I just watched The Big Lebowski the other day, having not seen it for a couple years. Watching it now - with it being set against the backdrop of the Gulf War - is a surreal experience.
That is all.
I think watching that movie at any time is a surreal experience. And that’s not a bad thing. I consider it one of the funniest, most eminently quotable movies of recent time.
“This aggression will not stand.”
You’re right…
The line “The Dude abides.” takes on a whole new meaning when you think of George Bush.
SNenc - youre right, of course. I meant to say even more surreal than normal.
And while we’re at it:
“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.”
Much to my chagrin, I think Dubya has taken this line to heart.
“Let me tell you something pendejo! You pull any of your crazy shit with us, flash your piece out on the lanes? I’ll take it away from you, stick up your ass and pull the fucking trigger til it goes click.”
Slight Hijack, but maybe not since we’re discussing the surrealness of the Big Lebowski in light of recent events.
So I was watching The Big Lebowski and I had heard that the Dude postdates a the check for the half and half at the Ralph’s. This point was proven because George Herbert Walker Bush’s speech on the TV in the background happened months before the date on the check. So I’m paying attention to the date, right? And what is the date? I swear it is 9/11. Friends of mine agree with me.
This was very surreal to say the least given that this was in the fall or winter of 2001. I have no idea if other people noticed this or if I’m even right about the date, but it seemed realy odd ot me at the time.
According to this site, the date is October 11th 1991. For some reason, the IMDb has removed its reference to the postdated check.
When he was driving home from the doctor with “Coming out my back door” playing I about peed my pants laughing.
Best. Shaggy Dog Story. Ever.
I just re-checked the site. Now it says September 11th 1991 as a correction of its earlier statement of October. A misread by me? A change in the last few hours? Alien mind-altering rays? We may never know. But apparently the Dude does write September 11th 1991 on the check.
I’ll watch the movie when I get home and try to see for myself.
Lemme fire up the DVD…
I’ll be damned. The check for $0.69 is dated September 11, 1991.
SEQUEL! SEQUEL!
Eight year-olds, dude.
I am Jack’s Hamburglar!
Well, we all know that Lebowski is the greatest film of all time, and the most quotable, so I won’t even bother loading this with any of the multitude of quotes. I will say this, before getting to my point, lest any one think I am not capable in the ways of The Dude: Today, I had a midterm in which I had to summarize the main point of Adrienne Rich’s essay “When We Dead Awaken” and I managed to reference, relate and quote TBL. I’m that good, I’m a Swiss fucking watch.
More frightening than the Gulf War backdrop is the fact that the film clearly inpired bin Laden. See, new shit has come to light, man. First off, the check dated 9/11/91 (zoom in with the DVD if your eyes/TV aren’t all they could be). Secondly, in The Dude’s second dream sequence, he is flying along, before noticing his bowling ball and crashing. Thirdly, again in The Dude’s second dream, Saddam the Shoe Man is standing in front of a giant tower of shoes. Fourthly, when The Dude is hustled into Mr. Lebowski’s limo, uttering his immortal “Hey, watch it man! There’s a beverage here!” The Dude explains “Nothing is fucked” to which Mr. Lebowski replies that "The goddam plane has crashed into the mountain!"Put it all together, what do you get? 9/11+plane+flying+crashing+tower=anything familiar?
Plus of course, Walter’s eulogy that “Donny was taken before his time, like so many other young men of his generation. At places like Khe San, Lon Doc, Hill 364.” Now, am I alone in thinking these names could easily be changed to “WTC, Pentagon, Pennsylvania”?
Ahh, fuck it. Let’s go bowling
I should have previewed that. Would have looked a lot better if I had bolded instead of italicized. And I meant to include the fact that right now, I am clothed, but wearing a bathrobe anyway. And as long as I am on the bathrobe topic, in High School (spent a lot of time occupying various administration buildings, vandalizing ROTC, don’t remember a lot about it ;)) there was some “formal dress up day” thing, to which several of my friends and I arrived clad in shorts, tshirts, sandals, and bathrobes.
The ferret in the bathtub may be the funniest thing I have ever seen.
Ender_Will, that was either the funniest post in a long time or the worst piece of bullshit since… oh, five minutes ago. I choose to believe the former, and honor you with a heartfelt belly-laugh.
I agree, quite funny.
It’s a shame it isn’t more of a fit to current events. Or perhaps that’s a good thing, I’d rather not give wild-eyed conspiricists more to use.
So someone has found a link between 911 and Saddam.
“Yeah … well, that’s just … like, your opinion, man.” 
I have. If Saddam turned up at my house, I’d call 911.
This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass.