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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Review by Gary W. Tooze

Mr. Jeffrey Lebowski quiz's his namesake (aka 'The Dude'): "What makes a man Mr. Lebowski?"

Released in 1998 the Coen brothers film The Big Lebowski introduces us to characters that are stuck in the 70's and who are unable or unwilling to adapt to the 90's. The story continues with a focal backdrop of the unique community that has fashioned itself around the American pastime of... bowling. The Coens also found time in the films 118 minutes to pay homage to past film genre's including westerns and Busby Berkley musicals. 

Plot: Jeff Lebowski prefers to be known as 'The Dude' and is mistaken for another Jeffrey Lebowski by a pair of thugs seeking money from his namesakes wife, Bunny. After assaulting 'The Dude', one of these ne'er-do-wells takes the opportunity to urinate on his rug. In seeking reparation he is thrust into a kidnapping plot of the said young trophy wife to extort money from the wheelchair-bound husband, Jeffrey Lebowski. Along the journey, proliferated with cultural referencing, we meet 'The Dude's' friends, his recreational environment as well as some eccentric new characters.  We learn about him and his attitude which helps define his liberal and permissive lifestyle.

Jeff Lebowski (pseudonym: "The Dude")

Favorite libation White Russian aka "Caucasian"

Achievements: One of the authors of the Port Huron Statement (the original, not the compromised second draft). Member: The Seattle Seven. "Roadie" for Metallica on their "Speed of Sound" Tour. 

Recreation: Bowling, driving around and having occasional acid flashbacks.

Favorite music: Creedence (Creedence Clearwater Revival) , Least favorite: The Eagles

Notables: has written checks to Ralph's grocery store for as little as $0.69 . 

Also responds to "His Dudeness", or uh, "Duder", or "El Duderino" (if you're not into the whole brevity thing.)

Listens to 1987 Bowling league playoffs on cassette tape while sitting on his rug (the one that "ties the whole room together").

Quotes about 'The Dude':

"Quite possibly the laziest person in L.A. County... which would put him high in the running for laziest worldwide."

Archetypal Family

Within the bowling venue we have a slight derivation of the archetypal family with "The Dude" as the understanding mother, Ex-Vietnam vet and security store owner Walter Sobchak as a violent, stifling father and Donny as the inquisitive child prodigy, who it would appear, would not be their friend if not for his bowling prowess. Another character appears quite colorfully on the scene; Jesus Quintana. Sporting a vibrant purple jumpsuit and spouting off arrogant bowling bravado, Jesus would certainly be considered the 'child clown' of the family. United only by their bowling, it would seem that their inherent strong points are there lack of judgment on each other for incompatibility. This sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing with one's own is quite endearing as well as promoting a subtle moral and societal message.

'The Dude's' Phraseology Repetition

'The Dude' is an adept mimic as he uses phrases of others shortly after in conversations with different individuals.

On the TV in Ralph's Grocery Store:

President George Bush Sr.: "This aggression against Kuwait will not stand."

  

Jeffrey Lebowski: "Now if you don't mind..."

'The Dude': "No... I do mind! 'The Dude' minds! This will not stand... you know. This aggression will not stand man!"

CLICK HERE to hear the sound bite.

Maude Lebowski talking to 'The Dude' about her mother-in-law, Bunny. 

Maude: "...'banging' Jackie Treehorn, to use the parlance of our times..."

A little while later talking to Mr. Jeffrey Lebowski in his limo, 'The Dude' repeats: "...a young trophy wife, to use the parlance of our times..."

Character Eccentricity

The activities onscreen are as diverse as the telltale eccentricities of each character presented us. Not unlike the variety of music chosen for the film (From The Sons of the Pioneers" Tumbling Tumbleweeds" to "The Man in Me" by Bob Dylan) every character only serves to compliment another by their deviant lack of uniformity.

Jesus - previously convicted pedophile who has created his own persona in the bowling alley. He is 'The Dude's' bowling teams nemesis in the upcoming league playoff match. Dude's landlord Monty performing his dance quintet.
Arthur Digby Sellers (in an iron lung): wrote 157 episodes  of the television show "Branded" (the bulk of the series). His son is suspected in the theft of the (non-existent) Lebowski ransom cash. Overtly feminist Maude Lebowski, daughter of "The Dudes" namesake. Her artistic tastes lend themselves to the vastly eclectic.

