Filmgaming

Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

If you're like me, you've seen The Big Lebowski more times than you can count. Heck, I'll probably watch it a few more times before Burn After Reading comes out (Sept. 12).

Here's a more adventurous way to pass the time: it might feel like puking on a Picasso, or killing a unicorn, or peeing on your favorite rug...but I dare you to do it anyway. Recast The Big Lebowski.
       
Jeff Bridges     ...     The Dude

John Goodman     ...     Walter Sobchak

Steve Buscemi     ...     Donny

Julianne Moore     ...     Maude Lebowski

David Huddleston     ...     Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Philip Seymour Hoffman     ...     Brandt

Tara Reid     ...     Bunny Lebowski

David Thewlis     ...     Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft)

Philip Moon     ...     Woo, Treehorn Thug

Mark Pellegrino     ...     Blond Treehorn Thug

Peter Stormare     ...     Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'

Flea     ...     Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!")

Torsten Voges     ...     Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!")

Jack Kehler    ...     Marty, the Dude's landlord

Sam Elliot     ...     The Stranger

Ben Gazzara     ...     Jackie Treehorn

Leon Russom     ...     Malibu Police Chief

Jesse Flanagan     ...     Little Larry Sellers
 
John Turturro    ...     Jesus Quintana

Extra credit for replacing the songs in the Dude's dream sequences.

"The Man in Me" by Bob Dylan

"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

Grand prize: Spout track jacket and t-shirt
Second prize: Spout t-shirt
Third prize: a nihilist's favorite thing. nothing.

All entries posted by Wednesday, September 17  9-18 will be eligible. Winners will be announced here on Friday the 19th. (I'm enjoying the responses, so let's make it a day longer.)

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

This is blashphemy, but here is a Big Lebowski for a younger generation:

I may not be completely happy with this yet, and will also be back to add in the songs.

James Franco as The Dude (doing a more logical version of Saul from Pineapple)

Vincent D'nofrio as Walter Sobchak

Jay Baruchel as Donny

Isla Fisher as Maude Lebowski

Philip Seymour Hoffman (yes, you read that right) as Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Rich Sommer as Brandt

Taylor Momsen as Bunny Lebowski

Roger Waters as Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft)

C.S. Lee as Woo, Treehorn Thug

Tom Jane as Blond Treehorn Thug

Jason Segel as Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'

Dave Grohl as Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!")

Rainn Wilson as Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!")

Kyle Gass as Marty, the Dude's landlord

Mickey Rourke as The Stranger

Eric Bana as Jackie Treehorn

Glenn Morshower as Malibu Police Chief

Jonah Hill as Little Larry Sellers
 
Russel Brand as Jesus Quintana

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

All right, let’s get a few things strait:

The Big Lebowski is one of the most perfectly cast films of all times.

The Coen Brothers are Gods.

Any attempt to alter one of their films, in any way, is blasphemous and will undoubtedly result in St. Peter scratching your name out of the book and an angel in heaven being immediately set on fire.

I’m gonna do it anyway.

I now present to you:

The Big Lebowski – by Trey Parker & Matt Stone

The Dude………….. Jesus

Yes, I think The Dude was supposed to symbolize Christ.

Walter Sobchak………….. Eric Cartman

Now, this would be fantastic. Can't you just hear "You mark that fram an eight, and you're entering a world of pain." in the Cartman voice.

Donny………………. Kyle Broflovski

I though about using Kenny for obvious reasons but went with Kyle because of the pre-existing dynamics between his character and Cartman's would have translated beautifully to this script. I am waaaaaay overthinking this aren't I?

Maude Lebowski…….. Wendy Testabuger

Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski .Dr. Mephesto

Brandt………………. Big Gay Al

The Big Lebowski's right hand man would be Super!

Bunny Lebowski….. Half-head Britney Spears

Knox Harrington (the weirdo at Maude's) Mr. Slave

Woo, Treehorn Thug…….. Mr Hankey

How can a turd pee on a rug. I don't know, we may have to change the script a bit but damn it!! That rug really tied the room together.

