By Roger Yale
For Weekly Surge

When the Coen Brothers film "The Big Lebowski" was released in 1998, Myrtle Beach musician Barton Collins [Sqwearl,Rollo, Solace] was attending the University of Georgia in Athens. "Most everyone I knew were fans of Coen Brothers films, and 'Fargo' had just made a big splash," he says. "So when some friends and I found out that the Georgia Theatre was screening 'The Big Lebowski,' we knew that was where we were going to see the movie."

The Georgia Theatre, once an old school movie palace, had long since been transformed into a music venue (think Widespread Panic) replete with a liquor license and what Collins calls a kick-ass sound system. Occasionally, the venue would screen a movie or a sporting event such as the Atlanta Braves playing in the World Series.

"I wasn't living too far from the UGA bus line at the time, so me and some friends parked by the nearest stop to my apartment and took a UGA bus downtown to the Georgia Theatre. Now, they still have the old movie theater seats up in the balcony but most of the seats have been ripped out downstairs to make room for dancing and more people for the bands that play there. So they had set up all these metal folding chairs for us to sit in. One of the best things about the setup was that the bars were in the main room so we didn't have to miss anything when we got up for beers - only for the bathroom. So the whole scene there was really like watching a Coen Brothers film in a bar. Well, by the time the movie was over and we'd all had several 32-ounce beers, we were glad that we were able to take a UGA bus. It was always nice when it worked out where we could take the same bus we rode to get to our classes during the day and then have it that night to ride with a buzz," says Collins.

It's hard to fathom that it's been a decade to the day since "The Big Lebowski" was released theatrically on March 6, 1998. While hardly a box office heavyweight - the film grossed roughly $2 million more than its $15 million budget - it has since taken off on DVD format and garnered legions of fans worldwide, known as Achievers, and has spawned a cottage industry including T-shirts, books, festivals (most notably Louisville, Ky.-based Lebowski Fest) and, yes - even a religion centered on the film's protagonist, The Dude, portrayed by Jeff Bridges. It is touted as the first cult film of the Internet era, and is arguably the most quotable cult film of all time behind "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

"The Internet was really just starting to pop, and it would be a while before you saw filmmakers (and later, studios) capitalizing on it,'' said Los Angeles-based film journalist Brent Simon, a regular contributor to Screen International, Los Angeles CityBeat and FilmStew. "If 'The Big Lebowski' came out just a few years later - instead of a 'cult' hit - it would have done much better theatrically because you would have seen more effective user-driven promotion over the Internet. Who would have thought 'The Blair Witch Project' would have grossed over 100 million dollars?"

Bowling, German nihilists, porn stars, a Vietnam veteran best friend on the verge, mistaken identity, greed, avarice and a botched and convoluted kidnapping plot swirl around Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski in a Chandleresque peep into a few days in the life of the quintessential aging-hippie California slacker (Bridges) who is insinuated into all of this craziness because he shares his name with another Angelino. Add surreal Busby Berkeley-style dream sequences, an existential cowboy narrator called The Stranger (Sam Elliott) and a rug that "ties the whole room together" - and we haven't even scratched the surface.

While "The Big Lebowski" may be a stylistic departure for Oscar winners Joel Coen and Ethan Coen ("Fargo," "No Country for Old Men"), it has nonetheless made an impact - even with detractors. Some say that the film has helped to make bowling a hipster pastime. Others argue that the almost 300 f-bombs deployed are quite essential.

There's a reason cast members Bridges, Elliott, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Phillip Seymour Hoffman snapped up the chance to work with the Coens on this flick.

"It's one of those movies that really wows you with its achievement in the technical, mad multicolor virtuosity," said Simon. "It was a curveball from some of the earlier Coen Brothers films, but it's not atypical. They've dabbled in different genres and experimented with different styles, although there are consistencies and a through-line to their work."

Weekly Surge has thrown itself into this maelstrom in an effort to discover why the film is making cultural waves a decade later, searching amongst local Achievers and to as far away as Thailand.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This week's cover model, 26-year-old Victoria Leigh, a part-time Grand Strand resident asserts that she is the biggest achiever at the beach, claiming to have seen "The Big Lebowski'' at least 50 times. "Some people think the humor's a little out there, but I've loved it from the first time I saw it," she says, adding that repeated viewings make the film funnier for her. "You always see something new each time."

Marine sales associate Jason Howard, 33, calls himself an over-Achiever when it comes to "The Big Lebowski,"and laments the fact that that he hasn't come across any other Achievers along the Grand Strand. "If there's a Lebowski fever, it has not become mainstream here."

Dave Savage, proprietor of Sun Video in Murrells Inlet, reports very little activity from "The Big Lebowski" on the rental side, citing a rental in December. Frank Glidden, assistant manager at Blockbuster Video in North Myrtle Beach, almost echoes that sentiment, with rental activity in November and December, adding that interest in the title is no bigger than with any other older title.

"A lot of people don't even get it," says Howard, who has 200-plus viewings under his belt, with no sign of letup. "It took me several tries at first and then took on a life of its own. I love everything about it."

When wife Julie Howard (who had seen the film in theatrical release and loved it) brought the title home on DVD, Howard says he didn't like it at all. "I looked at her and said, 'this movie sucks.' A couple of weeks later, we're watching it again and she's laughing really hard."

Finally, Jason Howard sat through "The Big Lebowski'' and started catching on to some of the humor. "It was like getting a little piece of steak - and I wanted more and more."

In the book, "I'm A Lebowski, You're A Lebowski,'' authors Bill Green, Ben Peskoe, Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt acknowledge that "The Big Lebowski'' is a film that's hard to describe to folks who have never seen it, and admit it can be an acquired taste that gets better with repeated viewings. "Maybe that's one reason people dig the movie and are able to watch it over and over again,'' they write. "It's like picking up a kaleidoscope. You see something new each time.''

It has only been sometime during the last 10 or 15 viewings that Jason Howard says he started to catch everything that's going on in the background. "But it's always new and fresh," he says. "There hasn't been a time that I've watched the movie and haven't come away with something new."

Michael Jordan, 29, a public relations associate for Brandon Advertising and Public Relations in Myrtle Beach says he doesn't know if the term "Lebowski freak" is correct in his case. "I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and watch it at least once a month, so that may be freakish - I don't know."

Having seen "The Big Lebowski'' between 60 and 70 times, he cites the film's quirkiness that brings him back time after time. "John Goodman's performance [as Vietnam vet Walter Sobchak] was probably the best thing he's ever done."

First reaction: "It was kind of strange, but for some reason it just clicked. I don't know if it was the interaction between Bridges and Goodman and (Steve) Buscemi - or the Jesus [John Turturro's pederastic Latino bowler] or what."

On repeated viewings, Jordan began to notice the substrata involved. "It's like peeling the layers off an onion. You realize things like, 'I didn't notice that before' - or 'now that makes more sense.'"

THE QUOTABILITY FACTOR & CULT STATUS

According to film journalist Simon, a film's quotability factors heavily in its standing as a cult movie. It's something that brings fans of a flick together, as they trade favorite lines, or look for ways to incorporate film dialogue into everyday situations. In fact, a group of friends who shared a fondness for quoting "The Big Lebowski'' lines wound up founding Lebowski Fest, with similar events spreading throughout the country and internationally, like "Star Trek'' conventions, only cooler.

Because "The Big Lebowski" is so laden with offhand quips, snipes, japes and comebacks, our panel had wildly different favorites.

Jordan: "Don't fuck with the Jesus," "Is there a Ralphs around here," and "You're entering a world of pain, son. You ever heard of Vietnam, Larry?"

Leigh: "Donny, you're out of your element." Walter (John Goodman) frequently says this to friend and bowling teammate Donny (Steve Buscemi).

Jason Howard: "At least I'm housebroken."

Adds Howard: "Every time 'the Dude' gets upset, he puts his sunglasses on. He gets the point across that he's done with the conversation. Glasses go on - fuck it."

Put the not-every-body-gets-it factor together with the quotable factor and you have the perfect recipe for a cult film.

"The reason you rightly attach the label of 'cult' to 'The Big Lebowski' is because it's one of those movies that is received by audiences - even if it's 15 people in a room of 100 that sticks with it. These are the ones walking around and quoting lines with their friends - getting personalized plates or making iron-on patches for T-shirts," says Simon. "That's my definition of a cult hit: When something enters the Zeitgeist or slipstream - and the catchphrases and the characters live on. That's something that happened with 'The Big Lebowski' - absolutely."

THE UBIQUITOUS DUDE

"The Big Lebowski's'' Dude is someone who falls into dumb luck without ever missing a beat. Sure, he may have hiccups along the way, but for some reason always lands on his feet without really trying.

Surge cover model Leigh says everybody's got at least one friend like The Dude. "I know I do," she laughs. Jordan knows people who fall "ass backwards into everything."

