Big Lebowski

[Valuist]

I had never even heard of it until it was mentioned on a thread here. Was at the video store the other day and rented it. Great cult film. Some great lines in there. Definitely recommend.

[OTM Al]

One of my favorites. It's even better if you've read the Raymond Chandler Phillip Marlow novels as this film was a homage to them (the Cohns have done this on many other pictures such as Miller's Crossing as a bow to Dashiel Hammet and The Man Who Wasn't There to James Cain). The Dude = Phillip Marlow is about brilliant. Just always remember that the Chinaman is not the issue.

[Tom]

Ever see "Eraserhead?"

Or one of my all time favorites "Plan 9 From Outer Space?"
:D

[kingfin66]

I had never even heard of it until it was mentioned on a thread here. Was at the video store the other day and rented it. Great cult film. Some great lines in there. Definitely recommend.

I will go ahead and take credit for starting that discussion. I quoted the movie: "You're out of your element Donnie," but couldn't remember the title. CJ came in and saved me. Be sure to check out the Coen brothers' other movies if you haven't already done so. They have some great ones.

[headhawg]

I had high expectations for Lebowski as a lot of my friends thought it was great. I thought it was slow moving, and not that clever so a Thumbs Down from me. :ThmbDown:

A much better Coen Bros. movie IMO is Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. Clever, funny, and a little quirky with a really good soundtrack.

[Tor Ekman]

The spreading of the ashes scene is a scream :D

[falconridge]

I confess I've seen The Big Lebowski several times, and always viewed it with pleasure. "Confess" because, while I almost always find myself enjoying the brothers' films, I somehow can't bring myself to say that I'm extraordinarily admiring of them. Stanley Kauffmann, who for the past several decades has been critic-in-residence at The New Republic, was on to something when he called Joel and Ethan Coen "the cleverest boys in film school"--as deftly delivered a back-handed compliment as ever I've heard.

Among scenes from Lebowski that I've played over and over is the one that shows the balletic bowling form of John Turturro, followed by his slo-mo celebratory jig--to the tune of "Hotel California"--of the resulting strike. That and the shot of him and his teammates buffing their balls--their bowling balls, as the Coens' pan shot reveals--over John Goodman calling the kooky kegler a "perv" ("He's a perv, but he can roll"). For that matter, almost any of Goodman's dialogue bears repeated hearings--his fixation with "'Nam," his skepticism about the real Big Lebowski's paraplegia, his militant defense of his late wife's Orthodox Judaism ("Five thousand years of beautiful history, from Moses to Sandy Koufax!").

To appreciate the subtlety and accuracy of Kauffman's characterization of the Coens, see The Man Who Wasn't There. This is a film I wanted to like, but it wasn't long before the deliberately stark, high-contrast monochome cinematography got on my nerves. So exaggerated, so repetitious was this device that I felt as though I was getting an elbow in the ribs from some showoff intent on telling me something like, "See, the Coens really got chops! They can do film noir, too."

I agree with the post about O Brother Where Art Thou? being one the Coens' best films. If you thought bluegrass music wasn't worth the washboard and the empty jug, George Clooney's mournful wailin', accompanied by Chris Thomas King's righteous pickin' 'n' strummin'--not to mention John Turturro's yokel-ese yodelin'--will prick up your ears.

[OTM Al]

Here is a link to Joel Coen's page at the Internet Movie Database which lists all their films

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001054/

The last two came up a bit weak, but there really isn't a loser in the bunch.

[Valuist]

I've already seen Fargo, which is a classic. Also saw Lady Killers which was pretty good.

A great line from Lebowski:
Porno guy talking to Dude--"You know they're doing some great things with erotic software."
Dude/Lebowski--"Well I still jack off manually" :lol:

[hcap]

The Hudsucker Proxy.

The invention of the hoola hoop documented
And a great take on some of the classic comedies from the 30's and 40''s
:D :D

[kgonzales]

The Big Lebowski is one of my all time fave films. Maybe I identify a little too much with the dude. Glad to see it's enduring, comedic brilliance is still being appreciated.
My favorite Cohen Brother's film is Barton Fink by far, although it may be their least conventional. I also have to disagree with the positive opinions on Oh Brother. I thought Clooney's cartoony performance totally sunk what could have been an otherwise entertaining and enjoyable movie.

Check this out:http://www.lebowskifest.com/

Tom, I have to agree on Eraserhead as well. One of the handful of films that inspired me to go to film school.

Kristian