The Dude Abides

The first time I watched The Big Lebowski, I was a sophomore in college. Two good friends of mine from the scholarship program I was in and one of their childhood friends innerduced me to the film. The idea was to get drunk on Keystone Ice and/or White Russians and try to play through a game or two of Cribbage while watching the movie and takin' er easy, and it became something of a regular ritual during our years there. It didn't take long for other folks we knew to join in and keep the tradition going after we left. But I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.

Yeah, as a fan, I was a little late to the party. I became an ordained Dudeist Priest in good standing in 2009, allowing me to minister over religious ceremonies in most U.S. States. Still, I'd always wished I could have seen it on the big screen. I guess I could have seen it in the theater when it was released, since one of my best friends worked there while we were in school, but I'd never thought of it.

So when Kevin told me a week beforehand that he had purchased tickets to an audience participation showing of my favorite college film at the Alamo Drafthouse, I was stoked. I don't think I gave her the amount of notice she'd have preferred, but my loving and understanding wife still allowed the semi-impromptu guys night out and watched the kids. (EDIT: I love you, hon!) After some front row parking and a round of beverages, we took our seats and were handed an inflatable baseball bat (think low-tier carnival prize or Chuck E. Cheese style), a purple glow stick and a pair of men's briefs (clean, we were assured). They had a one frame bowl-off in the front row with giant pins and a big, inflatable beach ball just before darkness warshed over us.

It was an interesting way to watch the show. Kind of a RHPS meets Sing-along. They had certain crowd-pleaser quotes (and a few oddball ones), along with the lyrics to the songs down at the bottom of the screen in subtitles. Audience members were encouraged to quote along with the show and shout things at the screen. At special scenes, we had the aforementioned props to act out the scene.

That purple glow stick? It was for when Jesus made his first appearance in that signature purple jumpsuit. People went nuts waving them in the air and tossing them around the theater. The bats were for when Walter beats the crap out of the car (NSFW: language). Bats were swinging everywhere, off of other people's faces and narrowly missing empty beer glasses. I knocked my glow stick off into the front row with it! The underwear was probably the best prop: it was for throwing during the hand-off scene (NSFW: language). Most everyone threw theirs immediately, a hundred pairs of tighty whities flying around the theater. But some people either held on to theirs, or picked some up off the ground, and threw them at other scenes. Kevin tied his in a knot and soaked it in beer to "give it some distance" and, much to the amusement and delight of the people sitting behind him and as much to the disgust of the people sitting in front of him and the theater cleaning staff, and threw it, nearly hitting the screen.

It was a good time, and I'm thankful to Kevin and D that I can finally say I saw it on the big screen.