 

Castration Theme

Preying heavily on 'The Dudes' mind is the continuous mention of his castration by the nihilist thugs. Once again we have a character who is forced into an unpleasant idea or situation as 'The Dude' is with his potential loss of manhood. Another prime example of this is the arrogant bowler Jesus (John Turturro) who must inform all his Hollywood neighbors of his child abuse charge and prison sentence. Perhaps this again harkens back to the strong theme of "what it means to be a man". The dude remarks that he hopes the Lebowski kills him before the nihilists "cut his dick off". The impregnation of Maude is also a sign of this masculinity theme. Here are four examples where the castration theme is referenced:

'The Dude' is confronted while in the tub by the nihilist thugs. They drop their pet marmot which frantically swims around his groin. The group continually threatens to cut off his "Johnson". In an openly sexual discussion upon first meeting Maude, we notice a painting of a pair of scissors in the background. Maude relates euphemisms for the word "penis".
'The Dude's' Busby Berkley like dream sequences end in the German group of nihilists (formerly "Autobahn") chasing him with giant scissors preparing to make good on their threat. While in his car 'The Dude' drops his marijuana cigarette in his lap causing a momentary panic to save his nether regions . This forces him to run his car up onto the curb.

  Anal Sex

With the "f" word used 267 times in the film it might go somewhat unnoticed that this assertive statement "fuck you in the ass" be passed over as a common phrase used "in the parlance of the time". However, in keeping with the film's theme of defining perceived masculinity, I suggest that it was quite intentional. With reverse symbology the connotation helps sub-reference and define yet another motif. Here are three examples where it is used:

Upper left, Walter: "...this is what happens Larry, when you fuck a stranger in the ass."

Upper right, Nihilist: "...I fuck you in the ass!"

Left, Jesus: "This bush league psyche-out stuff. Laughable, man -- ha ha! I was gonna fuck you in the ass Saturday. I fuck you in the ass next Wednesday instead."

Donny's Demise

Having bowled nothing but strikes in every scene of the film that he hurls a ball down the alley, Theodore Donald (aka 'Donny') helps foreshadow his own death with a wobbling final pin (and no strike) in the frame just prior to leaving the bowling alley. In the parking lot he meekly joins in the confrontation with the nihilists. Child-like he questions patriarchal father Walter, "Are they going to hurt us" and Walter responds uncharacteristically (from his usual "Shut the fuck up Donny!") with, "No Donny, these men are cowards". The actor playing Donny, Steve Buscemi has a character that dies in nearly every Coen Brothers film in which he appears (Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo).

Note: The two times that we see Donny leave the comfort of the bowling lanes he is confronted with violence. As he waits in the car at the Sellers residence, Walter mistakenly provokes a neighbor who eventually attacks 'The Dude's' car with a baseball bat forcing Donny to flee.

As the deep-voiced cowboy narrator (played by Sam Elliot) informs us in the end: "I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself."

The viewing experience is enjoyable on many different levels and has a great re-watchability factor. I rate in out of .

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 15th, 1998 - Berlin Film Festival

 

Reviews                                                                   More Reviews                                                       DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Universal - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Universal - Region FREE - 4K UHD

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP LEFT

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP MIDDLE

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC TOP RIGHT

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - BOTTOM LEFT

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM MIDDLE

6) Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD - BOTTOM RIGHT

Box Covers

 

Distribution

Universal

Region 1  - NTSC

Universal (CE)

Region 1  - NTSC

Universal (CE)

Region 1  - NTSC

   

Also available in a Blu-ray Steelbook:

   

   

 

  

 

  

   

 

 

Cecchi Gorio - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray Universal
Region FREE -
4K Ultra HD
Universal (Limited Edition)
Region FREE -
4K Ultra HD

 

Distribution

Universal

Region 1  - NTSC

Universal (CE)

Region 1  - NTSC

Universal (CE)

Region 1  - NTSC

Cecchi Gorio - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray Universal
Region FREE -
4K Ultra HD
Runtime 1:56:52 1:57:12 1:57:12 1:56:55.508 1:57:15.653 1:57:12.150
Video

