the big lebowski kit

hi there

well, if this item were to be packed away without some pictures and comments being made i suspect one or two would not, as it were, abide. i am not sure why i have not posted this here before, really - laziness, perhaps, or just a reluctance to attract fellow fans of the Lebowski, for they might not find the rest of this blog to their liking. if they, indeed you, like this, then nice one.

how is it that i ended up with a Big Lebowski kit? a combination of things, really, but in truth it stems from none other than my Dad. i had better explain that one.

when Jeff Bridges did that film where he played that guy, right, my Dad all of a sudden considered Jeff Bridges to be the greatest thing ever. to that end, he demanded of me "every film" that Mr Bridges had appeared in. my brother and i were really quite excited about this, as it gave us an opportunity to have Dad willingly watch The Big Lebowski, a film we were sure would upset him.

why would this film, considered by many (rightly) to be a masterpiece and perhaps the greatest triumph of the Cohen brothers (which is quite a statement), offend him? the language. foul and obscene language in films tends to offend Dad a great deal. as in his review of Casino was "why did they have to swear so much in it, it ruined the film".  seeing people getting stabbed in the neck with a pen, or beaten senseless with baseball bats and then buried alive, didn't bother him too much.

anyway, i arranged a copy of the film for Dad, and waited for the call to ask me what the hell i was playing at, giving it to him. it was a call that never came. to my surprise, and delight, he loved every minute of the film, with reports from Mum suggesting he has never laughed to so much at a movie.

yeah, that's a C64 style image of the kit for you. fear not, there is a mix of C64 and "proper" pictures for your enjoyment, i just prefer the C64 ones.

anyway, as Dad was now well into The Big Lebowski, i decided to browse and see if i could find him a suitable gift to reflect his love of the film. it was then that i discovered this kit on sale on amazon. as at the time amazon offered free shipping on anything you like, so long as the order was over £25, it became viable for me to buy him one and indeed get one for myself. 

sadly amazon stopped that special on the shipping, which has helped my bank account a great deal, but i do wish they would do it again. in the mean time, at my time of writing at least, amazon still have this item for sale - here is the link to it for you if you have a wish to purchase. 

if for some reason you have never seen The Big Lebowski yet have somehow managed to read this far, you may want to stop around about now, for a look at the contents of this kit will give some spoilers.

how to describe this film? well, the best i can do is, and i chose the wording here very carefully, to say that at face value The Big Lebowski is a complex, post-modernist reimagination of key works by Homer. on further study, however, it reveals itself to be a simple, surprisingly linear straightforward work of comic genius. yes, i have double checked, and that is intended to be that way around.

onwards with the contents (or most of it) of this kit, and where better to start than with a coffee mug? it has a most excellent picture on it, shown here in class C64 style to make it look even better.

no is the answer. the question is "do i use this mug". there is zero chance of it ever being used, why on earth would i risk damaging it?

the quote on the other side of the mug is an impressive, important and relevant one from Walter.

wise words indeed.

which is the front and the back of the mug, you ask? well that would depend on if you are naturally right or left handed, and indeed which way you hold a coffee mug, no matter which hand you are more inclined to use anyway.

never mind that, though, what's this, in full on C64 mode glory, inside the mug?

it is, frankly, a toe. this makes perfect sense if you happen to have seen the film.

i would imagine that a few of you would be interested in a clearer image of both the mug and indeed the toe, so here you go!

i am probably not going to be at all popular for revealing this, but please be warned - if you ever attend a Big Lebowski screening at the invitation of my Dad, be prepared for the toe from his kit to be launched at you at some point after watching the film.

a further clearer view of the two above is shown below, along with a quick look at the book that comes with it too. although i like the C64 look.

what else is there inside the box? well, how about a Dude bowling jacket patch and a Dude Abides fridge magnet? yeah? yes.

one of the interesting, so obvious you miss it facts about the film The Big Lebowski is that whilst bowling takes a central position in the movie, at no point do you ever see Jeff Bridges actually bowl. go watch the film again if you don't believe me!

as for the Dude Abides quote, it is interesting that it has lingered as the most frequently quoted line from the film over the last, what, 15 years or so. it's a line that is only used once in the movie, yet this seems to be the phrase all remember. and why not, it's a class philosophy.

and yes, the fridge magnet looks splendid in C64 mode. here is the proof.

for a final look at the contents of this box, well, here's something that really ties the box together. and, indeed, would tie your desk together.

yes, that's right, a rug mousepad.

nope, i don't use this either. i keep the kit packed up safe, sorry. although taking it out now to take a picture of it, in C64 mode of course, i could see it being used at some point. it's a rather smart and practical one.

is this kit worth getting, and is it decent value for money? this blog is not really the place for such questions to be posed or greeted with an answer. if you or someone you know is a fan of The Big Lebowski, then the pretty obvious answer is "oh, hell yes", no matter what the cost is.

i would be pretty sure that you have worked this out all by yourself, but yes indeed the above shows the back of the box, should you want further information on it all.

and that's it really. as a sort of novelty item, i am rather pleased to have it. it has no practical purpose, but then so what. it's a very nice way of showing off some love for a truly great film!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!