Blond Treehorn Thug……. Towelie

Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'…… Butters

Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!")……… Timmy

Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!")………. Jimmy

Marty, the Dude's landlord….Mr. Mackey 

The Stranger – Chef That one's just too obvious.

Jackie Treehorn… Ned Gerblansky

Malibu Police Chief……….. Mr Garrison

I really want to see the scene with Mr. Garrison and his puppet Mr Hat as the Malibu police chief interrogating The Dude. It's got a lot of potential. Maybe we could fit the "Crucify Him" song in right around there.

Little Larry Sellers….. Token Black

Jesus Quintana………… Satan

I love it. A gay, child molestor, that's huge and red with horns............................ named Jesus.

As far as the music goes, I would just use the soundtrack to Jesus Christ Superstar. I would replace “Just Dropped In” with that “What’s The Buzz, Tell Me What’s-A-Happening’ “song.

“The Man in Me” would be replaced by “Hosanna”

OK that's all I've got. Please excuse me while I go wash the guilt and shame off.

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

"Gems That Time Forgot"
A Column that sheds light on those hidden gems now available on Video

by Karl42

This Week's Movie:  Go-Go Going Gone! (or The Two Lancasters and The Lady)

Released January 17, 1969
Writers:  Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers
Producers:  Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers
Director:  Stanley Kubrick

This madcap slapstick comedy is set in the London scene in 1968, and concerns three American expatriates (Peter Sellers as The Bloke, George C. Scott as Walter, and Don Knotts as Donny) who spend their spare time playing darts at the local pub, and who find themselves unwittingly exploring the shady underworld of the British swinging scene.  The mix of American and British actors sparkle on screen, and elevate the entire film beyond standard counter-culture comedy.

We begin with the voiceover of Slm Pickens, introducing us to the Bloke over the dulcet strains of "Ferry Across the Mersey" by Gerry and the Pacemakers.  In this way we are introduced to our ne'er-do-well protagonist and his situation as an unemployed, burnt-out American pothead living in Brixton, a lower-class suburb of London.

The real fun starts when Sellers returns to his flat and is accosted by two thugs (Graham Chapman with his best Cockney accent, and Bruce Lee) who work for nightclub owner and "blue" filmmaker Jackie Treehorn (Keenan Wynn).  The bumbling thugs have confused The Bloke with wealthy socialite Johnathan Lancaster, as that is the Bloke's legal name.  the plot is set in motion when Lee actually urinates on the Bloke's rug.

Over a game of darts at the pub the next evening, the Bloke, Walter, and Donny agree that retribution should be made from the REAL Lancaster (played with superb crankiness by Peter Bull, the Russian ambassador from Dr. Strangelove).

At Lancaster's palatial estate, the Bloke meets Lancaster's sycophantic assistant (David Niven), and his bubble-headed wife (Goldie Hawn).  From here, hilarity ensues!

Also noteworthy is the British Invasion tunes that make up the soundtrack during certain scenes.  The theme song is "King Midas in Reverse" by the Hollies.  Quinn Conway and Liam O'Brien make their appearance as competitive darters to the song "The Mighty Quinn" by Manfred Mann.  When Maude Lancaster's thugs take back the rug the Bloke stole, they punch him out, and theres a dream sequence where the Bloke is riding a massive dart to the song "Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison.  There is another crazy dream sequence featuring Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," with the Bloke dressed up as Superman, who starts a dance number with Maude Lancaster, who's decked out like Lois Lane.  Bunny Lancaster reappears in the film speeding down the streets in her Aston Martin, singing along to the Zombies tune "She's not There."

To tell more would need a spoiler alert, so I'll just end with a warning: Kubrick pulls out all the stops to take Edward's and Seller's script in directions completely unexpected, and the cast pulls it off with a dryness of wit that only Kubrick could coax out, as effective as his turn in Dr. Strangelove.  This film is also noteworthy in that the profanity (the F-word is used 281 times!) caused this movie to receive the first ever X rating after the Motion Picture Association of America implemented its rating system on November 1, 1968.

