The Dude Abides
Posted by SpikeDec 31
From the NY Times:
“The Big Lebowski” has spawned its own shaggy, fervid world: drinking games, Halloween costumes, bumper stickers (“This aggression will not stand, man”) and a drunken annual festival that took root in Louisville, Ky., and has spread to other cities. The movie is also the subject of an expanding shelf of books, including “The Dude Abides: The Gospel According to the Coen Brothers” and the forthcoming “The Tao of the Dude.”
Where cult films go, academics will follow. New in bookstores, and already in its second printing, is “The Year’s Work in Lebowski Studies,” an essay collection edited by Edward P. Comentale and Aaron Jaffe (Indiana University Press, $24.95). The book is, like the Dude himself, a little rough around the edges. But it’s worth an end-of-the-year holiday pop-in. Ideally you’d read it with a White Russian — the Dude’s cocktail of choice — in hand.
And with that in mind ….
They call Los Angeles the City of Angels. I didn’t find it to be that exactly, but I’ll allow as there are some nice folks there. ‘Course, I can’t say I seen London, and I never been to France, and I ain’t never seen no queen in her damn undies as the fella says. But I’ll tell you what, after seeing Los Angeles and this a here story I’m about to unfold–wal, I guess I seen somethin’ ever’ bit as stupefyin’ as ya’d see in any a those other places, and in English too, so I can die with a smile on my face without feelin’ like the good Lord gypped me.
This Chinaman is not the issue! I’m talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line you do not, uh–and also, Dude, Chinaman is not the preferred, uh. . . Asian- American. Please.
You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don’t wanna know about it, believe me.
Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it’s an ethos.
She’s not my special lady, she’s my fucking lady friend. I’m just helping her conceive, man!
That rug really tied the room together.
Smokey, my friend, you are entering a world of pain.
Hey, careful, man, there’s a beverage here!
You said it, man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus.
The Stranger: There’s just one thing, Dude.
The Dude: And what’s that?
The Stranger: Do you have to use so many cuss words?
The Dude: What the fuck you talking about?
The Stranger: Okay, Dude. Have it your way.My art has been commended as being strongly vaginal which bothers some men. The word itself makes some men uncomfortable. Vagina. Yes, they don’t like hearing it and find it difficult to say whereas without batting an eye a man will refer to his dick or his rod or his Johnson.
My father’s weakness is vanity, hence the slut.
The Big Lebowski: What makes a man, Mr. Lebowski?
The Dude: Dude.
The Big Lebowski: Huh?
The Dude: Uhh… I don’t know sir.
The Big Lebowski: Is it being prepared to do the right thing, whatever the cost? Isn’t that what makes a man?
The Dude: Hmmm… Sure, that and a pair of testicles.The Dude abides. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that. It’s good knowin’ he’s out there. The Dude. Takin’ ‘er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh. I sure hope he makes the finals.
and of course
This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass, Larry.
Find the entire screenplay to Big Lebowski here. You never know when it might come in handy. And Big Lebowski 10th Anniversary Edition DVD, packed in a miniature bowling ball. It came out on HD a couple years back, still waiting for Blu-Ray.
Big Lebowski Bif Bang Pow! Bobblehead:
The Dude (Dream Sequence) Bobble Head:
Big Lebowski Urban Achievers Bobble Head Set:
A small sampling of Lebowski books:






5 comments
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Comment by Lanta on December 31, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Believe it or not, I havn`t seen the whole of this movie yet. Seems silly of me as the Coen movies are probably in my top 100 – If I had a list.
Happy New Year to you and a big congrats on your site – PR4(may change) – I`m Impressed.
Comment by Dan on December 31, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Cool post, thanks for this! TBL is one of my favourite movies. Happy New Year Spike!
Comment by specialk on January 2, 2010 at 1:53 pm
i’ve watched this and can’t understand why its so loved and remains a cult hit. what am i missing about this movie that makes it so great?
Comment by Spike on January 2, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I didn’t really get it the first time but I watched it again because I love the Coen Bros’ work and the little one-liners and details kept drawing me back. Now it’s like an old friend. But maybe it’s too American and doesn’t travel well? Portions of the film might resonate with me because like the Coen Bros, I am from New York, Jewish and went to the same university they did, maybe that’s got a lot to do with it?