1.78:1 Widescreen anamorphic  

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.15 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.10 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.27 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Feature: 24,675,879,441 bytes

Disc Size:  23,861,304,576 bytes

Codec: VC-1 Video

Total Bitrate:19.98 Mbps

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 43,211,014,853 bytes  

Feature Size: 32,999,307,264 bytes

Codec: VC-1 Video

Total Bitrate: 21.12 Mbps

4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 63,255,536,404 bytes  

Feature Size: 61,843,279,872 bytes

Codec: HEVC Video

Video Bitrate: 58.64 Mbps

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Universal

Bitrate:

 

Universal CE

 

Bitrate:

 

Universal Anniversary

 

Bitrate: Italian

Blu-ray

 

 

Bitrate: Universal

Blu-ray

 

 

Bitrate: Universal

4K Ultra HD

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1) English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUBs: French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)

English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUBs: French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1726 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1726 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio Italian 1798 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1798 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 4104 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4104 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps /
24-bit)
* DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
* DTS Express English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio English 4938 kbps 7.1 / 48 kHz / 4938 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DUBs:

DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio Spanish 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio Japanese 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Audio Portuguese 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles Spanish, French and none English, Spanish, French and none English, Spanish, French and none Italian and none English (SDH), Spanish, French and none English (SDH), English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: Universal

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Theatrical trailer
• The Making of the Big Lebowski (24:35)

DVD Release Date: June 3rd, 2003
Keep Case

Chapters 22

Release Information:
Studio: Universal

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Edition Details:

• Theatrical trailer
• The Making of the Big Lebowski (24:35)
• Jeff Bridges Photography
• Mortimer Young introduction
• Production notes

 

 

DVD Release Date: October 18th, 2005
Double-lock Keep Case
Chapters: 22
 

Release Information:
Studio: Universal

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Edition Details:

Disc 1

• Mortimer Young introduction

• The Dude's Life (10:07)
• The Dude Abides: The Big • Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:26)

• Production notes

• Theatrical trailer

Disc 2
• The Making of the Big Lebowski (24:35)
• Jeff Bridges Photography
• Flying Carpets & Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:19)
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story (13:54, edited from the original 'Achievers' documentary)
• Interactive Map
• Trailer for the Coens' new film Burn After Reading

DVD Release Date: September 9th, 2008
Keep Case
Chapters: 22

Release Information:
Studio: Cecchi Gori

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,675,879,441 bytes

Feature Size23,861,304,576 bytes

Codec: VC-1 Video

Total Bitrate: 19.98 Mbps

 

Edition Details:

• Interview (7:09)

• The Making of the Big Lebowski (3:08)

• Theatrical trailer (1:51)

Blu-ray Release Date: July 9th, 2010
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 24

Release Information:
Studio: Universal
 

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 43,211,014,853 bytes  

Feature Size: 32,999,307,264 bytes

Codec: VC-1 Video

Total Bitrate: 21.12 Mbps

 

Edition Details:

• Limited Edition collectible 28-pg book packaging including an exclusive interview, Jeff Bridges’ on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia and more!
• Digital Copy of The Big Lebowski (expires 12/31/2012)
• U-Control: Scene Companion – Watch behind the scenes footage, interviews and more while you watch the film
• U-Control: Mark It, Dude – This on-screen counter keeps track of the “F-bombs,” “Dudes” and Lebowski-isms during the film
• U-Control: The Music of The Big Lebowski – Identify the songs in the film and create a custom playlist
• Worthy Adversaries: What’s My Line Trivia – Test your Lebowski knowledge with this interactive game
• The Dude’s Life (10:08)
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:27)
• Making of The Big Lebowski (24:36)
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story (13:53)
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:26)
• Interactive Map
• Jeff Bridges Photo Book
• Photo Gallery
• An Introduction (4:40)
• BD-Live
• My Scenes
• Pocket BLU
• No Kid Hungry PSAs

 

 

Blu-ray Release Date: August 16th, 20111
Digibook Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 22

Release Information:
Studio: Universal
 

4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 63,255,536,404 bytes  

Feature Size: 61,843,279,872 bytes

Codec: HEVC Video

Video Bitrate: 58.64 Mbps

 

Edition Details:

On the included Blu-ray:


