There are some film characters that are so impossibly quirky, you cannot believe even a scaled-back version of them exists in real life. Many of these people reside in the twisted universe of Joel and Ethan Coen, and the majority of these oddballs can be found in their 1998 soft-boiled stoner mystery "The Big Lebowski." It's a sordid tale featuring marmot-brandishing nihilist thugs, a pederast ex-con bowling fanatic, and a criminal porn kingpin. But the film's most bizarro creation is its protagonist, who finds himself inexplicably at odds with these crackpot forces of evil. His name is Jeff Lebowski, but you can call him The Dude.
As brought to exquisitely wackadoodle life by Jeff Bridges, The Dude is a man who takes life as it slowly comes to him. He grocery shops in his robe, bowls with his buddies (belligerent Vietnam Vet Walter Sobchak and human doormat Donny Kerabatsos), and subsists...
As brought to exquisitely wackadoodle life by Jeff Bridges, The Dude is a man who takes life as it slowly comes to him. He grocery shops in his robe, bowls with his buddies (belligerent Vietnam Vet Walter Sobchak and human doormat Donny Kerabatsos), and subsists...
- 3/10/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Want to relive a Coen Brothers classic with a fresh spin and some new cast members? The Pandemic Players, a troupe of stage and screen actors volunteering their time and talents to help fellow Americans impacted by Covid-19, will host a table read of the 1987 comedy “Raising Arizona” this Wednesday, November 25. The video will launch at 11 a.m. Pt, 2 p.m. Et. All proceeds will benefit Covenant House, founded in 1972 to shelter and care for young people facing homelessness. Below, check out an exclusive trailer for the read.
Troupe members participating in the table read include Zachary Levi (star of “Shazam!”), who will take on the role of Nicolas Cage’s H.I. McDunnough, and Alison Pill (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”), who will play Holly Hunter’s Ed. Joining the pair will be Dean Norris, Clancy Brown, Macon Blair, Ross Partridge, Sarah Clarke, Jeff Dowd, Leila Almas Rose, Jaime Zevallos,...
Troupe members participating in the table read include Zachary Levi (star of “Shazam!”), who will take on the role of Nicolas Cage’s H.I. McDunnough, and Alison Pill (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”), who will play Holly Hunter’s Ed. Joining the pair will be Dean Norris, Clancy Brown, Macon Blair, Ross Partridge, Sarah Clarke, Jeff Dowd, Leila Almas Rose, Jaime Zevallos,...
- 11/22/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Friends and associates pay tribute to ”towering cinematic figure”.
Darryl Macdonald, the trailblazing Canadian-born champion of international cinema who was a major presence on the US film festival circuit for decades, has died.
Screen understands Macdonald passed away on July 21 and is believed to have been in his sixties.
Over the course of a dynamic career in festivals, he co-founded Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) with the late Dan Ireland in 1976 and served until recently as executive director of the Palm Springs International Film Society.
Possessed from an early age by a love for international cinema, Macdonald left his native...
Darryl Macdonald, the trailblazing Canadian-born champion of international cinema who was a major presence on the US film festival circuit for decades, has died.
Screen understands Macdonald passed away on July 21 and is believed to have been in his sixties.
Over the course of a dynamic career in festivals, he co-founded Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) with the late Dan Ireland in 1976 and served until recently as executive director of the Palm Springs International Film Society.
Possessed from an early age by a love for international cinema, Macdonald left his native...
- 8/26/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
By now, John Turturro is used to being recognized as Jesus Quintana, the flamboyant, purple-polyester-clad competitive bowling maven who stares down Jeff Bridges’ “the Dude” at the lanes in “The Big Lebowski.” The chameleon-like character actor has made multiple films with the Coen brothers, Spike Lee and even Michael Bay. But when he goes out in public, people always seem to recognize him as “the Jesus.”
“If soldiers take ‘The Big Lebowski’ with them when they go overseas into battle, there’s a reason why. Something about not growing up, and living in the moment. People would all like to go to the supermarket in your bathrobe and drink out of the milk carton,” says Turturro, who’s been asked more times than he can count when the Coen brothers are going to make a sequel. (They’re not.)
But now he’s done one better: Turturro has taken matters...
“If soldiers take ‘The Big Lebowski’ with them when they go overseas into battle, there’s a reason why. Something about not growing up, and living in the moment. People would all like to go to the supermarket in your bathrobe and drink out of the milk carton,” says Turturro, who’s been asked more times than he can count when the Coen brothers are going to make a sequel. (They’re not.)
But now he’s done one better: Turturro has taken matters...
- 10/16/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
"You gunna bury it?" Indie Rights has debuted an official trailer for an indie thriller titled Silent Panic, which premiered at a small film festival last year and is hitting VOD soon this summer. The not-so-original premise is about three friends who discover a dead body in the truck of their car while on a camping trip, but cannot agree on whether or not to tell the police. They try to go back home but the "silent panic" starts to hit. Starring Sean Nateghi, Joseph Martinez, Jay Habre, Constance Brenneman, Juliet Frew, Helene Udy, and Jeff Dowd. Not only is this a boring concept that they've already tried in so many other ways, but this just looks awful. Bad performances, bad script, bad music in the trailer. Stay away from this. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Kyle Schadt's Silent Panic, direct from Indie Rights' YouTube: After discovering...
- 6/26/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
A Go Fund Me campaign for Jeff Dowd has launched to help the indie film maverick pay off thousands of dollars worth of medical bills he acquired throughout March. Dowd is beloved in the industry as a film representative, writer, producer, and performer, famously working on Joel and Ethan Coen’s directorial debut “Blood Simple” and inspiring the filmmaking duo to create perhaps their most beloved and singular character: Jeff Bridge’s The Dude in “The Big Lebowski.” Dowd also helped Robert Redford with the creation of the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Film Institute.
Dowd’s Go Fund Me campaign was launched March 25 with a goal of raising $25,000. Dowd went to the hospital for a double hernia surgery on February 28 that resulted in medical complications that kept him in the hospital for much of March, including kidney failure. Per the campaign, “Jeff is now facing medical bills from...
Dowd’s Go Fund Me campaign was launched March 25 with a goal of raising $25,000. Dowd went to the hospital for a double hernia surgery on February 28 that resulted in medical complications that kept him in the hospital for much of March, including kidney failure. Per the campaign, “Jeff is now facing medical bills from...
- 4/1/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Jeff Bridges grew up with show business in his veins. His father, the late Lloyd Bridges, was a gregarious sort who not only loved the making of movies, but the selling of them as well. He would encourage his children to give it a go. “This is a great life,” he would tell them.
Still, like any rebellious kid, the younger Bridges — who will receive the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 6 — was resistant to chasing his father’s chosen trade. He wanted to be a musician instead, or an artist. “I had maybe 10 movies under my belt before I thought I could do this for the rest of my life,” he said in 2009.
Eventually the passion kicked in. Six decades into a movie career that technically began when he was a 6-month-old infant on...
Still, like any rebellious kid, the younger Bridges — who will receive the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.’s Cecil B. DeMille Award for career achievement at the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 6 — was resistant to chasing his father’s chosen trade. He wanted to be a musician instead, or an artist. “I had maybe 10 movies under my belt before I thought I could do this for the rest of my life,” he said in 2009.
Eventually the passion kicked in. Six decades into a movie career that technically began when he was a 6-month-old infant on...
- 1/3/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
The Ebert name is starting to move in new directions, but after 20 years, Ebertfest remains largely the same. Roger Ebert’s annual film festival, held in his hometown of Champaign, Illinois, threw a cake-and-ice-cream party for its anniversary edition but otherwise stuck to programming a familiar mix of fare the beloved film critic championed during his life and newer work chosen for its similarities to films and themes he had embraced in the past. This year, the newer selections included “13th,” “Interstellar” and “Columbus,” while choices from the Ebert vault included “American Splendor,” “Rambling Rose” and opening-night selection “The Fugitive.”
