Netflix

I saw The Big Lebowski in the theater when it was released, and promptly forgot it. "These are the guys who made Blood Simple?" I thought, and left it at that.

But in the decade since its release the Coen Brothers' stoner flick has achieved an amazing cult status. Guys about a decade younger than me seem to regard it as the equivalent of (Monty Python and) the Holy Grail, quoting it at length, doing the voices, alluding to it in general conversation. So I watched it again, figuring I'd missed something.

I had the same reaction the second time around. It's quirky, there are some cute performances, and the Busby Berkely bowling alley porno routine is fun, but The Big Lebowski is a minor amusement. At least when the Coen Brothers fail, they fail interestingly. I recommend you watch The Hudsucker Proxy instead.

PS: Wow. Weird to see a Saddam Hussein cameo now that he's been choked by Moqtada al Sadr's inner circle. Especially given that Saddam's a bowling alley employee in the film.