The Big Lebowski

TOP 5: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING Interviews, HAYWIRE Interviews, Recent Films/Retro Posters, Live-Action RUGRATS Trailer, Sundance 2012 Coverage

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 1:17 pm

In last week’s “Top 5″ I spent the opening paragraph musing about my anticipation for Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. I also promised the readers a quick “Before & After” discussion this week which would address whether or not the pic lived up to my expectations. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but said discussion will have to be postponed. I know, I know, I’m disappointed too. Fear not, though, I’m slated to check out the film tonight which means that I’ll be able to deliver on my promise, albeit a week late. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ installment brings you interviews with the cast of Underworld: Awakening and the aforementioned Haywire, a gallery of recent films in retro poster form, an ultra-disturbing Rugrats live-action trailer, and all of our Sundance 2012 coverage to date. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

“Movies from an Alternate Universe”: What If Recent Films Had Been Made Decades Earlier?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 17th, 2012 at 8:07 am

Classic films are getting remade left and right, but what if it went the other way?  What if our original films of recent years were thrown back to an earlier era?  Who would star?  Who would direct?  What would the poster look like?  Artist Peter Stults ran with that idea and came up with some wonderfully creative and thoughtful posters based on recent movies.  I’m not sure if I see Leonard Nimoy as John McClane, but I can absolutely see James Dean starring in a 1950s version of Drive.

Hit the jump to check out some of the posters.

TOP 5: CONAN Video Interviews, Rise and Fall of Cult Status, GHOST RIDER Trailer and Images, New BLADE RUNNER, FRIGHT NIGHT Screening

by Jason Barr    Posted: August 20th, 2011 at 12:36 pm

Every once in a while, I like to remind readers that our weekly “Top 5″ is a perpetual “work in progress.” That in mind, if you ever find yourself thinking, “Man, I wish Jason wasn’t such an idiot and would do this or that with the ‘Top 5′,” then I’m inviting you to either leave your suggestion in the comments section and/or e-mail me (colliderjason@gmail.com). The goal is to make the weekly feature as beneficial and entertaining to you, the reader, as possible. So, by all means, let us know if there is something missing that you would like to see. Now, with that out of the way…

In this week’s installment, you’ll find all of our video interviews with the cast of Conan the Barbarian, Matt’s editorial documenting what he views as the rise and fall of cult status, the first trailer and 34 hi-res images from Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, news confirming all of our worst fears regarding a Blade Runner follow-up, and our visit to the Alamo Drafthouse to check out the new Fright Night with stars Anton Yelchin and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Hit the jump for links and brief recaps for each.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI Limited Edition Blu-ray Review

by Andre Dellamorte    Posted: August 6th, 2011 at 3:20 am

It’s strange to have watched the cult of The Big Lebowski grow since release. The film was Joel and Ethan Coen’s follow-up to Fargo, which was an academy award-winning crime drama with a funny center. After the disastrous The Hudsucker Proxy (which has also gained a cult following) Fargo put the boys back in good graces, but the story of Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), and the kidnapping that turns him into amateur sleuth with sidekick Walter Sobchek (John Goodman) was greeted as a sophomore slump. Now it’s revered as a masterpiece. Our review of the limited edition Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski follows after the jump.

An Hour-Long Interview between the Coen Brothers and Noah Baumbach

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: June 13th, 2011 at 2:13 pm

The Film Society of Lincoln Center held an hour-long discussion between Joel and Ethan Coen and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach.  Normally I’d bitch and moan about how jealous I was not to be there and then cry myself to sleep.  But not today!  Filmlinc.com has kindly posted the discussion online and I know what I’ll be watching when I get off work today.  Some of the topics covered include how the Coens open their movies, their use of voice-over, how they use misdirection, and how their films compare to Baumbach’s.  The interview is also worth watching because the Coens rarely speak about the films and instead prefer to let them stand on their own.  People continue to speculate on the symbolism of the hat in Miller’s Crossing.

Hit the jump to check out the video and quotes pulled from the interview.