The full cast is listed below. Other trivia tidbits follow certain names.

The Bloke -- Peter Sellers

Walter Sobchak -- George C. Scott (Scott loved the idea of Walter, a WWII nut who was too young to enlist, so he moves to Britain to be closer to the action "just in case...")

Donny -- Don Knotts

Maude Lancaster -- Julie Andrews (She petitioned for the role to show her comedic chops and also to shed the "goody-goody" image that The Sound of Music and her other roles had given her.)

Jonathan Lancaster -- Peter Bull (Russian ambassador from Dr. Strangelove)

Brandt -- David Niven

Bunny Lancaster -- Goldie Hawn

Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft) -- John Cleese

Woo, Treehorn Thug -- Bruce Lee

Blonde Treehorn Thug -- Graham Chapman

Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus' -- Malcom Mc Dowell

Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!") -- Marty Feldman

Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!") -- Michael York

Marty, the Bloke's landlord -- Peter Ustinov

The Stranger -- Slim Pickens

Jackie Treehorn -- Keenan Wynn

Hampstead Garden Police Chief -- Sterling Hayden

(Renamed from Malibu Police Chief)

Little Larry Sellers -- a young Rowan Atkinson (he was 13 in 1968)
 
Quinn Conway -- Dudley Moore
(renamed from Jesus Quintana -- he's a contentious, thick, Irish competitor at darts in the pub)

Liam O'Brien  -- Bob Hoskins
(Quinn Conway's dart partner -- name unchanged from the real movie!)

Dunleavey -- Aubrey Morris, who played the Truancy Officer from A Clockwork Orange
(renamed from Da Fino -- the private detective hired by Bunny's family to track her down)

Author's Note:  I have absolutely nothing against the suburb of Brixton, just picked a name at random -- sorry if anyone's offended!

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

 O.K. i agree with Leeroy ,perfect casting..now what other bloke with a beard could i possibly see as "The Dude"..why not avoid that problem altogether?...straight recast,just a few adjustments of character names...

 Janeanne Garafolo   ... The Dudette

  Susie Esseman           ...       Wanda Sobchak

   Illeana Douglas   ...         Donna

    David Duchovney  ...     Mike Lebowski

 Kim Cattrall             ...   Jeannie Lebowski (the big)

Mary Lynn Rajskub   ....  Brandt

Seth Green      ....   Benny Lebowski

 Ellen Page   ...      Nolene Harrington

Lindsay Lohan    ....   Treehorn thug

Britney Spears    ...Treehorn thug

Jane Lynch      ....       Nihilist #1

  Tina Weymouth       ...     Nihilist #2

    Gina Gershon         ...          Nihilist #3

    Pete Docherty  .... Nilhist's boyfriend  who has toe cut off

Imelda Staunton    ....     Marla  the Dudette's landlord

Lily Tomlin    .....         The Stranger

Roseanne        ....     Jacquie  Treehorn

  Abigail Breslin     .... Little Lucy Sellers

   Francis McDormand       ....       Malibu Police Chief

 Angelina Jolie       ....       Jessie  Quintana

   Tunes..

 "Les Artistes"  Santogold

   and 

  "All i Wanna Do"  Sheryl Crow...    .phew!

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

From 1949 through 1957, Elia Kazan seemed unstoppable.  Not only did he direct one film per year, but those nine films were nominated for a total of 41 oscars, winning 15, including best director for On The Waterfront.  Then there would be a two year gap before his next film.  Most people believed the two years were consumed by his return to Broadway, most notably for producing/directing William Inge's The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs. 

But digging through media archives for a recent episode of Inside the Actor's Studio, Lames Lipton discovered a rough cut believed to be lost forever.  After an unprecedented run of dramatic films and stage productions, Kazan, wanting to try his hand at comedy, bought an unproduced script written by I.A.L. Diamond, which Billy Wilder had passed on in favor of Some Like It Hot. 