"My friend Fritz goes off on these little trips by the seat of his pants and things always work out for him," says Tim Curtis, 28, a Lebowski lover from Charlotte, N.C. "He's never in a bind and always comes up smelling like roses."

Closer to home, Jason Howard points to himself: "Blind luck always lands in my lap," he says.

That's what makes The Dude so appealing to Gen Xers and the millennial generation - he's not exactly a hero or an anti-hero, in the classic sense.

"Each generation goes through a period of 'creative loafing,' - where you have your interests and the real world is starting to encroach on you with responsibilities and obligations - demands on your time,'' said Simon, 32, who graduated from the University of North Carolina before heading west. "You're trying to find out what and how much of these interests and enjoyment you can hold onto. You want to carry it all - but how much can you realistically take with you? For that reason, The Dude remains a really appealing character and always will, hence, 'The Dude abides.' The phrase is simple but it's shorthand for a character that is a little bit older - free from a lot of these responsibilities - he's an interesting guy to go on this journey with."

BOWLING POST-LEBOWSKI

While it's not clearly apparent that "The Big Lebowski'' has helped grow the sport of bowling into a hipster pastime, especially along the Grand Strand, our panelists have definite opinions on the subject.

Leigh contends that she has what it takes to be a pro bowler. "If I really got down to it, I think I could rock out. I'm pretty good."

But has "The Big Lebowski" helped the sport in any way?

"Most definitely. When they show the clips of the bowlers who are very sentimental about their [bowling] balls and making sure they're rubbed properly - and their shoes and little gadgets and gizmos - there are people like that in every bowling alley across the country. It's still rockin' out pretty hard. You've got to love bowling,'' she says.

Curtis says he enjoys bowling, but that he does not bowl competitively. "We had bowling leagues in college. It was hysterical - names like Gutter Balls, Pin Pals and Holy Rollers."

But did "The Big Lebowski'' make the sport a hipster pastime?

"I remember around the same vintage [as "The Big Lebowski''] that the writers for 'The Simpsons' definitely placed more episodes in the bowling alley - even though Homer's a bowler regardless. The writers seemed to be reflecting their own interests there," he says.
Jordan says he bowls, but not very well. "My best game was probably 175 on a good day after four or five beers." He doesn't believe "The Big Lebowski'' helped the bowling industry or created a bowling subculture.

"People who have a propensity to bowl like bowling for the sake of bowling. I liked bowling before I liked 'The Big Lebowski.' It made me enjoy it a little bit more because you could dick around with quotes and all of that - but I don't think it has a bearing either way."

But bowling is integral in any celebration of "The Big Lebowski,'' such as the original Lebowski Fest, which is, according to the festival Web site (www.lebowskifest.com), "a bowling event celebrating all things relating to the Coen Brothers 1998 film, 'The Big Lebowski.'"

"There's something innately fun about participating in a sport that has deep-fried cheese and cup holders - and just throwing a heavy ball at some pins. Maybe 'The Big Lebowski' shined a little bit of light and reminded people that bowling was fun,'' says Will Russell, 31, co-founder of Lebowski Fest and co-author of "I'm A Lebowski, You're A Lebowski.''

Larry Nowak, owner of Waccamaw Bowling Center (where Surge's Big Lebowski Party will take place on Wednesday) tells us that he hasn't noticed a surge in bowling since the release of "The Big Lebowski," and short of polling every customer, it's unclear how many Achievers come in on a regular basis.

"You see people from all walks of life come in to a bowling center. You can't always ascertain what motivated them to come in," he says.

Nowak asserts, however, that bowling is the most "un-country club" of all activities. "Everything people do in life is somewhat class oriented. But in a bowling center, you will have a janitor bowling next to a lawyer who is bowling next to a cleaning lady - who is bowling next to a doctor. You have all religions, all classes and all ethnicities." The point is, everybody is there to bowl and to have a good time, and that doesn't exist in too many places.

"Bowling is alive and well," says Nowak, "and it continues to grow as a casual activity."

The Dude abides.

THE MAKE-OR-BREAK F-BOMBS

Bowling is touted as family entertainment, granted one usually equipped with a full service bar, but "The Big Lebowksi,'' which is Rated R is not. "The Big Lebowski" rocks nearly 300 f-bombs and its variations. The question is whether or not these expletives are warranted, despite the obvious challenges inherent in running this movie on non-premium channel television with any cohesion whatsoever. There's even a Youtube montage of all the film's f-bombs linked together dubbed "The Big Lebowski - The F_cking Short Version.'' Were these well-placed expressions or widely overused crutches? Are they gratuitous or ingenious?

