I'm pulling an old link out of my Favorites today to inform you that the great state of Texas is now home to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame. With the sport of 10-pin bowling being enjoyed on six continents in 90 different countries, it only makes sense that the USA would make an international museum for it. I'm being sarcastic here folks. I always get a kick out of the sporting events held in my country where the winners are always dubbed, "Champions of the World" when the world was never invited to participate....
Anyways, this museum is located in Arlington, Texas - right next to the Six Flags theme park. They're open Tuesday through Saturday with modest pricing for children and senior citizens. Little achievers three and under get in for free. There's even a rumor that they'll have a Dude-themed exhibit, honoring The Big Lebowski, later this year.
After Oscar winners come off the stage, they have the chance to sit down in front of the Thank You Cam and say all those things they didn't have time to say before the orchestra played them off the stage. Here are five sequential clips of Jeff Bridges from Sunday night. If you just let it play, the following clips should just fire up right after each other.
I think Sunday night was surprising to many, yet not at the same time. In a world where film success is often measured by how many dollars it earns at the box office, James Cameron and his billion dollar film were given the cold shoulder. Is this a tragedy? I think not. Remember that other film he did called Titanic? Yeah, I refused to watch it and then finally caught it on TV about 10 years later. I know they accomplished some "really cool" things at the time for effects and what have you, but I was still left unimpressed. Titanic took more golden statues home that year than any movie since Ben Hur I believe, yet where was its staying power? Are we still telling all our friends they just have to go see it? So with that in mind, and I think it was in the Academy's mind too, I have to chuckle when I watched Avatar get passed by in so many categories.
So who were the winners? Plenty really. The first worth mentioning would be Jeff Bridges for Best Actor. The Dude Abides, what else can I say? It was long overdue and we're glad to see him earn the award for a great film and not just whatever happened to be out this year. In true "Dude" form, Bridges used copious amounts of the word "man" in his acceptance speech and went way over time. Interestingly enough the symphony never try to play him off the stage and away from the microphone.
Other winners of note would be The Cove for Best Documentary Feature, T Bone Burnett and Ryan Bingham for Best Original Song, The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Screenplay. Precious picked up awards for Best Supporting Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Some surprises that night included Farah Fawcett being left out of the montage tribute to all who died in the past year and an absence of perfomances for the nominated best original songs. They continued the thing where other actors come out to introduce Best Actor nominees. You might have noticed four of the five presenters had all worked with Jeff Bridges in the past. Putting Julianne Moore out there to not talk about The Dude was just a big tease. There were many good speeches and not a single person got on stage to just cry, get hysterical, or frantically try to read names off a napkin. It was a good Oscar ceremony.
So in light of all this awesomeness, we're going to be doing a Jeff Bridges tribute for Episode 39. We'll be exploring his life, films, music and the epic-dudeness he exhibits in his own life. If you have any ideas or suggestions, you know how to contact us.
We're really hoping here. Really hoping. Red carpet ceremonies will be starting up in just under a couple hours so keep your fingers crossed.
Matt Sales/Associated Press
In the meantime, here's an article that many of you have been sending in to us from the New York Times titled The Dude Plumbs His Weary Soul. The article talks about Jeff Bridges' career, how he got started in the industry, the types of roles he has taken over the years, etc. It's a great primer for getting up to speed on the man. We think he deserves that Oscar and hope you do too.
Back in January we reported on a Dudeism documentary we came across on the internet. We're in the works of setting up an interview, but for now I wanted to let you know there's a trailer available to watch. As far as I know the project was originally called A Dude's Odyssey, but I think the title has been changed to In Search of The Dude. Makes sense to me.
Reverend Dom, an ordained Dudeist priest, is running the show here. We're really looking forward to see his finished work. If you're interested in finding out more about the project you should check out their website at http://insearchofthedude.com. If you've found any creative ways to celebrate Day of the Dude today please let us know.
