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The Big Lebowski - 10th Anniversary Edition | 
 enlarge | Actors: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $7.02
You Save: $12.96 (65%)
New (44) Used (22) from $7.02
Rating:  743 reviews
Sales Rank: 2744
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Discs: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Running Time: 117 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: MCAD61105455D
UPC: 025195046015
EAN: 0025195046015
ASIN: B001AEF6D6
Theatrical Release Date: 1998
Release Date: September 9, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Movie DVD
Amazon.com essential video
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
Amazon.com
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
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 743
 The Big Lebowski July 24, 2010
Spider Monkey (UK)
`The Big Lebowski' is one of those films that started off small and over the years has gathered a cult like status. With Lebowski fests and often repeated phrases from the film, this has certainly entered the film goers psyche.
After `The Dude's' rug gets urinated on after a case of mistaken identity he very rapidly gets drawn into a convoluted kidnapping mystery, when all he really wants is to get a replacement rug, drink White Russians and get back to his bowling league. Not too much to ask you would think. Yet he finds himself fending off threats from all sides and tries valiantly to keep his car from being totally wrecked in the process.
Jeff Bridges is great as The Dude and plays the part spot on. His long hair, slightly vacant look and stoner drawl fit the role to a tee. John Goodman is also good as The Dudes angry Vietnam vet friend Walter and the rest of the cast turn out great performances as well. The direction is very good and the more weird dreamy scenes are especially fun to watch.
All in all this is a low key film that has risen to the top of the barrel over the years and it will keep you interested and will raise a laugh or two as you go along. There is a certain appeal to The Dude's laid back lifestyle and his charm really makes this film. Sit back and enjoy this minor cult classic.
The Big Lebowski (Widescreen Collector's Edition) DVD July 13, 2010
James (Buena Park, Ca)
This is the best edition for the money if you don't already own a different version of Lebowski, and the best edition if you are buying simply to enjoy the feature, the Coen brother's interview, and Jeff Bridges' nice black & white photo gallery, but not any collector's trinkets. Check out the reviews for all the other editions out there before you decide to buy.
This edition has the best cover art, even though I always cut them down to disc-size to fit in a soft-case pouch. The bizarre separate introduction on this disc has a ring of validity as well. Stay away from any Full-Screen versions of any features that were originally produced in a wide aspect ratio like this one.
 You are not a golfer, are you? June 26, 2010
H. Schneider (window seat)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Hard to believe, but this is only the second time that I watched this marvellous shapeless flawed jewel of a failed master piece. I thought I must have watched it a dozen times. How else can I have told and quoted scenes and dialogues for the last 10 years? Imagine the surprise when details turn out differently from expectations, or rather from imagined recollections.
This is surely not the best movie ever made by the Coens, but it is such great fun.
What did the Dude say after 5 dips of his head in the toilet bowl, asked where the money was? Let me have another look, it must be in there somewhere. Or something like that.
What did he say when the gangster shows him the bowling ball and asks: what is this? No, he does not say: can't you see it is a golf ball. He says what I put in the headline.
What made me watch it again today? First of all, watching Bridges as Bad Blake yesterday reminded me that I wanted to revisit Lebowski since some time. Second, I had a discussion in a comment thread around here about the fact that comedies age. Some that I remembered as hilarious from decades ago, like Polanski's vampire joke, or like Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, have on revisit turned out to have become stale. I wanted to check if Lebowski is stale already. Good news: it isn't! But it is a mess of a movie. Never mind, invest two hours of your time and enjoy it!
 The Coen Brothers and their shameful minions June 9, 2010
Bobby Hami (Austin, TX)
0 out of 11 found this review helpful
Every now and then there comes a film with such a unique and absurd plot that good or bad, it usually is conceivable why the project was green lighted. Even if it turns out to be a commercial failure, maybe due to the help of Critics it gains momentum, or with the help of fans it may turn in to a cult classic. Films from Being John Malkovich to David Lynch's Eraserhead, there have been many films in recent times that are based on preposterous ideas and occur in preposterous settings. A big advantage of these films is that they advise that this no ordinary movie experience, and that the audience will be shocked, enlightened, disgusted, or simply mystified by this visual experience. However, get this: The Big Lebowski is centered on a guy whose rug was "molested" by two thugs.