• Digital Copy of The Big Lebowski
• U-Control: Scene Companion – Watch behind the scenes footage, interviews and more while you watch the film
• U-Control: Mark It, Dude – This on-screen counter keeps track of the “F-bombs,” “Dudes” and Lebowski-isms during the film
• U-Control: The Music of The Big Lebowski – Identify the songs in the film and create a custom playlist
• Worthy Adversaries: What’s My Line Trivia – Test your Lebowski knowledge with this interactive game
• The Dude’s Life (10:08)
• The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later (10:27)
• Making of The Big Lebowski (24:36)
• The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever’s Story (13:53)
• Flying Carpets and Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude (4:26)
• Interactive Map
• Jeff Bridges Photo Book
• Photo Gallery
• An Introduction (4:40)
• BD-Live
• My Scenes
• Pocket BLU
• No Kid Hungry PSAs

- collectable bag, ball pencil holder, polishing cloth in the form of a small sleeve-less sweater that holds the disc case and a rug (really ties the package together) as a potential mouse-pad

 

 

4K Ultra HD Release Date: October 16th, 2018
Custom 4K Ultra HD Case (see below)
Chapters: 23

 

Package - 4K Ultra HD

 

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and or 4K Ultra HD captures were taken directly from the disc but are limited by the computer display (see below) they are seen with.

 ADDITION: Universal 20th Anniversary - 2-disc - Region FREE -  4K Ultra HD (November 2018): 

 

Firstly, The Big Lebowski 4K Ultra HD is available in two package options;  A standard edition with 2 disc - a 4K UHD transfer (with HDR10) and the same 2011 Blu-ray already reviewed here. The more advanced package has that plus a collectable bag, ball pencil holder, polishing cloth in the form of a small sleeve-less sweater that holds the disc case and a rug (really ties the package together) as a potential mouse-pad. (see images above). Both options 4K Ultra HD discs are identical - it is mainly the LE accoutrements and both offer a digital copy of The Big Lebowski (Subject to expiration,)

 

DVDBeaver have over 5,000 Blu-ray reviews on this website and over 10,000 disc reviews in total. The problem with reviews that use screen captures are standardization of the methodology used to obtain them - and while we have recently made an adjustment to improve representation in this area - both un-standardized, un-calibrated, computer monitors and a variety of home theatre viewing systems become a factor. This makes comparisons all the more important since the images are all viewed on the same monitor and the differences are apparent.

 

4K Ultra HD produces another significant issue - it is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light.

 

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date:  2001: A Space Odyssey (using the included Blu-ray to showcase the new restoration color difference), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR) and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

 

Our adjustment is trying to simulate the same strong color scheme - we cannot - but it is definitely closer than the 4K UHD captures as viewed on a standard computer monitor. We have included one 'raw' un-simulated' capture to show detail in the 3,840 by 2,160 resolution.

 

We are using an LG B6 65" 4K UHD HDR OLED TV display supporting both HDR & Dolby Vision:

 

 

and an Oppo UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player with HDR & Dolby Vision (UHD, Blu-ray, 3D, DVD, DVD-Audio, SACD and CD).

 

 

But on your computer monitor we cannot due justice to the 4K Ultra HD image. After extensive attempts - we have come close. Before the world screams - our simulation captures are not standardized (for future reviews) and do not give a valid representation - yes, the 4K UHD is certainly superior to our simulation.

 

The captures we have taken are native resolution: 3,840 by 2,160 pixels which you can see when you click on them. The resolution in 4K movie theaters is marginally higher at 4,096 by 2,160 pixels. To appreciate the advancement mathematically it is 4X the number of pixels on a 1080p Blu-ray display, and almost 24X times the resolution of your old SD Sony Trinitron tube television (standard definition).

 

This is on a dual-layered Ultra HD disc (taking up 63 Gig with over almost 61 Gig for the film itself!) The video bitrate is about almost triple that of the Blu-ray. The old 1080P - as well as being soft-ish with reported digitization - had dull colors and the new image is a revelation by comparison. The 4K Ultra HD is significantly brighter (bunny's bikini looks almost neon), balanced, rich and unrelentingly vibrant with the HDR infusion. It is glorious. Skin tones warm, detail advances and there is abundant depth but the value is probably most apparent in the colors over the drab Blu-ray. Hopefully the few simulation screen captures with give you an idea of the vast improvement.