No, this doesn't have anything to do with the stage readings/enactments of Two Gentlemen of Lebowski nor does it have anything to do with that porn production we heard about either. This looks like a live-action rendition of original script. Picked this up from majorcat1 at Jeff Bridges' forum. It's a listing on San Francisco's Craig List. I'm just copying/pasting the whole listing below. Click here for a link to the Craig's List listing. Please let us know if you have any information about this or are participating.
In a wild parody of the cult film classic, “The Big Lebowski - Over the Line!”, brings the live action to theatre audiences. Audition Location:
Sony Metreon, San Francisco
(this is also the Call Back, Rehearsal and Performance Location)
Audition Dates:
Sunday March 7th, 4:00-6:30pm
Wednesday March 10th, 6:30-9:30pm
Thursday March 11th, 6:30-9:30pm
What to bring to the auditions:
Resume (required)
Recent Photo or Headshot (required)
Rehearsal Schedule:
Principal Roles: 3-4 Days per week, 6:30-9:30pm
Supporting Roles: 2-3 Days Per week, 6:30-9:30pm
Performance Dates:
Thursday nights 8:00-10:30pm with a call time at 630pm
Show starts Mid April 2010 and will run to the end of July 2010
General Note about the roles being cast:
The original film is an absurd, character-driven tale through the Coen Brother’s unique Americana. As we parody this film on stage, capturing the exaggerated behavior of the characters is most important – it must spill out of you even more so than the original. This is an over the top, in-your-face performance. Therefore we and the audience will expect you to know the film inside and out. Prepare thoroughly before showing up by studying the film and the characters. Prior stage acting experience is strongly suggested and improv experience is required.
AVAILABLE ROLES:
THE DUDE (Lead Role) The ultimate laid-back slacker. He’s single, enjoys bowling, smoking pot, drinking White Russians and listening to Creedence Clearwater Revival in his elastic pants and clear jelly sandals. Passive and polar opposite of Walter.
If you are trying out for The Dude, you’ll need to maintain the casual nature and flexibility of the character while the absurd events unfold around you on stage. Must have strong acting skills, and know this role inside and out as it is the lead role. Also must have great chemistry with Walter. This role will require strong improv skills.
WALTER (Lead Role) He’s the Dude’s best friend and bowling buddy. He’s also a Vietnam War veteran still stuck in the past with a violent temper and a pattern of unstable, bullheaded decision making. The Judaism he adopted has become his new discipline to maintain control.
We expect anyone trying out for Walter to carry it to the next level. Walter is the steam train that blasts through each scene he is in. You will need to have a booming voice and a commanding physical presence. In addition, your chemistry with The Dude is critical - you must be able play off him seemlessly.This role will require strong improv skills.
DONNY The quiet third member of the bowling team. He is naïve and inquisitive and always seems to aggravate Walter to great lengths with his ill-timed questions.
If you want to try out for Donny, you will need to capture his unobtrusive, curious nature. Donny on stage needs to be a master of reactions to the larger-than-life characters he encounters. We have added some scenes to make this more of a central role. The whole movie though is played off of Donny's face and the same needs to be reflected in the actor who takes this part.
MR. LEBOWSKI (THE BIG LEBOWSKI) He’s the rich, conservative, wheelchair-bound husband of Bunny and father of Maude. He’s a veteran who made it big even after he lost his legs and he wants everyone to know it. He has little patience for bums, hippies or anyone who is not trying to achieve like him.
An actor who wants to play the Big Lebowski needs to portray the disgust, the pompousness, the red-faced tirades, and even the sobbing that the character does in the movie. This role will require strong improv skills. The actor chosen for this role will ALSO be playing JACKIE TREEHORN, the Malibu porn king.
MAUDE The feminist, ultramodern artist and daughter of the Big Lebowski. She is tired of the petulance of her father and the shenanigans of Bunny and her German friends. She would rather just laugh and paint and talk about vaginal art with her avante-guard friends.
The actress playing Maude needs to project catchy laughter in addition to her lines. We will be looking for proper intonation and exactness of speech. She carries an accent that is her own. You must be able to project this in a loud matter. You will also need to be comfortable briefly showing breasts in two scenes in front of audience.