Meanwhile, Chaz Ebert, Roger’s widow and co-founder and chair of the Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation, plans moves into film production and broader social action. She announced during the festival that she would be co-producing a biopic of Sojourner Truth, to be helmed by Lateef “Cal” Calloway, who previously...
Meanwhile, Chaz Ebert, Roger’s widow and co-founder and chair of the Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation, plans moves into film production and broader social action. She announced during the festival that she would be co-producing a biopic of Sojourner Truth, to be helmed by Lateef “Cal” Calloway, who previously...
- 4/26/2018
- by Andrew Lapin
- Indiewire
Partners bring more than 65 years of industry experience.
Jeff Dowd and Alex Nohe have launched a full-service distribution and creative consultancy.
Blood Sweat Honey will specialise in providing strategic counsel to independent filmmakers, offering producer representation, festival strategy, script and post-production creative consulting, and hybrid distribution and marketing strategy.
Dowd (main picture), the inspiration for the character of ‘The Dude’ in the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, has worked in the independent sector for more than four decades as a producer, distributor, exhibitor, festival director and producer’s rep.
He has consulted on such films as Blood Simple, Chariots Of Fire, Ghandi, War Games, Hoosiers, Desperately Seeking Susan, Kissing Jessica Stein, and The Blair Witch Project.
He and several partners are preparing to release the transmedia series Our Classic Tales That Fuel Our Future this autumn.
Nohe is a film distributor, filmmaker and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of executive and management experience in the film business...
Jeff Dowd and Alex Nohe have launched a full-service distribution and creative consultancy.
Blood Sweat Honey will specialise in providing strategic counsel to independent filmmakers, offering producer representation, festival strategy, script and post-production creative consulting, and hybrid distribution and marketing strategy.
Dowd (main picture), the inspiration for the character of ‘The Dude’ in the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, has worked in the independent sector for more than four decades as a producer, distributor, exhibitor, festival director and producer’s rep.
He has consulted on such films as Blood Simple, Chariots Of Fire, Ghandi, War Games, Hoosiers, Desperately Seeking Susan, Kissing Jessica Stein, and The Blair Witch Project.
He and several partners are preparing to release the transmedia series Our Classic Tales That Fuel Our Future this autumn.
Nohe is a film distributor, filmmaker and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of executive and management experience in the film business...
- 6/20/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Uproxx has declared the week of July 11 Lebowski Week. This is one in a series of Big Lebowski-themed pieces that Uproxx (a member of the Woven family alongside HitFix) will publish this week. Let’s think about what we know about The Dude from The Big Lebowski: He loves bowling, drinks white Russians, was a member of the Seattle Seven (…along with six other guys), authored the Port Huron statement (but not the compromised second draft), and isn’t much for the whole vanity “thing.” Now, imagine all those things were true of a real person, and you’d have Jeff Dowd (okay, except for the Port Huron Statement part, as far as we know). Dowd was an acquaintance of the Coen Brothers, an independent film producer they’d met when he was hired to market Blood Simple. Dowd apparently made enough of an impression on them that the...
- 7/13/2016
- by Vince Mancini, Uproxx
- Hitfix
The Coen Brothers' 1998 comedy "The Big Lebowski" has won over the hearts and minds of millions and has become a modern cult classic. The film follow The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a Los Angeles layabout who likes to bowl, toke, and meditate, and the Chandler-esque web of crime in which he finds himself trapped. In a short 1998 "Making of" documentary, the Joel and Ethan Coen, Bridges, and co-star John Goodman talk about the inspirations for "The Big Lebowski," the film's many characters including Sam Elliot's The Narrator and John Turturro's Jesus Quintana, cinematographer Roger Deakins, as well as the strange reactions from journalists. Read More: Just For Laughs: 'The Big Lebowski' Live Read With Michael Fassbender & Jennifer Lawrence The Coens first discuss the early inspirations for the film. The Dude character was based on Jeff Dowd, a man whom the Coens had known for over fifteen years,...
- 5/30/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
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As Hail, Caesar! arrives in UK cinemas, we take a look back at one of the Coens’ finest ever films - 1998 comedy, The Big Lebowski...
Like Spinal Tap or Withnail & I, The Big Lebowski is one of those films that is often quoted at length by its legion fans - sometimes after a few pints in a crowded pub. Yet the Coen brothers’ 1997 eccentric comedy is so much more than a grab-bag of catchy bits of dialogue - it’s arguably as genre-bending and smart as anything the pair have written before or since.
Key to The Big Lebowski’s brilliance is Jeff Bridges’ deceptively detailed performance as Jeff Lebowski - better known to his friends as The Dude - former roady for Metallica turned full-time layabout in 90s Los Angeles. Bridges slips into his character’s baggy, lazy skin so naturally that it’s easy to...
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As Hail, Caesar! arrives in UK cinemas, we take a look back at one of the Coens’ finest ever films - 1998 comedy, The Big Lebowski...
Like Spinal Tap or Withnail & I, The Big Lebowski is one of those films that is often quoted at length by its legion fans - sometimes after a few pints in a crowded pub. Yet the Coen brothers’ 1997 eccentric comedy is so much more than a grab-bag of catchy bits of dialogue - it’s arguably as genre-bending and smart as anything the pair have written before or since.
Key to The Big Lebowski’s brilliance is Jeff Bridges’ deceptively detailed performance as Jeff Lebowski - better known to his friends as The Dude - former roady for Metallica turned full-time layabout in 90s Los Angeles. Bridges slips into his character’s baggy, lazy skin so naturally that it’s easy to...
- 3/2/2016
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Working Title Films
The Big Lebowski is as weird and wonderful as they come. There aren’t many films brave enough to blend bowling tournaments with German terrorists and urine-soaked rugs, after all. But with all that wackiness going on, you may not have given much thought to the story going on behind the scenes.
It’s actually just as odd as the film itself, believe it or not (which is really saying something, since the movie includes a latex-loving pervert called Jesus, a woman who kidnapped herself, a briefcase stuffed with undies and a face-full of human ashes).
The Coen brothers’ inspiration for The Big Lebowski included a smorgasbord of strange influences from the ancient to the modern, and The Dude’s spliff-smoking sessions were a constant source of debate on set. To learn more about these weird truths and a whole bunch more, read on…
10. The Real Dude...
The Big Lebowski is as weird and wonderful as they come. There aren’t many films brave enough to blend bowling tournaments with German terrorists and urine-soaked rugs, after all. But with all that wackiness going on, you may not have given much thought to the story going on behind the scenes.
It’s actually just as odd as the film itself, believe it or not (which is really saying something, since the movie includes a latex-loving pervert called Jesus, a woman who kidnapped herself, a briefcase stuffed with undies and a face-full of human ashes).
The Coen brothers’ inspiration for The Big Lebowski included a smorgasbord of strange influences from the ancient to the modern, and The Dude’s spliff-smoking sessions were a constant source of debate on set. To learn more about these weird truths and a whole bunch more, read on…
10. The Real Dude...
- 2/1/2016
- by Rob Leane
- Obsessed with Film
The 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act is this July 2nd, two days before Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence of the United States of America from the Kingdom of Great Britain (now officially known as the United Kingdom).
As an independent nation we went our own way even when The Slavery Abolition Act throughout the British Colonies was passed in 1833. Cynically one might say their act was motivated less by altruism than by what had become political and economic realities. However, the abolitionists on both sides of the sea saw it the same way that those of us with eyes are seeing the issues of economic inequality today. It is immoral and unjust that one human should own another, whether in slavery, in economic servitude or in sexual servitude.