As for The Big Lebowski image presentation quality - it is superior to that of Blu-ray over DVD. It is substantial and hard to describe how good it really looks.

 

As for the audio - it is a very robust DTS-HD Master 7.1 track and it also improves upon the previous editions. Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" to Big Johnson's "Viva Las Vegas" and even the beloved Creedence sound deep and crisp in the new audio transfer and Universal's disc has a few optional foreign-language DUBs and subtitle options including English and English (SDH). Like all UHD disc this is Region FREE - playable worldwide on the appropriate equipment.  

 

The 2-disc 4K Ultra HD package has the exact same VC-1 Blu-ray from 2011 with all the same extras and the feature (see below). The 4K Ultra HD disc is bare bones with no extras.

 

Well, this is a TOP 100 (of all time) film as judged by many critics. The improvement over the poorly transferred Blu-ray is so welcome for fans of the film who can indulge in it over and over - now looking brilliant as if it is brand new. Wow! For fans - this is a reason to upgrade their system to 4K Ultra HD, if 2001: A Space Odyssey or Saving Private Ryan weren't enough reason already. 

 

***

ADDITION: Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - August 2011': "This won't stand Man, this digitization won't stand, man". The Universal looks to have some egregious DNR - which displeases 'The Dude' to no end. Even though the Universal is dual-layered it tends to look waxy and very orange compared to the Italian 1080P. Both use the VC-1 but upon close inspection the newer Universal is softer with a loss of detail and frequently seems slightly cropped, possibly zoomed-in, beside the European Blu-ray. Now the Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' does have more artefacts but purchasers will have to weigh what they can live with in regards to the Universal transfer. I think we have been accurate on most capture matches (off positively on at least one) and if you download both 1080 resolution image files and toggle back and forth you can see the issue.

As for the audio- the new Universal sounds super via a DTS-HD Master 5.1 at a robust 4104 kbps. It exceeds the Italian release sounding having more depth and presence. Perhaps a little more noticeable is the audio and all the great songs of the film sound tighter and crisper (from Bob Dylan's "The Man In Me" to Big Johnson's "Viva Las Vegas" and even the beloved Creedence). The Universal Blu-ray offers optional subtitles and it Region FREE.

The Universal is stacked with cool extras. Beyond what was on the last 2-disc DVD the Blu-ray is housed in a 'limited edition' collectible 28-pg book packaging including an exclusive interview, Jeff Bridges’ on-set photography, a film timeline, trivia. There is a digital copy available (with expires 12/31/2012) and three U-Control features: Scene Companion – where you can watch behind the scenes footage, interviews and more while you watch the film, secondly Mark It, Dude – this on-screen counter keeps track of the “F-bombs,” “Dudes” and Lebowski-isms during the film - and lastly The Music of The Big Lebowski (accessible from the Set-up menu – identifies the songs in the film and create a custom playlist. Fans might also enjoy the 10-minute featurette The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later with the cast recalling the film production.  

 I must say that I am disappointed in the DNR - but the rest of the disc (package, supplements and audio) are all outstanding. The BD has value from that standpoint but those with discerning taste in the visual portion of their Home theater presentation will be scratching their head.

***

ADDITION: Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - December 2010': 'The Dude' might prefer the shorter version of our comments here - so, yes, the Italian Blu-ray is better - it is VC-1 encoded and may have come from the previous HD-DVD (one of the few prominent titles available on HD-DVD that have not yet come to Region 'A' Blu-ray). While technically adept, (progressive, 3X the bitrate of the last DVD etc.) is doesn't swell in visual quality - it has fewer artifacts (still maintaining some), a shade of edge-enhancement from some boosting, and it is grainer than I would have anticipated. It is not a dramatic upgrade but the depth and detail both improve. So do colors - marginally. How discerning you, or your system, are will be the biggest factor in identifying the improvement.

Extras include 7-minutes of snippet interviews with Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and the Coens and 3 -minutes of behind-the-scenes shooting. despite the shortness this is still interesting to fans of the film.

This is long overdue for region 'A' but I still have no date in sight and who knows when another Blu-ray of The Big Lebowski will come to region 'B' (unless there is a Scandinavian one I don't know about). Impatient fans may wish to indulge - this is one film that just continues to get better with age.