BRANDT He’s the ever loyal, happy-to-please, kiss-ass assistant to the Big Lebowski.
The actor who wants to play Brandt will need to bring his odd, stiff, nerdy eagerness to the stage.
BUNNY She is the Big Lebowski's cliché trophy wife who sits by the pool and does her nails. While she’s rebelling against dad, she also dabbles in the occasional porn video shoot, and runs away to Palm Springs.
The actress who wants to play Bunny will need to draw out her bubble-headed, care-free, adolescent mannerisms. She will also need to be comfortable in a bikini during every scene the character is in. The actress who plays Bunny will also play a sexy Policewoman.
JESUS (“The Jesus”) This crazy, trash-talking, Cuban-accented, pederast has a rival bowling team in the league that Dude and Walter play in.
An actor seeking the Jesus role will need to be completely over the top. When the Jesus steps on stage the crowd will expect big things. The Jesus needs to be very loud and deliver lines in a pseudo Cuban accent. The Jesus will also need to do a brief dance scene, so you will need to be competent at improv dancing.
COWBOY (“The Stranger”) The cowboy is the play’s narrator and on-stage director. He’s got that western swagger and a penchant for sarsaparilla and big hats.
We will need any actors trying out for the Cowboy to have a commanding stage volume, the ability to speak with a western accent and be comfortable with wearing minimal clothing in one of the scenes. This role will require improv skills.
For More information:
Contact Phone: (415) 644-8906 Contact Email:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
We were going to start up a new segment on the podcast roughly based on a "Dude moment of the month." This doesn't necessarily have to be based on something that would happen to The Dude, but something that definitely resembles the life of a character from The Big Lebowski. We had a great submission from a listener, who will remain nameless for this story for good reasons, that we were going to share but I forgot to read it off when recording. I'm going to share it with you now, here, and then we'll read it off on March's episode as well.
If you have any submissions, current or from the past, feel free to send them to us and we'll share them with everyone. We normally wouldn't post them to the blog, we'd just read them, but I wanted to make sure we got this out to everyone.
Chalupa, I've got a Lebowski moment for you. I just realized that my landlord is a real life Marty.
Over the past few years, I've been less than punctual with my rent payments. I was doing a lot of freelance work, alotta ins, allota outs, so my income was random. I'm also horrible with money. Luckily, I have one of the best landlords in the world. Let's call him Martin. Martin pretty much lets me pay him whenever I can (usually even after the 10th), keeps a running tab for me, and has even cut me a few deals over the years. Recently, however, he has found me to be a captive audience of sorts for his architectural sustainability passion. Here is some recent dialogue. See if this sounds familiar to you:
Martin - "Hey, man. I'm doing a follow up to my last lecture series at the library on Saturday. It's called Green Means Go! and I'd love it if you came and could contribute to the discussion."
Me - "I'll be there, man."
Martin - "Also, I'm going out of town for a few days, so I was wondering if we could, you know, get things squared away?"
Me - "Oh, sure thing."
Just so you know, Martin and I are both architects, but that's the only thing we have in common. This is why it's strange that I've found myself sitting in his office for hours listening to him talk shop when I should have been in my own office doing actual work. I can't say no to this guy though. He is a landlord that doesn't make my life a living hell, which is a rare thing in my town, but is that really why I endure his dance quintet? I've sat through several of his early Saturday morning lectures at the local library. I'm pretty sure I've spent the majority of them thinking about the burger and beers I was going to get later on down the street (those are good burgers, dude). It's not a horrible experience, but it's a little boring for me as a professional who is already familiar with the material. So why do I constantly entertain his ramblings? Could it be I simply want to continue my very dude-like payment plan with him, or could it be something completely different?
So there you have it, our first submission. I think it's pretty good. Do you have a story to top "Crane Jackson's?" If so, use our contact form (click here) or email it to us.
We don't often talk much about facial hair here at the Lebowski Podcast and I'm not really sure why. Any of you who know me personally, and have met me in the past 10 years, have most likely never seen me without some amount of hair on my face. And it's just this topic that brings us dropping in to see what condition Matt Damon's lip is in. The upper one to be exact.
