I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski
I was at Barnes & Noble today. Check out what I happened to stumble upon:
This is the semi-official fan book of the movie The Big Lebowski written by the founding dudes of Lebowski Fest, Will Russell and Scott Shuffit (whom I have met personally), as well as Bill Green and Ben Peskoe who are also Lebowski Fest veterans and contributors.
While I was not privy to this new shit until it came to light in the bookstore today, I did at least manage to snatch up the last copy they had. So far it appears to be quite a comprehensive collection of Achiever fodder written by good men, and thorough.
I think the introduction on the book sleeve sums it up nicely:
To some, The Big Lebowski is just a movie. To others it is The Movie. When we decided to get some friends together at a tiny bowling alley in Kentucky to drink White Russians and celebrate our favorite movie, Lebowski Fest was born. We discovered we were not alone, and fellow fans from around the world, also known as the “Achievers,” started coming out of the woodwork.
We, the bums who started Lebowski Fest, have been given the modest task of assembling a fan book for what we feel is the greatest movie of all time (condolences, Citizen Kane). At times we felt we were out of our element, but we went out and achieved anyway.
I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski begins with a foreword by Jeff Bridges and includes behind the scenes photos taken by him on the set. To bring to light all we could about the making of this movie, we interviewed everyone from John Goodman, Julianne Moore and John Turturro, to the actors that played smaller roles like the Ralph’s Checkout Girl, Liam and yes, even Saddam.
We tracked down the inspirations for the story and its characters, including Jeff Dowd (The Dude), John Milius (Walter) and the man whose rug really tied the room together, Peter Exline. We even found the real Little Larry, a kid who, indeed, actually stonewalled two crazy men waving his homework around in a baggie.
The book is complete with trivia, interviews with fellow Achievers (Patton Oswalt, Tony Hawk, Powerpuff Girls creator Craig McCracken), tips on Dude-ifying your life, a Little Larry flipbook, a guide to the film’s locations, Lebowski Fest highlights, and a whole lot of what-have-you.
Well enjoy.
-The Bums
So if you’re a fan of the film, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy this book or order it online from Amazon. Achievers and Bums alike should enjoy this one.
Catch ya later on down the trail.