Legend has it that Wilder was kept in the dark until shooting had wrapped.  Apparently Lillian Hellman, still furious with Kazan for naming names during the McCarthy hearings, informed Wilder, who then convinced Gloria Swanson (who was apparently always up for an adventure) to break into the studio and destroy the negatives before they could be printed.  Kazan didn't have the heart to start from scratch, and so returned to his Broadway
roots.  Over thirty years later, Joel and Ethan Coen came across the Diamond script at an old memorabilia shop on Hollywood Boulevard, and the rest is history.

Apparently Walter Mathau had lobbied for the role of The Dude, but Kazan had his heart set on Dean Martin.  Unfortunately Martin was already committed to filming Rio Bravo, so Kazan turned to his 1957 Face In The Crowd star Andy Griffith instead (he tried to appease Mathau by casting him as The Stranger). Studio heads were dubious about Griffith (they wanted a more proven comedic actor like Jack Lemmon or Dean Martin), but were somewhat appeased by Anthony Quinn and Montgomery Clift playing his bowling buddies.

Kazan fleshed out the rest of the cast with familiar veterans of his stage and film productions.  The exception was his choice for the pivotal Jesus Quintana.  Kazan had an open call and had all but given up when an athletic looking young actor sauntered onto the soundstage.  From Ricardo Montalban's first line, Kazan knew he had found his Jesus.

One of the few surviving annecdotes about the set was of a drunken brawl between Rod Steiger and Jack Palance, which might have got out of hand had Anthony Quinn not knocked their heads together.

Director: Elia Kazan (the actor's studio version)

Andy Griffith        ...     The Dude

Anthony Quinn        ...     Walter Sobchak

Montgomery Clift    ...     Donny

Geraldine Page        ...     Maude Lebowski

Burl Ives        ...     Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Paul Newman        ...     Brandt

Natalie Wood        ...     Bunny Lebowski

Martin Landau        ...     Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft)

Henry Silva         ...     Woo, Treehorn Thug

Dennis Hopper        ...     Blond Treehorn Thug

Eli Wallach        ...     Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'

Dean Stockwell        ...    Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!")

Richard Davalos        ...     Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!")

Carl Malden        ...     Marty, the Dude's landlord

Walter Mathau        ...     The Stranger

Rod Steiger        ...     Jackie Treehorn

Jack Palance        ...     Malibu Police Chief

Sal Mineo        ...     Little Larry Sellers
 
Ricardo Montalban    ...     Jesus Quintana


Songs in the Dude's dream sequences:

"All I Have To Do Is Dream" by the Everly Brothers

"Who's Sorry Now" by Connie Francis

(compliments of Derek in Charlottesville, VA)

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

karl42:

 

Walter Sobchak -- George C. Scott (Scott loved the idea of Walter, a WWII nut who was too young to enlist, so he moves to Britain to be closer to the action "just in case...")

That's effing perfect. I love it.

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

At first I was thinking that there wasn't any way to do this... but then it hit me... there is only one other time and place that The Big Lebowski could be made... the early '70's.... and there was only one director who would have or could have made it... Robert Altman... so here it is....

The Big Lebowski by Robert Altman

       
Donald Sutherland    ...     The Dude

Sterling Hayden     ...     Walter Sobchak

Woody Allen    ...     Donny

Julie Christie     ...     Maude Lebowski

Marlon Brando   ...     Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Robert Duvall     ...     Brandt

Cybil Shepard     ...     Bunny Lebowski

Bud Court     ...     Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft)

Bruce Lee     ...     Woo, Treehorn Thug

Arnold Schwarzenegger    ...     Blond Treehorn Thug

Udo Keir     ...     Nihilist #1, Uli Kunkel / 'Karl Hungus'

David Bowie     ...     Nihilist #2, Kieffer ("It's not fair!")

Jeff Bridges     ...     Nihilist #3, Franz ("I break you!")

Leslie Nielsen   ...     Marty, the Dude's landlord

Lee Marvin    ...     The Stranger

Jack Lemon    ...     Jackie Treehorn

Clint Eastwood    ...     Malibu Police Chief

Clint Howard     ...     Little Larry Sellers
 
Bruce Dern   ...     Jesus Quintana

Elliot Gould as Da Fino  (you know, a brother shamus..)