The correct term should be urination rather than molestation, but this how protagonist reacts as if this is an act of molestation. The main character of the film is Jeff Lebowski, or as he likes to be called: The Dude. The Dude, furious at this intrusion sets to gain compensation from the rich man who was mistaken for him, also named Lebowski. The older Lebowski, referred to as the Big Lebowski, does not seem to be as approachable as The Dude had thought, but he eventually succeeds in gaining a second rug from him by tricking his attendant. To the Dude his business with Lebowski is done, but now Lebowski needs The Dude's help to get back his wife, a young girl named Bunny, who has been kidnapped. Considering that the thugs first aim was to find Lebowski's wife, rather than the Dude, he seems like the best candidate to hand in the ransom money, and discover if the kidnappers are also the thugs he encountered. With the help, or rather mischief, of his friend, Walter-brilliantly portrayed by John Goodman, the delivery of the money, the identity of the kidnappers, Bunny's whereabouts, are not as painless a plan as it seems, nor is the devised plan as innocently devised as The Dude thought.
The Big Lebowski is typical of the Coen Brother's comic style: Complex, superfluous, innumerous characters, and overfilled with profanity. Everything from the very beginning of the film of the film is very Coen Brother's like and, as a result, absurd. The idea that a man should be aggravated, to the degree that the Dude is, seems a funny idea, but what comes after? The Dude must either get his rug, or not get his rug? What then? The story is so flatly devised that it really requires huge amount of effort to even help the film start moving. After the kidnapping and the realization of the role of The Dude in retrieving Bunny becomes clear, this seems set to be a mischievous account of the Dude's failed and hilarious attempts to accomplish this mission.
Unfortunately, the Coen Brothers do the strange deed of completely avoiding the development of the plot, and actually creating a series of events that at first glance seem to be related to the story line, but are actually a dire attempt to increase the running time to two hours. The Dream sequences are exquisitely detailed and original, but what is the true effect of their presence? The Big Lebowski's daughter, Maude, offers good advice to The Dude about his mission, but in a quite pointless incidence sleeps with the Dude to have his child; a child that is never shown in the film. There is another scene with a high school student who is supposedly responsible for the issues that come up with the ransom money; a scene that is overly long and includes another episode of Walter's tiring tantrums. Another one of The Dude's friend, Walter, offers no use rather than being Walter's device for profanity: "Shut the F*** up, Walter." Do not get me wrong, I am not offended by the profanity, but rather insulted that the Coen Brothers have devised two characters simply too spew profanity back and forth. The Coen Brothers countless characters are not overwhelming, but mostly offer no special insight and edge to the film.
The Big Lebowski seems like it was very fun and hilarious to write, direct, and star in, but in retrospect it is a very painful film to watch. The Coen Brothers in a sense may not get all the blame for creating such a catastrophe by creating a film based on a stolen rug; to be honest, even the most seasoned writers would have trouble doing much with such a silly premise. However, the Coen Brothers are to blame in their method of approach in developing the film. For they are not actually developing, but dancing around the plot with the arrogance of convincing us everything happening in the film is eventually relevant. Overstuffed with useless, one-note characters, The Big Lebowski treads along causing conflicts that are unnecessary and unengaging, with a one of a kind ending that seals the this film's faith among the most bizarre, shameless vanity projects to be conceived in some time. In the beginning of the film, the narrator informs us that the Dude is one of those people that could fit in every time or place; hopefully history will be unkind to such a piece of work, and bury it deep within the sands of time. Then, again, maybe the Dude will eventually outsmart al of us, and turn out victorious.
For fans of such absurdism and mischief in film, Martin Scorsese's After Hours is a much better piece of work.
That's not the Issue Dude. June 6, 2010
Armchair Pundit (Durham City, England.)
A film with a deserved "classic" status and a amusing treat from start to finish.
I was originally intrigued by this film even though I had not seen it because my best mate kept saying I was like the John Goodman character.
Now after watching it four times in four days, I will be contacting my lawyers.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 743
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