However, fifty years ago, such unequal and inhuman treatment of fellow human beings was still being justified and upheld by a powerful elite, and it took almost super-human fortitude for those opposed to persevere to break the stranglehold of that group. As a young girl, a “Freedom Rider” came and spoke to my class at Temple Isaiah Religious School in West L.A. and I was inspired to do all I could for the ongoing fight for civil rights, which of course changed the world for everyone – from it came “women’s lib” and Glbt’s fight for equality (Stonewall was 40 years ago June 29). And yet, the economically poor African American and Latino populations are still objects of discrimination today. The repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the South freeing nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval is seeing discrimination at the polls reasserting itself.
This January when I saw “Freedom Summer” directed by Stanley Nelson in Sundance, I felt inspired once again to do something!
But, all I can do is write and so I take pen to hand and invite others to be aware and to act wherever they are.
At the 2nd Louisiana International Film Festival this spring, “Freedom Summer” won the Best Documentary Award and it will open in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
The Louisiana Ff parenthetically has two cineastes, well-known to all of us film folks, as Artistic Directors: Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and Dan Ireland.
Read: New Louisiana Film Festival to Launch With Dan Ireland & Jeff "The Dude" Dowd as Artistic Directors
Jeff could be subject of a book, but for now, suffice it to say Jeff Dowd ("Zebrahead") is famously the inspiration for the Dude in the Coen Bros.' "The Big Lebowski,"
Dan Ireland on the other hand, is the subject of this blog because he has done something beyond just showing a great film. Dan, a man of action, also co-founded the Seattle Film Festival with Darryl MacDonald who is Director of the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival. The Seattle Film Festival just had its own anniversary of 40 years and it featured a retrospective of some of Dan’s 22 films which he has exec produced, produced or directed.
And now, he has produced a new film, a short film called “Hate From A Distance” which will be the center piece of a special event this Wednesday, July 2nd, on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills
The film is an adaptation of a short story inspired by Civil Rights in America, set in Savannah, Georgia in 1963, told through the innocent eyes of an eleven-year old boy who is witness to the bitterness and hatred his father has for an African American dairy farmer living on the other side of a fence, separating physically and racially the very state of America during a most disgraceful and turbulent period in history.
The film was made and dedicated to the memory of and the 50th anniversary of The Civil Rights Act and as a voice that though we live by the Act, there is so much more that needs to be done to establish unity and equal rights in this country and the world.
Seen through the innocent eyes of eleven-year-old Danny Baker, racial tensions run rampant and deep in 1963 rural Georgia. Danny’s father Ned and neighbor Clyde Fellow, once childhood friends, are now divided over a land dispute in an era of inequality. Ned’s escalating anger, fueled by his own distorted righteousness, ultimately destroys his family and tears the community apart.
“ Hate from a Distance” reflects the injustices of a painful chapter of American history while honoring and 50th anniversary (July 2, 1964) of the Civil Rights Act abolishing segregation.
The film had its world premiere Saturday June 7th in a retrospective of Dan's history with “The Whole Wide World”, at Seattle Int’l Film Festival.
It will show again this Wednesday at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills. The 19 minute screening will be followed by an introduction of the cast and a brief panel discussion and audience Q&A with Dr. Robert and Helen Singleton, Freedom Riders, activists and educators, Dr. Max Felker-Kantor, USC graduate with PhD in History (emphasis on race, civil rights and social movements) and moderated by journalist-author-activist David Ehrenstein. David is an American critic who focuses primarily on Lgbtq issues in cinema. Ehrenstein was born in New York City. His father was a secular Jew with Polish ancestors, and his mother was of African-American and Irish descent.[1] His mother raised him in her religion, Roman Catholicism. Among those invited are educators, students, members of organizations such as Aclu , NAACP , U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, journalists and activists.
Writer/Producer Dennis Yares's grandparents left Poland prior to the German occupation and most remaining relatives perished under Nazi regime. He was born in Israel and moved to N.Y. as a young boy. He made his professional reputation as an art gallerist, in addition, he also wrote the screen adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's classic short story, “Jolene”, which was directed by Dan Ireland.
He wrote a short story as one of his collection of 52 stories and when he realized it was the 50th anniversary this year. He and Dan as the director, stepped up and co-produced the film in the spring - in three weeks.
It features a score by composer Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, who will also attend the screening.
The short will also qualify for Academy Award consideration after having a short commercial run.
As an independent nation we went our own way even when The Slavery Abolition Act throughout the British Colonies was passed in 1833. Cynically one might say their act was motivated less by altruism than by what had become political and economic realities. However, the abolitionists on both sides of the sea saw it the same way that those of us with eyes are seeing the issues of economic inequality today. It is immoral and unjust that one human should own another, whether in slavery, in economic servitude or in sexual servitude.
However, fifty years ago, such unequal and inhuman treatment of fellow human beings was still being justified and upheld by a powerful elite, and it took almost super-human fortitude for those opposed to persevere to break the stranglehold of that group. As a young girl, a “Freedom Rider” came and spoke to my class at Temple Isaiah Religious School in West L.A. and I was inspired to do all I could for the ongoing fight for civil rights, which of course changed the world for everyone – from it came “women’s lib” and Glbt’s fight for equality (Stonewall was 40 years ago June 29). And yet, the economically poor African American and Latino populations are still objects of discrimination today. The repeal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in the South freeing nine states, mostly in the South, to change their election laws without advance federal approval is seeing discrimination at the polls reasserting itself.
This January when I saw “Freedom Summer” directed by Stanley Nelson in Sundance, I felt inspired once again to do something!
But, all I can do is write and so I take pen to hand and invite others to be aware and to act wherever they are.
At the 2nd Louisiana International Film Festival this spring, “Freedom Summer” won the Best Documentary Award and it will open in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act.
The Louisiana Ff parenthetically has two cineastes, well-known to all of us film folks, as Artistic Directors: Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and Dan Ireland.
Read: New Louisiana Film Festival to Launch With Dan Ireland & Jeff "The Dude" Dowd as Artistic Directors
Jeff could be subject of a book, but for now, suffice it to say Jeff Dowd ("Zebrahead") is famously the inspiration for the Dude in the Coen Bros.' "The Big Lebowski,"
Dan Ireland on the other hand, is the subject of this blog because he has done something beyond just showing a great film. Dan, a man of action, also co-founded the Seattle Film Festival with Darryl MacDonald who is Director of the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival. The Seattle Film Festival just had its own anniversary of 40 years and it featured a retrospective of some of Dan’s 22 films which he has exec produced, produced or directed.
And now, he has produced a new film, a short film called “Hate From A Distance” which will be the center piece of a special event this Wednesday, July 2nd, on the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills
The film is an adaptation of a short story inspired by Civil Rights in America, set in Savannah, Georgia in 1963, told through the innocent eyes of an eleven-year old boy who is witness to the bitterness and hatred his father has for an African American dairy farmer living on the other side of a fence, separating physically and racially the very state of America during a most disgraceful and turbulent period in history.
The film was made and dedicated to the memory of and the 50th anniversary of The Civil Rights Act and as a voice that though we live by the Act, there is so much more that needs to be done to establish unity and equal rights in this country and the world.
Seen through the innocent eyes of eleven-year-old Danny Baker, racial tensions run rampant and deep in 1963 rural Georgia. Danny’s father Ned and neighbor Clyde Fellow, once childhood friends, are now divided over a land dispute in an era of inequality. Ned’s escalating anger, fueled by his own distorted righteousness, ultimately destroys his family and tears the community apart.
“ Hate from a Distance” reflects the injustices of a painful chapter of American history while honoring and 50th anniversary (July 2, 1964) of the Civil Rights Act abolishing segregation.
The film had its world premiere Saturday June 7th in a retrospective of Dan's history with “The Whole Wide World”, at Seattle Int’l Film Festival.
It will show again this Wednesday at The Museum of Tolerance in Beverly Hills. The 19 minute screening will be followed by an introduction of the cast and a brief panel discussion and audience Q&A with Dr. Robert and Helen Singleton, Freedom Riders, activists and educators, Dr. Max Felker-Kantor, USC graduate with PhD in History (emphasis on race, civil rights and social movements) and moderated by journalist-author-activist David Ehrenstein. David is an American critic who focuses primarily on Lgbtq issues in cinema. Ehrenstein was born in New York City. His father was a secular Jew with Polish ancestors, and his mother was of African-American and Irish descent.[1] His mother raised him in her religion, Roman Catholicism. Among those invited are educators, students, members of organizations such as Aclu , NAACP , U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, journalists and activists.
Writer/Producer Dennis Yares's grandparents left Poland prior to the German occupation and most remaining relatives perished under Nazi regime. He was born in Israel and moved to N.Y. as a young boy. He made his professional reputation as an art gallerist, in addition, he also wrote the screen adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's classic short story, “Jolene”, which was directed by Dan Ireland.
He wrote a short story as one of his collection of 52 stories and when he realized it was the 50th anniversary this year. He and Dan as the director, stepped up and co-produced the film in the spring - in three weeks.
It features a score by composer Harry Gregson-Williams and Tom Howe, who will also attend the screening.
The short will also qualify for Academy Award consideration after having a short commercial run.
- 7/1/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Hollywood producer Jeff Dowd -- who inspired "The Dude" character in "The Big Lebowski" -- is suing UCLA's hospital for $10 million ... saying his mom died because of poor communication between doctors, TMZ has learned.According to the lawsuit ... Dowd's elderly mother was hospitalized March 29, 2013 suffering from bronchitis ... and was dead within a month after she got progressively worse -- suffering internal bleeding, dehydration and finally a massive stroke.Dowd tells TMZ ... his mother was handed...
- 4/29/2014
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
The "Beasts of the Southern Wild" effect continues. The Louisiana International Film Festival will hold its inaugural event April 18-21 in Baton Rouge and New Orleans to celebrate indigenous and international films. Filmmaker Dan Ireland ("The Whole Wide World") and producer Jeff Dowd ("Zebrahead"), famously the inspiration for the Dude in the Coen Bros.' "The Big Lebowski," have been named co-artistic directors of the new fest. The first submission deadline is January 7 through WithoutABox.com. Liff also involves a mentorship program and will present a special photo and multimedia exhibition by civil rights movement photojournalist and author Bob Adelman. The launch comes at a time when Shreveport has become one of the highest-profile locations for outside-of-Hollywood film production. "We founded the Louisiana International Film Festival and Mentorship Program to act as a conduit for our state's...
- 12/5/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
If you love The Big Lebowski as much as we do, then you probably already know that Jeffrey Lebowski, the pot-smoking, rug-loving, reluctant hero of the Coen brothers’ film, was inspired by a real person. Social activist-turned-movie producer Jeff Dowd was the real-life inspiration for the Dude – and filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig shows us who the man is and what he’s like in his short documentary The Dude. Shot with a Tampa-area Lebowski-Fest as the backdrop, Feuerzeig’s film lets us get to know Mr. Dowd intimately during its 20-minute-plus runtime. From his early days as an antiwar protester in the Seattle 7, to his jump to film production, to his fateful meeting with the Coens and the birth of the cinematic Dude, it’s all here. Dowd, with his mop-top hair...
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- 8/29/2012
- by Mike Bracken
- Movies.com
It goes without saying that The Dude in The Big Lebowski is one of Jeff Bridges best performances and easily his most memorable character (with Kevin Flynn from Tron and Tron Legacy coming in as a close second). The character is larger than life, but would you believe that The Dude has some real-life inspiration in a man? Sundance Award winning director Jeff Feuerzeig, director of The Devil and Daniel Johnston and the Espn 30 for 30 documentary The Real Rocky (on Netflix Instant now), actually knew The Dude himself (real name Jeff Dowd) and caught up with him at Lebowski Fest in Tampa, Florida. Thankfully, he filmed the meeting and put footage together for a cool documentary short that you can watch in full below! Here's Jeff Feuerzeig's documentary short The Dude, brought to our attention in SlashFilm's Page 2: It's amazing to see just how close Bridges performance and...
- 8/27/2012
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Many out there may be aware that some of cinema’s most iconic characters, like the titular figure from Citizen Kane and Psycho’s Norman Bates, were partially inspired by real-life figures (newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and serial killer Ed Gein, respectively), but sometimes other, equally memorable big screen creations have been sculpted from the personality of a living individual, and not necessarily someone who is well-known to the outside world either. This is certainly the case of the Coen Brother’s much-loved, weed-toking, White Russian-fixated lead character, The Dude, from their celebrated 1997 cult classic, The Big Lebowski.
The person in question, (who can be partly attributed to the success of the film, and the reason way legions of fans attend yearly festivals dedicated to it), is a real-life gentleman (and good friend of the Coens) by the name of Jeff Dowd. Santa Monica-based, he’s been a fixture...
The person in question, (who can be partly attributed to the success of the film, and the reason way legions of fans attend yearly festivals dedicated to it), is a real-life gentleman (and good friend of the Coens) by the name of Jeff Dowd. Santa Monica-based, he’s been a fixture...
- 8/23/2011
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Why Watch? A man walks into a Ralph’s, grabs a carton of half-and-half, and takes a sip. There are few movies that inspire annual celebrations, and there are fewer movies that turn their inspirations into celebrities. Jeff Dowd was already a certain type of celebrity after being part of The Seattle Seven, but he was introduced to the movie-going world when The Coen Brothers used him as the inspiration for The Dude in The Big Lebowski. This sharp documentary lets him tell his story which includes protesting, working with the Coens, and being His Dudeness at a Lebowski Fest in Miami. What does it cost? Just 18 minute of your time. Check out The Dude for yourself: The Dude (2011) Trust us. You have time for more short films.
- 8/22/2011
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and T Bone Burnett celebrated the worldwide Blu-ray release of The Big Lebowski at this year’s Lebowski Fest on August 16, 2011 in New York with a special cast reunion, Q&A and film screening for fans.
Here are some photos from the event:
Check out the video of the stars arriving at the event:
The Livestream below will only be available for a limited time:
The Big Lebowski tops the list of my favorite films. I love the characters and the dialogue so much that I can watch it over and over again and not be bored. The new Blu-ray looks amazing and has tons of extra footage to make it's purchase worth while. Keep reading for all of the details for the disc.
Experience The Coen Brothers’
Cultural Phenomenon Starring Jeff Bridges
Now On Blu-ray™ For The First Time Ever!
Here are some photos from the event:
Check out the video of the stars arriving at the event:
The Livestream below will only be available for a limited time:
The Big Lebowski tops the list of my favorite films. I love the characters and the dialogue so much that I can watch it over and over again and not be bored. The new Blu-ray looks amazing and has tons of extra footage to make it's purchase worth while. Keep reading for all of the details for the disc.
Experience The Coen Brothers’
Cultural Phenomenon Starring Jeff Bridges
Now On Blu-ray™ For The First Time Ever!
