CORPORATE LINE: The Coen brothers have done it again. Mixing in Leninist philosophy, mistaken identity, crazy characters, a kidnapping plot, and a deep love of bowling, they have unleashed upon an unsuspecting world the many glories of THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Jeff Bridges plays Jeff Lebowski, known as the Dude, a laid-back, easygoing burnout who happens to have the same name as a millionaire whose wife owes a lot of dangerous people a whole bunch of money–resulting in the Dude having his rug soiled, sending him spiraling into the Los Angeles underworld.
The film is beautiful to look at, especially the scenes in the bowling alley, which feature a vast array of bizarre characters–including Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, Sam Elliott, and the movie-stealing, riotously funny John Goodman as the Dude’s crazy best buddy. As usual in Coen brothers films (BARTON FINK, RAISING ARIZONA), the dialogue is hysterically warped; the plot is confusing, complicated, and kinetic; the soundtrack is virtually another character; and the acting is weirdly stellar. THE BIG LEBOWSKI is yet another thoroughly entertaining foray into the strange and fascinating world ruled by Joel and Ethan Coen.
THE MOVIE: The Coen Brothers, as most already know, make some incredibly odd but always entertaining films. The plot is completely idiotic and yet it’s brilliant for that same reason.
The best part of The Big Lebowski isn’t the story but the characters; from the crazy buddies that make up Dude’s inner circle to the kidnappers. Jeff Bridges is brilliant as Dude. John Goodman is the scene stealer here—which is tough when you consider all the brilliant actors who play supporting roles.
THE EXTRAS: “Jeff Bridges’ Photography” – Sure, he takes great pictures but it’s the only thing new to this collector’s set that is different from the original release.
“Making of The Big Lebowski” – This is identical to the original DVD’s making of featurette. For the uninitiated it has interviews with the cast and the Coen Brothers.
“Production Notes” – Who cares? Does anyone really read these? If you do email us because we need to talk.
FRANKLY: Watching a Coen Brothers movie you start to wonder, “Do they know every button to push?” Every thing that might disturb a normal human seems to come to the surface. From Dude not wearing socks in his bowling shoes to the characters that you couldn’t go five minutes without knocking silly.
The movie is a must buy. The “Collector’s Edition” is a shame. You can buy the original and get the exact same product on the cheap. Sure, the video and sound has some remastering but unless you are that anal you will never notice. The movie gets an 8.5 out of 10 while the extras get a 0/10.
+ Charlie Craine
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