph book for the cast. On the second disk he takes the viewers through each picture and gives his unique perspective on the creation of the movie. Also, unless you were a member of the cast, this was the first time this pictures were made available to you.

Several other features include a tongue and check exclusive introduction,
an interactive map of the various filming locations, and a ‘Making of The Big Lebowski.’ If you don’t have the movie on DVD or are a hardcore “Lebowski” fan, this is a great purchase, filled with hours of extra entertainment on top of an amazing movie. The only complaint was
the lack of a directors’ commentary. But perfection is rarely, if ever, achieved.