Cinematographer Roger Deakins Interview; Talks TRUE GRIT, Coen Brothers, Digital vs. Film, Says He’s Probably Shooting BOND 23

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 9th, 2011 at 6:37 pm

One of my favorite cinematographers is Roger Deakins.  If you look over his amazing resume, you’ll see he’s shot so many memorable films, you’d be hard pressed to have not seen at least a few of them.  Some of the standouts include The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski, The Shawshank Redemption, and True Grit. As you may have noticed by the titles I just listed, Deakins has a very close relationship with the Coen Brothers, as he shoots most of their movies.

The other day I got to do an exclusive phone interview with Deakins and we talked about a wide range of subjects: what kinds of cameras and lenses he likes to use, his relationship with the Coen brothers and how they work together, making True Grit, digital vs. film, his next movie Now which he shot digitally with the Arriflex Alexa (his first time using digital), his relationship with DreamWorks and his involvement on How to Train Your Dragon and the upcoming sequel, 3D, and when I asked him about what’s coming up next, he said, “I’ll probably do a film with Sam Mendes next.”  When I asked him if that meant he was shooting Bond 23, he said, “it might, yeah.”

If you’re interested in cinematography, or just a fan of Deakins work, hit the jump to either read or listen to our conversation:

Directors Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton Interview THESE AMAZING SHADOWS

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 31st, 2011 at 4:23 pm

One of the many documentaries I enjoyed at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton’s These Amazing Shadows.  The movie takes a look at the films that are in the National Film Registry and the work of preservationists to keep film history alive.  While at Sundance, I got the chance to sit down with the two directors and talk about the picture.  We discussed how they first became interested in the Registry, areas where the National Film Preservation Board could improve, and which films they want to see get into the Registry, among other topics.

Hit the jump to check out the interview and click here to read my review of These Amazing Shadows.

Clip from JEFF BRIDGES: THE DUDE ABIDES Documentary

by Bill Graham    Posted: January 11th, 2011 at 3:14 pm

My favorite film of all time? The Big Lebowski. The film is endlessly quotable and it gets better every time I watch it. Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges happens to be a big fan of the film as well, who of course plays The Dude, aka Jeffrey Lebowski, in the film. This week will see the continuation of PBS’ American Masters series and the episode will focus on Bridges in a 90-minute documentary entitled Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides. To promote the show, which will air tomorrow at 8 P.M. EST, PBS premiered a clip where Bridges visits a shop in New York called The Little Lebowski. Yea, man! Hit the jump for the full clip and make sure to record/watch the documentary about Bridges tomorrow.

Jeff Bridges Interview AMERICAN MASTERS – JEFF BRIDGES: THE DUDE ABIDES

by Christina Radish    Posted: January 10th, 2011 at 10:40 am

Entering its 25^th season on PBS, American Masters has produced an exceptional library of more than 160 biographies since its inception, and has deepened public knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the arts and artists of every kind. Premiering on January 12^th, Jeff Bridges: The Dude Abides examines the Academy Award winner’s incredible body of work and stable of memorable characters, while telling the fascinating and surprising story of the man himself.

While at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, actor Jeff Bridges talked about his journey as an actor, his desire not to create a strong identifiable personality, his interest in expressing himself in a variety of art forms, his favorite film roles and his love of playing music. He also admitted to having no film work currently lined up. Check out what he had to say after the jump.

Wear This: LOST “Rockem Sockem Candidates” Shirt and THE BIG LEBOWSKI “The Jesus” Shirt

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 4th, 2011 at 8:08 am

A couple of cool t-shirts are on sale today and today only.  First up from Teefury is a cute Lost t-shirt called “Rockem Sockem Candidates”  [Spoilers if you haven't seen Lost] It’s a little sad but also slightly true to diminish Jack and Locke to minor pawns in Jacob and The Man in Black’s game.  But while chess may be more sophisticated, the pieces rarely rock or sock.

The other shirt comes from RIPT Apparel and is a nice sketch of everyone’s favorite pederast, The Jesus from The Big Lebowski.  If you’re the kind of person that can pull of wearing purple, then you’ll want to wear this shirt down to the bowling alley and fuck people in the ass (figuratively speaking).  Hit the jump to check out both shirts.