This isn't the first time ol Matt has been seen with one. Damon has sported a stache in roles for films in the past, but it seems he is definitely growing this stache on his own. According to a recent interview in US Weekly titled, Matt Damon: I "Hate" my New 'Stache, Damon reveals that it's definitely not something he's enjoying. The good news is this little strip of hair is trying to impress the Brothers Coen. This is for Damon's upcoming role in the Coen Brothers' adaptation of True Grit. Some of you may recognize this as that John Wayne movie, but it's not really a remake. It's really just another adaptation of the original 1968 novel by Charles Portis. Damon will also be starring with Jeff Bridges, in his second role with the Coens, on this project. We all have high expectations for this and can't wait to see what the Coens come up with this time.
This coming Saturday, March 6, 2010, is an important day for all fans, Achievers, Dudeists and citizens of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Besides just being a Saturday, Shabbos or the Sabbath (the Jewish day of rest), this also happens to be The Day of the Dude. Now before you start asking, "What do you need that for, Chalupa?" you should know what you're asking here. The Day of the Dude is the first annual holiday setup by Dudeism. It's an official day for you to celebrate all things Dude. Still confused?
If you're in Canada one good way to get your party on would be to show up for LebowskiPalooza 2010. We, the royal we, interviewed Greg and Trent (two of its founders) for Episode 38 - LebowskiPalooza. These guys are not lightweights. This is the 2nd year they have held their even so that makes it an annual thing. LebowskiPalooza is also the largest Lebowski-themed event in the whole country of Canada. Piggy-backing on the end of the 2010 Winter Olympics, several Olympic teams have even pledged their attendance. This could be your chance to get some autographs, man. Besides being able to watch The Big Lebowski in a classy theater, enjoy some good food and beverage, and play some classy Lebowski-themed games, you should also know that all the proceeds are going to a great cause - The Alzheimer Society of Manitoba. We even donated one of our limited run t-shirts as a prize for one of the events so let us know if you win it.
So you don't live in Canada and you're not sure what to do. I can see that, but should a fellow Dude really have this much trouble finding out how to be...well, Dude? Pop in your DVD of The Big Lebowski and invite some friends over. If you don't own it, I'm sure you could rent it or find a friend who does. You could take it easy on your rug and ponder if it really ties the room together. You could volunteer your time for a worthy cause, or help out a neighbor with a project they've been working on. You could even just take it easy and finally take that nap you've been needing all week.
If none of that interests you or maybe you're just too busy on Saturday, then there's still one thing you could do and that is to cheer Jeff Bridges on to his first Oscar win at the 2009 Academy Awards. This is something that has been long overdue. Currently Mr. Bridges is up for the Best Actor award for his outstanding performance as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. It's a pretty good film. You should check it out some time if you haven't gotten around to it yet. We've invited a few people over to watch the ceremonies. Most of our friends are not movie geeks like ourselves, so regardless if anyone shows we'll still be watching because the Dude abides.
International Bowlin...
No matter we try to explain the point, some people really don't understand and stick for they believe and want. This is just something that we all should be responsible of because we are all guilty that we are the ones who are toxic and are the one's flushing our own future. Anyway, we don;t have to be that serious. On the other hand, did you watch the Oscar Awards?It was the fifth time that Jeff Bridges has been nominated at the Oscars, and it's about darn time.
Oscar aftermath
Oh yeah, his artwork! How could I have forgotten? Thanks man.
Oscar aftermath
The Dude is an avid doodler, which is what drives the navigation on his website, and he loves photography. That's two really cool things about the man you could touch on. Oh, one more, he's been with his special lady friend (wife) for over 30 years, which is a rarity in Hollywood anymore, and has three daughters.
Live action Lebowski...
Yeah, I'm not really sure how the policewoman part fits into the script. Extended scene from Logjammin?
Dude moment - Episod...
Thanks man. Not really sure how this new "segment" will progress. It all depends on what people send us.