 

***

 

ADDITION: Anniversary Edition - September 08': Come one Universal! Triple dipping (if you include the HD edition) is dicey territory but quadruple dipping (and eventually centuple when the Blu-ray surfaces) can be downright ignorant. But anyway, the DNR (or whatever created the softness) of the Collector's Edition has been removed (or greatly minimized). On the image front it's no contest with this new Anniversary being the best bet of the three - and the screen grabs below should corroborate that story.

 

Audio and subtitle options are the same as the Collector's Edition.

 

Supplements: All the old extras are included - Mortimer Young introduction, Production notes, Theatrical trailer, the 25 minute, Making of the Big Lebowski and the Jeff Bridges Photography album. But new to this two disc are two ten minutes featurettes - The Dude's Life and The Dude Abides: The Big Lebowski Ten Years Later with input from cast and the director brothers. All good - and interesting to finally hear some of them speak about the film. 4+ minutes on the surreal dream sequence of 'The Dude' lengthily entitled Flying Carpets & Bowling Pin Dreams: The Dream Sequences of The Dude, a clunky interactive map for the real geeks about the film (I raise my hand), an edited bit on The Lebowski Fest: An Achiever's Story - which can be very amusing and finally a trailer for the Coens' new film Burn After Reading.

 

Bottom line is that with the HD player in mothballs, this new Anniversary Edition is pretty sweet with the cool supplements and the vastly improved SD image. At only $14 it's a must-own for the many fans of the film - I'm ashamed to say - 'yes, buy again' but I really feel it's worth it although I suspect a Blu-ray within a year.

 

 

****

 

ON THE ORIGINAL vs. THE COLLECTOR EDITION: There was a lot of artifacts in the original NTSC edition of this DVD which made it quite distracting for normal viewing. This was due to the fact that Universal put both Full Screen and Widescreen edition of one side of a dual layered DVD - hence the bitrate/s was unusually low. The new issue is certainly smoother but also a bit softer in appearance. The new release has faithfully maintained the 1.85 scope while the old anamorphized to lose approx 4% at 1.78 (there is some noticeable cropping on the sides of the first release and the bottom of the new one). Both are tight to the frame maximizing horizontal resolution. Colors are different and I feel that the new release colors are more accurate to the theatrical presentation, than the old edition which looked a shade boosted. I do suspect the new colors of being slightly washed possibly due to the shifting of the pixels to remove the old artifacts?! - I don't know. It is still not a perfect image transfer with the haziness but I do feel improved from the weak first edition. In the extras department the new Collector's edition has a 5 minute introduction by a 'Mortimer Young'  of 'Forever Young Film Preservation' who gives some erroneous, but fatuous background of the film and its rescue from a Wilmington archive fire. This includes a sample of re-dubbing from Italian. Both editions contain 24 minute The Making of the Big Lebowski featurette. The new edition has optional English, French and Spanish subtitles, where the old only offered French and Spanish.

 - Gary Tooze

 



Menus

 

Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC

 

 

Disc 2

 



( Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1- NTSC - RIGHT)


 

 

Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray

 

Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY or 4K Ultra HD CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL NATIVE RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures RAW Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD

 

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - FIFTH

6) Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD (simulation) - BOTTOM

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - FIFTH

6) Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD (simulation) - BOTTOM

 


1) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - TOP

2) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - MIDDLE

3) Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD (simulation) - BOTTOM

 


Universal - Region FREE 4K Ultra HD (simulation)

 


Subtitle Sample

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


 

1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Universal - Collector's Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - SECOND

3) Universal - 2-disc Anniversary Edition - Region 1 - NTSC - THIRD

4) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

 

1) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - TOP

2) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - TOP

2) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Cecchi Gori - Region 'B' Blu-ray - TOP

2) Universal - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


Hit Counter


Report Card:

 

Image:

4K Ultra HD

Sound:

4K Ultra HD

Extras:

4K Ultra HD LE with included Universal Blu-ray

 

   

Also available in a Blu-ray Steelbook:

   

   

 

  

 

  

   

 

 

Cecchi Gorio - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray Universal
Region FREE -
4K Ultra HD
Universal (Limited Edition)
Region FREE -
4K Ultra HD





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gary Tooze

Many Thanks...