That Thulsa really tied the Doom together

[rwx]

Watched the Big Lebowski last night. It was the first time I'd seen it, and it was cool but not really my sort of movie. Or maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for it. You'd think that the painkillers would help, but things felt a little flat. I do think that this is a case of a movie that hasn't aged well, largely due to the attempts to tie it to a particular time and place.

One realization that I did have while watching it, is that the the mailing list bangstix is collectively a lot like the character of Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) in the movie.

Comments

[ms-vermilion.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps it's just not a good enough movie to live up to its own hype.

[rwx.livejournal.com]

it possibly would be hard for any movie to live up to the sort of hype that people gave that movie to me, assuming that it would instantly become my favorite movie ever.

[mad-eponine.livejournal.com]

I know a lot of critics panned it when it came out and used it as evidence that perhaps the mighty brothers Coen weren't as mighty anymore. At the time, the Coens were riding a fast-rising star. As a result, I'm not certain whether the Coens could have escaped the hype.

Perhaps it wasn't as strong an offering as their previous vehicles. I do think that it was more subtle in it's treatment of place and time. Most of their previous movies were very closely tied to time and place, and usually a specific subculture or, more accurately, caricature of subculture. I think the caricatures were less focused on just one region or group, compared to their other movies.

It has aquired a cult following, though, and has resulted in several additions to the pop culture lexicon. It took me a second viewing to really like the movie. Now I love it; of course, I'm a sucker for place, period, and the Coens' narrative. Though perhaps it is just a result of me discovering the Good News of bowling between first and second viewings.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I'm a huge Coen Bros. fan, and was before I saw Fargo.

When I first saw The Big Lebowski I was confused and disappointed.

Saw it again about three or four years later and found it completely hysterical.

I think it was instrumental that in between I saw The Big Sleep, without which I didn't have enough context to understand what was interesting about The Big Lebowski.

No, no, no, no.

[fossefox.livejournal.com]

It's one of those movies like Velvet Goldmine that doesn't seem to offer much at first and seems pretty disappointing, but gets exponentially better the more times you see it, until suddenly it IS your favorite movie ever. Watch it three more times, then we'll talk...

[skepticle.livejournal.com]

Might be one of those that grows on you.
Or maybe we just aren't friends anymore ;)

[tongodeon.livejournal.com]

http://toddalcott.livejournal.com/19382.html