- 8/18/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
[1] Bowling shirts and bathrobes packed the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Tuesday night for a cast reunion and screening of The Big Lebowski, in honor of the film's limited edition Blu-ray release. On hand to discuss the beloved cult classic were musical archivist T-Bone Burnett and stars Jeff Bridges, John Turturro, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, each of whom walked on stage to thunderous applause and much yelling of quotes from the film. Organized by Universal Studios Home Entertainment in conjunction with Lebowski Fest [2], the evening kicked off with a spirited Q&A hosted by Entertainment Weekly writer and Lebowski superfan Clark Collis before moving into a full-length screening of the cult classic. And yours truly was there in the middle of it all, guzzling watered-down White Russians and singing along to "The Man in Me" with the best of them. Check out video and higlights from the event after the jump.
- 8/18/2011
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
"Okay sir, you're a Lebowski, I'm a Lebowski, that's terrific, I'm very busy so what can I do for you?"
Everyone was a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever last night at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom as thousands of abiders gathered to witness the "Big Lebowski" cast reunion as part of 2011 Lebowskifest. The surreal atmosphere was perpetuated by people dolled up as just about every character in the movie including at least a dozen "Walters" (some with Folgers Coffee urns) and countless folk dressed as His Dudeness, many sitting next to each other.
Perennial Lebowskifest attendee Jeff Dowd, a.k.a. "The Actual Real Dude" that Bridges and the Coens based the character on, was present for a pre-show Q&A/costume contest, and even James G. Hoosier who played "Liam O'Brien, Quintana's Bowling Partner" showed up to enjoy the event from the audience.
Things really began to roll once the cast hit the stage,...
Everyone was a Little Lebowski Urban Achiever last night at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom as thousands of abiders gathered to witness the "Big Lebowski" cast reunion as part of 2011 Lebowskifest. The surreal atmosphere was perpetuated by people dolled up as just about every character in the movie including at least a dozen "Walters" (some with Folgers Coffee urns) and countless folk dressed as His Dudeness, many sitting next to each other.
Perennial Lebowskifest attendee Jeff Dowd, a.k.a. "The Actual Real Dude" that Bridges and the Coens based the character on, was present for a pre-show Q&A/costume contest, and even James G. Hoosier who played "Liam O'Brien, Quintana's Bowling Partner" showed up to enjoy the event from the audience.
Things really began to roll once the cast hit the stage,...
- 8/17/2011
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi and select cast members from the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski” reunited in New York City Tuesday night in celebration of the film’s Blu-ray release.
After a screening of the film, the actors – joined by The Dude inspiration Jeff Dowd – conducted a lively Q-and-a that was covered on Twitter by those in attendance.
Among the topics covered were a proposed “Lebowski” sequel (it ain’t happening), the annual Lebowski Fest (the cast is baffled by its existence), “sex mail” requests for John Turturro’s character of Jesus, and more disturbing news.
If you have time, EW posted an archived LiveStream of the entire event. You can watch that Here.
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News...
Hollywoodnews.com: Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi and select cast members from the Coen Brothers’ “The Big Lebowski” reunited in New York City Tuesday night in celebration of the film’s Blu-ray release.
After a screening of the film, the actors – joined by The Dude inspiration Jeff Dowd – conducted a lively Q-and-a that was covered on Twitter by those in attendance.
Among the topics covered were a proposed “Lebowski” sequel (it ain’t happening), the annual Lebowski Fest (the cast is baffled by its existence), “sex mail” requests for John Turturro’s character of Jesus, and more disturbing news.
If you have time, EW posted an archived LiveStream of the entire event. You can watch that Here.
Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.
Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News...
- 8/17/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
For me, today is like Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, my birthday, and International Bring-a-Pomeranian-Bowling Day all rolled into one. What in God’s holy name am I blathering about? Tonight, I will have the huge pleasure and honor of moderating a Big Lebowski cast reunion live onstage at the Hammerstein venue as part of this year’s Lebowski Fest New York. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, John Turturro, and the movie’s music archivist T Bone Burnett will all be present to talk about one of my favorite films of all-time, which is debuting today on Blu-ray.
- 8/16/2011
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) truly was a man of his time when Joel and Ethan Coens' "The Big Lebowski" opened in theaters in 1998. But in the 13 years since, thanks to a devoted cult following, the Dude has become a timeless slacker icon.
For some, "The Big Lebowski" has become a philosophy or even a way of life, with endlessly quotable lines like, "I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or His Dudeness or Duder or El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing."
The Dude, "pacifist" unemployed stoner that he is, passes his time in a Los Angeles bowling alley with pals Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi) until a case of mistaken identity gets him tangled up in the supposed kidnapping of Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid), trophy wife of millionaire Jeffrey "Big" Lebowski (David Huddleston).
The Big Lebowski hires...
For some, "The Big Lebowski" has become a philosophy or even a way of life, with endlessly quotable lines like, "I'm the Dude. So that's what you call me. You know, that or His Dudeness or Duder or El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing."
The Dude, "pacifist" unemployed stoner that he is, passes his time in a Los Angeles bowling alley with pals Walter (John Goodman) and Donny (Steve Buscemi) until a case of mistaken identity gets him tangled up in the supposed kidnapping of Bunny Lebowski (Tara Reid), trophy wife of millionaire Jeffrey "Big" Lebowski (David Huddleston).
The Big Lebowski hires...
- 8/16/2011
- by Robert DeSalvo
- NextMovie
By Christopher Stipp
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
The Big Lebowski - Blu-ray Giveaway
This upcoming Tuesday, August 16th, is a very special day for those of us steeped in the lore of The Dude.
After having to endure special editions that were solely on DVD The Big Lebowski is coming to your hi-def setup in its original theatrical aspect ratio. For laypeople, this might not seem like a reason to be all worked up, after all, the film has been out over 13 years. Yet, as far as classic films go this is about as revered as Citizen Kane for those of the White Russian sect. The film itself is one that I can find endless delight in being a part of as there are moments that almost compel you to speak to the screen,...
The Archives, Right Here
Check out my other column, This Week In Trailers, at SlashFilm.com and follow me on Twitter under the name: Stipp
The Big Lebowski - Blu-ray Giveaway
This upcoming Tuesday, August 16th, is a very special day for those of us steeped in the lore of The Dude.
After having to endure special editions that were solely on DVD The Big Lebowski is coming to your hi-def setup in its original theatrical aspect ratio. For laypeople, this might not seem like a reason to be all worked up, after all, the film has been out over 13 years. Yet, as far as classic films go this is about as revered as Citizen Kane for those of the White Russian sect. The film itself is one that I can find endless delight in being a part of as there are moments that almost compel you to speak to the screen,...
- 8/14/2011
- by Christopher Stipp
Head to Ugo's Facebook page to ask The Dude a question at Lebowski Fest.
Are you an achiever, but still down on the farm? Well you don't have to wait for Karl Hungus to bring you to the big city, your friends at Ugo will do it for you!
That's right, friends, the tenth annivesary Lebowski Fest is rolling in to New York City with two fantastic (and sold out) events. On Monday, Aug 15th there'll be a bowling (and White Russian) event at Chelsea Piers. On Tues, Aug 16th there's the first ever full cast reunion and screening at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi and T-Bone Burnett will be on stage of the 107 year old theater feeling the love of twelve hundred adoring fans.
Kicking the event off will be an action packed pre-show event hosted by the real Dude, Jeff Dowd,...
Are you an achiever, but still down on the farm? Well you don't have to wait for Karl Hungus to bring you to the big city, your friends at Ugo will do it for you!
That's right, friends, the tenth annivesary Lebowski Fest is rolling in to New York City with two fantastic (and sold out) events. On Monday, Aug 15th there'll be a bowling (and White Russian) event at Chelsea Piers. On Tues, Aug 16th there's the first ever full cast reunion and screening at Hammerstein Ballroom.
Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, John Goodman, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi and T-Bone Burnett will be on stage of the 107 year old theater feeling the love of twelve hundred adoring fans.
Kicking the event off will be an action packed pre-show event hosted by the real Dude, Jeff Dowd,...
- 8/11/2011
- UGO Movies
Mistaken identity…
With a name like Lebowski, you don’t expect someone with the same name to come along and mess your world up. Heck, The Dude certainly didn’t expect it! Still, he is mistaken for Jeffrey “The Big” Lebowski,” a millionaire with a few problems… and he is more than happy to let The Dude deal with them.
With The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition making it’s way to Blu-ray this week, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at cases of mistaken identity in films… as a tribute to The Dude, of course!
Here are five crazy cases of mistaken identity in film. Enjoy! And remember to let us know what some of your favorites are!!!
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
Imagine having your neighbors, and even your loved ones, being taken over by aliens. Aliens posing as real people are a...
With a name like Lebowski, you don’t expect someone with the same name to come along and mess your world up. Heck, The Dude certainly didn’t expect it! Still, he is mistaken for Jeffrey “The Big” Lebowski,” a millionaire with a few problems… and he is more than happy to let The Dude deal with them.
With The Big Lebowski: Limited Edition making it’s way to Blu-ray this week, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at cases of mistaken identity in films… as a tribute to The Dude, of course!
Here are five crazy cases of mistaken identity in film. Enjoy! And remember to let us know what some of your favorites are!!!
Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1956)
Imagine having your neighbors, and even your loved ones, being taken over by aliens. Aliens posing as real people are a...
- 8/9/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In celebration of The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray. debuting on Aug 16th, join Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore + T Bone Burnett for a very special evening celebrating all things Lebowski. The date will also mark the launch of Jeff Bridges’ self-titled album.
The evening will include a special Q & A with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi & Julianne Moore + T Bone Burnett as well as a screening of the film and other festivities.
2011 marks 10 years of beautiful tradition with Lebowski Fest and Universal Studios Home Entertainment has teamed up to bring the Achievers the pop-culture event of the century! This limited seating event at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom will be the ultimate celebration of all things Lebowski.
Tickets are very limited and will go on sale very soon. Mark it 10!
8/15 – Bowling Party @ 300 New York at Chelsea Piers – $30
8/16 – Blu-ray. Launch, Cast Reunion, Q&A, Movie Screening @ Hammerstein...
The evening will include a special Q & A with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi & Julianne Moore + T Bone Burnett as well as a screening of the film and other festivities.
2011 marks 10 years of beautiful tradition with Lebowski Fest and Universal Studios Home Entertainment has teamed up to bring the Achievers the pop-culture event of the century! This limited seating event at the historic Hammerstein Ballroom will be the ultimate celebration of all things Lebowski.
Tickets are very limited and will go on sale very soon. Mark it 10!
8/15 – Bowling Party @ 300 New York at Chelsea Piers – $30
8/16 – Blu-ray. Launch, Cast Reunion, Q&A, Movie Screening @ Hammerstein...
- 7/30/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
One of the very few disappointments of meeting Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for the Coen Brothers' creation of The Dude in "The Big Lebowski," is that he's hardly the lethargic, carefree type that Jeff Bridges went on to turn into one of the most famous characters in recent memory, though of course his Dude would probably never remember it. Dowd, a producer's rep who's responsible for helping to usher in too many indie filmmakers to name by handling debuts like Justin Lin's "Better Luck Tomorrow," the Jennifer Westfeldt starrer "Kissing Jessica Stein" and "Blood Simple," which is where he first met the Coen Brothers, is actually quite articulate and considerate in person, something that's captured well in this short documentary from "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" director Jeff Feuerzeig that's as much about his days as an activist in Seattle as it is about sipping White Russians in bowling alleys.
- 5/31/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Own the Limited Edition Blu-ray. Featuring All-New Bonus Features, a Digital Copy of the Film and Collectible Hardcover Book Packaging
Bowling, nihilists, a stolen rug and the occasional acid flashback have never been funnier when one of the most popular cult classics in history, The Big Lebowski Limited Edition, debuts on Blu-ray. August 16, 2011 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. From the Oscar®-winning Coen Brothers
(True Grit, Fargo) and starring Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges (True Grit, Crazy Heart), this acclaimed comedy has been newly remastered in high definition to provide longtime fans and first-time viewers alike with the ultimate Lebowski experience.
Available for a limited time with an all-new 28-page companion book featuring an exclusive interview with
Jeff Dowd . the real-life inspiration for The Dude . Jeff Bridges. personal, on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia and much more, The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray. is a must-own addition to any collection.
Bowling, nihilists, a stolen rug and the occasional acid flashback have never been funnier when one of the most popular cult classics in history, The Big Lebowski Limited Edition, debuts on Blu-ray. August 16, 2011 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. From the Oscar®-winning Coen Brothers
(True Grit, Fargo) and starring Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges (True Grit, Crazy Heart), this acclaimed comedy has been newly remastered in high definition to provide longtime fans and first-time viewers alike with the ultimate Lebowski experience.
Available for a limited time with an all-new 28-page companion book featuring an exclusive interview with
Jeff Dowd . the real-life inspiration for The Dude . Jeff Bridges. personal, on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia and much more, The Big Lebowski Limited Edition Blu-ray. is a must-own addition to any collection.
- 5/24/2011
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Dude is going high-def (as opposed to merely high) with a new limited-edition Blu-ray this August. Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released full details for the August 16th release, which will package the remastered flick with a 28-page companion book and new bonus features. Even the nihilists will love it. The booklet will include all manner of Lebowski-approved goodies, including an interview with Jeff Dowd, the real-life inspiration for The Dude, plus photos taken by Jeff Bridges, a film timeline, trivia, and more. And we haven't even gotten to the disc yet, man. Check out the specs and a beauty shot below; they're throwing everything short of a toe. (If you want a toe, I can get you one by 3 o'clock, with nail polish.) Blu-ray Exclusive Bonus Features U-control: Universal.s exclusive feature that lets the viewer access bonus materials without leaving the movie! Scene Companion: Watch cast and...
- 5/24/2011
- cinemablend.com
Universal Home Video have announced that The Coen Brothers classsic (can’t you say that about almost all of their films??) The Big Lebowski will get the Limited Edition Blu-ray treatment in the U.S. from August 16th and dude… doesn’t it look like a cool package?
The Digital Bits say the transfer has been newly re-mastered in HD and will come with a 28 page booklet featuring an exclusive interview with Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for The Dude and all previous extra’s from the DVD will carry over…
“…including 6 featurettes (Jeff Bridges’ Photo Book, The Dude’s Life, The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later, The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story, The Making of The Big Lebowski and Flying Carpets & Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude), a photo gallery, an interactive map and the infamous Mortimer Young introduction.’
In addition, the Blu-ray...
The Digital Bits say the transfer has been newly re-mastered in HD and will come with a 28 page booklet featuring an exclusive interview with Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for The Dude and all previous extra’s from the DVD will carry over…
“…including 6 featurettes (Jeff Bridges’ Photo Book, The Dude’s Life, The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later, The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story, The Making of The Big Lebowski and Flying Carpets & Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude), a photo gallery, an interactive map and the infamous Mortimer Young introduction.’
In addition, the Blu-ray...
- 5/24/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
In terms of the USA Network's ethereal short-film-based Character Project, you could say, as Sam Elliott might, that Jeff Dowd (pictured) "fits right in there."
Certainly, filmmakers Ridley and Tony Scott -- who showcased the "Big Lebowski" inspiration in a new bio short -- think so, too.
Due to embedding issues, we're unable to publish the video on TheWrap, so view the short here.
Certainly, filmmakers Ridley and Tony Scott -- who showcased the "Big Lebowski" inspiration in a new bio short -- think so, too.
Due to embedding issues, we're unable to publish the video on TheWrap, so view the short here.
- 5/16/2011
- The Wrap
A cult classic of epic proportions, the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski“ famously failed at the U.S. box office when it was first released. The film features The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a man fully committed to his lackadaisical lifestyle and reportedly based on L.A. publicist Jeff Dowd. In a case of sorely mistaken identity, the White Russian-loving part-time bowler and one-time rug-owning Dude is mistaken for millionaire businessman Jeffrey Lebowski and is confronted by a team of ferret-wielding nihilists led by Stormare’s Uli Kunkel (aka “Nihilist #1”). Uli is, of course, also a member of the techno band “Autobahn” and a porn star who worked under the pseudonym “Karl Hungus.” It’s enough to make a filmgoer hungry for some In-n-Out burgers.
Choice Quotation
Nihilist #1: Okay. So ve take ze money you haf on you, und ve calls it eefen.
Photo courtesy Ronald Grant Archive
10 Best Peter Stormare...
Choice Quotation
Nihilist #1: Okay. So ve take ze money you haf on you, und ve calls it eefen.
Photo courtesy Ronald Grant Archive
10 Best Peter Stormare...
- 4/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
A cult classic of epic proportions, the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski“ famously failed at the U.S. box office when it was first released. The film features The Dude (Jeff Bridges), a man fully committed to his lackadaisical lifestyle and reportedly based on L.A. publicist Jeff Dowd. In a case of sorely mistaken identity, the White Russian-loving part-time bowler and one-time rug-owning Dude is mistaken for millionaire businessman Jeffrey Lebowski and is confronted by a team of ferret-wielding nihilists led by Stormare’s Uli Kunkel (aka “Nihilist #1”). Uli is, of course, also a member of the techno band “Autobahn” and a porn star who worked under the pseudonym “Karl Hungus.” It’s enough to make a filmgoer hungry for some In-n-Out burgers.
Choice Quotation
Nihilist #1: Okay. So ve take ze money you haf on you, und ve calls it eefen.
Photo courtesy Ronald Grant Archive
10 Best Peter Stormare...
Choice Quotation
Nihilist #1: Okay. So ve take ze money you haf on you, und ve calls it eefen.
Photo courtesy Ronald Grant Archive
10 Best Peter Stormare...
- 4/19/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
By Jeff Dowd
“I used to be somebody, now I’m somebody else” is a self-pitying lament from Bad Blake, the washed-up country singer who struggles to find his heart and soul, exquisitely portrayed by Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart."
For movie-goers, who have been cinematically blessed watching Jeff Bridges for nearly four decades in 65 movies, “I used to be somebody, now I’m somebody else" is a reminder of how Jeff Bridges has fully inhabited such a wide array of characters and authentically captured their essence with a full palette of shades from light to...
“I used to be somebody, now I’m somebody else” is a self-pitying lament from Bad Blake, the washed-up country singer who struggles to find his heart and soul, exquisitely portrayed by Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart."
For movie-goers, who have been cinematically blessed watching Jeff Bridges for nearly four decades in 65 movies, “I used to be somebody, now I’m somebody else" is a reminder of how Jeff Bridges has fully inhabited such a wide array of characters and authentically captured their essence with a full palette of shades from light to...
- 2/28/2010
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
(Jeff Bridges, above, and with the original Dude, Jeff Dowd, below, greeting fans after the screening.)
Text and Photos by Terry Keefe
The American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica continued their terrific year of programming, as they hosted a double feature of the Jeff Bridges films Crazy Heart and The Big Lebowski, with Bridges attending for a great Q&A in between the films. The theatre was sold-out, with a few people on the sidewalk outside even holding up signs looking for tickets. Bridges is a Golden Globe nominee, and likely Oscar nominee, for his starring role as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The hype on Bridges for Crazy Heart is deserved, as he totally disappears inside the role, which is filled with humor and pathos. Bridges and director Scott Cooper craft a character arc for Bad Blake which is redemptive, but which they make the character earn,...
Text and Photos by Terry Keefe
The American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica continued their terrific year of programming, as they hosted a double feature of the Jeff Bridges films Crazy Heart and The Big Lebowski, with Bridges attending for a great Q&A in between the films. The theatre was sold-out, with a few people on the sidewalk outside even holding up signs looking for tickets. Bridges is a Golden Globe nominee, and likely Oscar nominee, for his starring role as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart. The hype on Bridges for Crazy Heart is deserved, as he totally disappears inside the role, which is filled with humor and pathos. Bridges and director Scott Cooper craft a character arc for Bad Blake which is redemptive, but which they make the character earn,...
- 1/17/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Just as the Tiger Woods scandal snuck up on sports writers in this tail end of '09, New York Times critic Manohla Dargis' f-bomb filled interview on the state of women in Hollywood has become the gift that has just kept giving this holiday season for those who still enjoy a good old fashioned critical beatdown.
It's a worthy capper for a year that began with Variety critic John Anderson literally punching producer's rep Jeff Dowd at Sundance over his negative opinion of "Dirt! The Movie." (He never wrote the review after the incident or the parody videos that followed.)
Overall, it's been an interesting year for criticism and film writing in general, as massive media layoffs have led to established names making their mark online. With fewer positions, more writers are having to become a jack-of-all-trades and then compete with those who understood this as a fact of life long ago.
It's a worthy capper for a year that began with Variety critic John Anderson literally punching producer's rep Jeff Dowd at Sundance over his negative opinion of "Dirt! The Movie." (He never wrote the review after the incident or the parody videos that followed.)
Overall, it's been an interesting year for criticism and film writing in general, as massive media layoffs have led to established names making their mark online. With fewer positions, more writers are having to become a jack-of-all-trades and then compete with those who understood this as a fact of life long ago.
- 12/22/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
The second annual Doorpost Film Project will hand out $175,000 in prize money when winners of the short film contest are announced Sept. 19 at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tenn.
Ten finalists, who were chosen earlier this year, were each given $30,000 to produce 15-20 minute films.
On Sept. 19, a new committee of industry professionals -- directors Catherine Hardwicke and Dan Ireland; producers Ralph Winter, Todd Black and Fred Roos; screenwriter Larry Lasker; journalists James Greenberg and Sharon Waxman; attorney Michael Donaldson; cinematographer Nancy Schreiber; and producer's rep Jeff Dowd -- will choose the three top winners, who will all receive cash prizes.
The public can also watch the competing films and vote at www.thedoorpost.com.
All 10 films will be screened next Thursday at the Belcourt Theatre.
"This project was created for filmmakers who have a vision for life, a passion for filmmaking and the determination to get their creations seen,...
Ten finalists, who were chosen earlier this year, were each given $30,000 to produce 15-20 minute films.
On Sept. 19, a new committee of industry professionals -- directors Catherine Hardwicke and Dan Ireland; producers Ralph Winter, Todd Black and Fred Roos; screenwriter Larry Lasker; journalists James Greenberg and Sharon Waxman; attorney Michael Donaldson; cinematographer Nancy Schreiber; and producer's rep Jeff Dowd -- will choose the three top winners, who will all receive cash prizes.
The public can also watch the competing films and vote at www.thedoorpost.com.
All 10 films will be screened next Thursday at the Belcourt Theatre.
"This project was created for filmmakers who have a vision for life, a passion for filmmaking and the determination to get their creations seen,...
By Jeff Dowd
In the spring of 2003 I got a call from Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt (that's them below) inviting me to the 2nd Annual Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky. They described it as a two-night affair, the first at a movie theater and a bar and the second at a bowling alley.
They were thrilled that 150 people actually came to the first take -- an idea they hatched when they ran into each other standing in line at a tattoo convention and started trading lines from “The Bi...
In the spring of 2003 I got a call from Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt (that's them below) inviting me to the 2nd Annual Lebowski Fest in Louisville, Kentucky. They described it as a two-night affair, the first at a movie theater and a bar and the second at a bowling alley.
They were thrilled that 150 people actually came to the first take -- an idea they hatched when they ran into each other standing in line at a tattoo convention and started trading lines from “The Bi...
- 5/5/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
Jeff Dowd is a Los Angeles-based writer/producer, producer’s representative and a nationally recognized authority on marketing, distribution and exhibition. He is a political activist and a frequent speaker at colleges, film festivals and organizations on a wide range of subjects. He's now editing his book “The Dude Abides: Classic Tales and Rebel Rants Making Our Future the Best of Times.”...
- 5/5/2009
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
(Indie film producer, producer's rep, and Big Lebowski inspiration Jeff Dowd, above.)
Ten Years After Lebowski, The Real Dude Still Abides
by Jon Zelazny
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on EightMillionStories.com on September 26, 2008.
September 9th saw the release of a new 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD of the Coen brothers’ cult favorite The Big Lebowski, their “Raymond Chandler on acid” saga of two middle-aged L.A. slackers (Jeff Bridges & John Goodman) who get caught up in a Byzantine kidnapping plot.
It used to be a little show biz secret that Jeff Bridges’ amiable character, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, was based on the Coens’ real-life friend and colleague, indie film producer and producer’s rep Jeff Dowd, but that began to change in 2002 when four Lebowski fanatics in Louisville, Kentucky promoted the first annual Lebowski Fest, an event so successful, they’re now staging three a year in various cities.
Ten Years After Lebowski, The Real Dude Still Abides
by Jon Zelazny
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on EightMillionStories.com on September 26, 2008.
September 9th saw the release of a new 10th Anniversary Special Edition DVD of the Coen brothers’ cult favorite The Big Lebowski, their “Raymond Chandler on acid” saga of two middle-aged L.A. slackers (Jeff Bridges & John Goodman) who get caught up in a Byzantine kidnapping plot.
It used to be a little show biz secret that Jeff Bridges’ amiable character, Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, was based on the Coens’ real-life friend and colleague, indie film producer and producer’s rep Jeff Dowd, but that began to change in 2002 when four Lebowski fanatics in Louisville, Kentucky promoted the first annual Lebowski Fest, an event so successful, they’re now staging three a year in various cities.
- 4/17/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Breathless reports have swooped around the web about John Anderson, film critic for Variety, pounding the legendary publicist Jeff Dowd (aka The Dude) at Sundance. There was a jab to the chest! One to the shoulder! Dowd kept his guard down! A punch to the head! Anderson turned and walked away, then came back and threw his best right to the jaw!
I have this blow-by-blow account from The Dude himself. Park City Police Officer Bob deBotelho responded after a call from the Yarrow restaurant, collected eyewitness testimony, and offered to arrest Anderson. But the Dude declined to press changes, magnanimously explaining his forbearance:
"I like John, I think he is a good journalist and critic and a person who is a dad and someone who cares about our planet and future. And I don't think he is a danger to society or would inflict violence on women."
Why didn't The Dude,...
I have this blow-by-blow account from The Dude himself. Park City Police Officer Bob deBotelho responded after a call from the Yarrow restaurant, collected eyewitness testimony, and offered to arrest Anderson. But the Dude declined to press changes, magnanimously explaining his forbearance:
"I like John, I think he is a good journalist and critic and a person who is a dad and someone who cares about our planet and future. And I don't think he is a danger to society or would inflict violence on women."
Why didn't The Dude,...
- 1/28/2009
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Wednesday turned out to be a great day for violence at the Sundance Film Festival. First, the anguished, stylized British import Bronson -- based on the life of England's most violent prisoner -- played at the Prospector Theater (with hoarse-but-hearty director Nicolas Winding Refn in attendance). And keyboards and smartphones were abuzz with word of an altercation between Jeff Dowd -- the real-life inspiration for Jeff Bridges's title character...
- 1/22/2009
- AMC News: Film Festivals
"Gee, sorry Dude -- I just didn't like the film is all."
We're a little late to the party with this one since, ya know, we were actually busy watching films at this here film festival (go figure), but apparently there was a real-life film critic fist fight ... and yes, it's okay to laugh about that. Here's what I've been hearing from several different people today: Following a screening of the film Dirt, John Anderson (critic for Variety, Newsday, New York Times etc ..) found himself on the annoying end of a discussion with one of the producer's reps -- a dude who happens to actually be the real The Dude, Jeff Dowd.
Well, Anderson said what he had to say -- that he wasn't crazy about certain aspects of the film -- but Dowd -- clearly realizing they probably wouldn't receive a good review from this guy --continued to follow...
We're a little late to the party with this one since, ya know, we were actually busy watching films at this here film festival (go figure), but apparently there was a real-life film critic fist fight ... and yes, it's okay to laugh about that. Here's what I've been hearing from several different people today: Following a screening of the film Dirt, John Anderson (critic for Variety, Newsday, New York Times etc ..) found himself on the annoying end of a discussion with one of the producer's reps -- a dude who happens to actually be the real The Dude, Jeff Dowd.
Well, Anderson said what he had to say -- that he wasn't crazy about certain aspects of the film -- but Dowd -- clearly realizing they probably wouldn't receive a good review from this guy --continued to follow...
- 1/22/2009
- by Erik Davis
- Cinematical
About an hour ago, text messages started to fly around Park City, regarding an altercation between film critic John Anderson and producer (and Big Lebowski inspiration) Jeff Dowd in the restaurant at the Yarrow Resort. I'm staying in the hotel, so I went downstairs as soon as I heard to investigate. Here's what I was able to put together: John Anderson apparently had a negative opinion of Dirt! the Movie (I say "apparently" because I can't get Variety's web site to load right now so I can't confirm whether or not Anderson published a negative review of the film; if you can find one, please post a link in the comments) (see update below). Dowd is the producer's rep o ...
- 1/21/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
About an hour ago, text messages started to fly around Park City, regarding an altercation between film critic John Anderson and producer (and Big Lebowski inspiration) Jeff Dowd in the restaurant at the Yarrow Resort. I'm staying in the hotel, so I went downstairs as soon as I heard to investigate. Here's what I was able to put together: John Anderson apparently had a negative opinion of Dirt! the Movie (I say "apparently" because I can't get Variety's web site to load right now so I can't confirm whether or not Anderson published a negative review of the film; if you can find one, please post a link in the comments) (see update below). Dowd is the producer's rep o ...
- 1/21/2009
- by Karina Longworth
- Spout
Jeff Dowd is feeling good. Not exactly happy, since he’s been up doing interviews since 5 am, but in a general sense of well-being. He’s abiding, in the parlance of our times. He’s feeling this way because Jeff, ‘The Dude’ to his friends and everyone else (His Dudeness, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing), is part of one of the most striking pop-culture phenomenon to ever roll it’s way into the movies. The Big Lebowski turns ten years old this week. And in preparation of the 10th Anniversary commemorative bowling ball DVD, Dowd is doing press from his Los Angeles home. “On a scale of one to ten, how limber is your mind right now?” “Well, not very right now. I’ve been up since dawn. But I might get a little more limber before I go do my next TV interview.
- 9/11/2008
- UGO Movies
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