Wear This: TRON and THE BIG LEBOWSKI T-Shirt Mashup

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 8th, 2010 at 8:56 am

A brilliant friend of mine joked on Twitter last week that because of his busy schedule, he would need to combine his December Jeff Bridges films into one fantastic flick called “True Grid”.  Artist image “spacemonkeydr” over at TeeFury has switched out True Grit for The Big Lebowski in his Tron mash-up, but I don’t have a clever title for what that movie would be called.  However, if–according to the TRON: Legacy tagline–”The Game Has Changed”, then I imagine that they’ll be playing with light balls and light pins as they try to get the score light strikes.  As Program Walter might say, “Fuck it, Dude.  Let’s go light bowling.”

Hit the jump to check out the shirt, which costs $9 and is available for purchase today only.  TRON: Legacy opens December 17th.  True Grit opens December 22nd.  True Grid opens in my awesome dreams every night.

Jeff Bridges Recording an Album with CRAZY HEART’s T-Bone Burnett; Band Name Has a BIG LEBOWSKI Connection; Will Tour

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 19th, 2010 at 6:16 pm

On top of landing the news that Jeff Bridges is in talks with director Peter Bogdanovich about a third sequel to the American classic The Last Picture Show, Steve learned at the press junket for the upcoming TRON: Legacy that Bridges is currently hard at work on a full length album.

“I’m making an album with T-Bone Burnett right now. After I leave here I’m goin’ to the studio and we’re cutting some more tracks with this band that’s just phenomenal.”

Bridges said to expect the album to be released “sometime next year.” When asked if he was going on tour, he replied “Absolutely,” so The Dude may soon be coming to a venue near you! So what’s the band called, and what’s its Big Lebowski connection? “We’re calling ourselves The Royal We.”  If that’s a bit too “Lebowski inside” for you, we’ve included the clip after the jump. But it’s a quote from the Coen brothers film in which The Dude has some fun with grammar. For more on Bridges’ band, including his reunion with Crazy Heart producer T-Bone Burnett, hit the jump.

Silly Edited-for-TV Lines from THE BIG LEBOWSKI, SCARFACE, PULP FICTION, GOODFELLAS, and More

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: October 20th, 2010 at 10:28 pm

“See what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?”  This is the type of incomprehensible sentence that results when Broadcast Standards and Practices decide that a particular piece of dialogue is too salty for television.  The above example is from the edited-for-TV version of The Big Lebowski, which is included in a clip alongside similar instances from Snakes on a Plane, The Usual Suspects, The Departed, Scarface, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, Basic Instinct, There’s Something About Mary, Beverly Hills Cop, Casino, Goodfellas, and Wild Things.  Check it out after the jump; be warned of NSFW language.

A SERIOUS MAN DVD Review

by Michael Sullivan    Posted: February 6th, 2010 at 7:24 am

After 25 years in the industry, Joel and Ethan Coen have filmmaking down to a fine art.  And as such, A Serious Man plays like a meticulously orchestrated symphony.

With equal parts reverence for and mockery of suburban Jewish society in the 1960s, A Serious Man is unlike any other movie from 2009.  Then again, each and every one of the Coen brothers’ films stands out from its contemporaries.  In this updated Job story, Michael Stuhlbarg plays Larry Gopnik, a middle-aged Jewish physics professor who doesn’t know how good he’s got it until his world comes crashing down at his feet.  The film hits DVD this Tuesday, and it’s definitely one for the collection.  Follow the jump to see why.

Jeff Bridges May Abide as Rooster Cogburn in the Coen Brothers’ Adaptation of TRUE GRIT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 10th, 2009 at 9:27 pm

[Disclaimer: All commenting on this story must make at least one reference to "The Big Lebowski"]

Who do you get to fill the massive boots of John Wayne, especially when Wayne won his only Oscar for that particular massive boot-wearing role?  Well, if you’re the Coen Brothers you could just say, “We’re the Coen Brothers and we’ll cast whoever we goddamn please and you will like it.”  But instead they’ve cast a man and it’s Jeff Bridges and I won’t do the whole opening monologue from “The Big Lebowski”.  Just hit the jump for the news about this delightful casting.

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