"I'd say neither, actually," chimes in Curtis. "It's true toform. Everybody says it a lot more than they realize, and no one's walking around with a little counter. It's only when the Motion Picutre Association of America says you say it too much that you get an 'R' rating. I don't think it matters."

Can you imagine "TheBig Lebowski'' without the f-bombs?

"No. It would be lame," says Curtis.

Case in point, according to Lebowksifest.com, here is a comparison of lines from the original film and the censored, TV version:

Original version: "They peed on my fucking rug.''

Edited TV version: "They peed on my valued rug.''

Not quite the same impact, eh?

In the film, even The Stranger chimes in asking The Dude why he has to use so many curse words.

"Society's changing every day, and so is language," says Howard. "Curse words have their place - like adjectives. They express how you feel. If you stub your toe, 'oh darn' just doesn't cover it."

Leigh says she can't imagine "The Big Lebowski'' without the f-bombs: "The Dudeness likes it the way he likes it, and that's the way he likes it."

DUDEISM AND WHAT HAVE YOU

Why should Surge readers roll the dice on this film 10 years after it came out?

Leigh says: "It's a classic. There are so many one-liners that you'll quote for the rest of your life. It's not only bowling, it's America. There's one of everybody [from "The Big Lebowski] in each group. If you can't handle it, don't watch it, but for those who can - you're going to get a definite laugh."

Curtis brings a certain demographic to bear in his summing-up: "I think most of your readers will become achievers whether they know it yet or not." Jordan tells us that if you don't care, you're basically missing out on one of the cult classics of the Gen X era.

Howard's answer is straightforward: "Life is really strung up and uptight. 'The Big Lebowski' is a breath of fresh air. It helps loosen the lungs with laughter if you can get into the sense of humor. Even if you don't like it the first time around - I didn't - give it a couple of tries. You'll laugh your ass off. 'The Dude' changed the way I look at daily life," he says. "What it boils down to is - fuck it. You can't change it, and if you obsess about things, it's just going to ruin your life. Take a moment, fuck it - and move on."

The Dude has a certain outlook on life, and it has spawned critical study of "The Big Lebowksi'' and its - and we're not joking - spiritualism and philosophical viewpoint.

And even a religion: Dudeism.

Oliver Benjamin, 40, is a freelance journalist, graphic designer, musician and founder of www.dudeism.com who spends most of his time in Chiang Mai,Thailand, returning to visit his family in Los Angeles only once a year.

"In 'The Big Lebowski,' one of my questions was 'How did ['the Dude'] pay his rent?' How could he not work really hard and have that cool little pad in Venice? Jeff Bridges said that his theory was that The Dude had amassed this big record collection and would gradually sell off bits of it when he needed cash."

Benjamin says he has found a way out of the rat race by freelancing, and his work abounds in many slick publications, including Maxim. "Thailand is an extremely cheap place to live, so I don't have to work too hard."

Fair enough, but what on earth is Dudeism?

"At first it was sort of a lark, but I kept watching 'The Big Lebowski' and seeing more and more deep philosophy in it. A lot of people have done theses on the film - feminist theory, postmodern analysis - it's an incredibly deep intertextual film with lots of references, and it just never ends. You can pick it apart - it's an incredibly dense film."

Benjamin says he kept seeing congruencies with other things he studied, in particular Asian philosophy and Taoism.

"The Dude represents this continual 'rebel shrug' - basically saying, 'Hey man - you can't fight the man or city hall. You can just change your whole attitude toward it. Just take it easy and don't get too worked up over things. Don't set your sights so high that you'll be disappointed when the world kicks you in the ass.'"

Benjamin contends that this is the essence of Taoism. "When China was in turmoil, Lao Tzu basically said, 'fuck this.' He split to hang out and smoke whatever was available at the time in the hills of China and built up a philosophy on it, you know? It's all about living in harmony with nature and not getting too worked up over things."

Benjamin calls Dudeism the world's slowest-growing religion, but adds that it has always been around. "People have responded to elements of Buddhism and Taoism - all sorts of mystical aspects - ways of looking at the world and taking it easy."

While everybody may not be able to give up their 9-to-5 and move to Thailand, it's nice to think The Dude can be inspiring, even in his seemingly uninspiring slacker ways. It may make you recall simpler, more carefree times, before careers, mortgages, significant others, offspring, and wind pool insurance dominated your thoughts.

"I've heard a lot of people say this, and I think it's true: "There's a little bit of 'the Dude' in all of us" - some more than others,'' says Russell. "Some wear their bathrobe on the outside, I guess."

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