Extra credit for replacing the songs in the Dude's dream sequences.

"The Man in Me" by Bob Dylan

I have no idea what would replace Dylan... but....

"Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition

I think that the 13 Women by the finish band the THE RENEGADES 

would be a nice fit..

Re:Recasting THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)

My picks, feel free to critique.

The Dude: Nicholas Cage (does anyone else look/sound as permanently stoned? Plus he looks hideous with long hair--see 'Bangkok Dangerous')

Walter: Gary Busey

Donnie: DJ Qualls

Maude Lebowski: Catherine O'Hara (see 2002's 'Orange County'), maybe Frances McDormand... I'm a little stuck betwen the two.

Jeffrey Lebowski: Sean Connery (scary when he's mad)

Bunny Lebowski: Ana Farris

Brandt: Jack Black (A clean-shaven JB would have a hilarious interpretation of this role... PSH's was fantastic, but I'm pretty sure JB would completely steal the scene.)

As far as I've gotten over lunch.  I'll finish it out later.

SkyPilot:

If you're like me, you've seen The Big Lebowski more times than you can count. Heck, I'll probably watch it a few more times before Burn After Reading comes out (Sept. 12).

THE BIG LEBOWSKI: The RNC-approved Edition

Given the renewed confidence among rightwingers after John McCain’s recent bump in the polls, our mission today is to imagine a version of the Big Lebowski that is funded and cast entirely by the Republican National Committee. The cast list, of course, includes only conservative-leaning actors. It goes without saying that Jerry Bruckheimer would produce and Mel Gibson would direct, but a few other housekeeping items are in order:

·         As much as we’d like to keep the bowling sequences in an effort to appeal to blue collar audiences, we were unable to find a Hollywood Republican who could match even Barack Obama’s bowling score. It has to be golf.

·         The setting would need to move from the liberal cesspool of the Valley down to the friendlier confines of Orange County.

·         Those German nihilists would, in fact, need to be a dangerous band of Socialist thugs, who once put out a pro-Sandinista album in the early-80s.

·         “The Dude” has too much of a proto-hippie ring to it. We’ll need to assign a new moniker to our hero: The Man.

·         The Man, Walter, and Donnie are all trust-fund layabouts who enrolled in the Nat’l Guard to avoid serving in ‘Nam (the model here is obviously GW/Quayle, not John McCain, so keep your fur down!).

·         The Big Lebowski is not a wealthy entrepreneur, but a snooty, liberal PoliSci professor from UCLA who likes to bed (and wed) unassuming female students from respectable conservative families.

·         Finally, no weed, no roach clips- just sweet Carolina chewing tobacco.

And, so here’s the cast list:

Jim Caviezel    ...     The Man

Mel Gibson     ...     Walter Sobchak

Jon Cryer     ...     Donny

Patricia Heaton     ...     Maude Lebowski

Jon Voigt     ...     Jeffrey Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Dean Cain     ...     Brandt

Mary-Kate/Ashley Olsen     ...     Bunny Lebowski

James Woods     ...     Knox Harrington (the weirdo in Maude's loft)

Kirk Cameron     ...     Woo, Treehorn Thug

Stephen Baldwin     ...     Blonde Treehorn Thug

Chuck Norris     ...     Socialist #1, Karl V. Debs

Kevin Sorbo    ...     Socialist #2, Che

Lorenzo Lamas     ...     Socialist #3, Sean Penn

John O’Hurley    ...     Marty, the Man’s timeshare manager

Fred Thompson     ...     The Stranger

Ben Stein     ...     Jackie Treehorn

Craig T. Nelson     ...     Irvine Police Chief

Zachery Ty Bryan     ...     Little Larry Sellers
 
Kelsey Grammer    ...     Jesus Quintana (best line: nobody tries to play through on the Jesus!)

Extra credit for replacing the songs in the Dude's dream sequences.

"When He Returns" by Bob Dylan

"You Light up My Life" by Debbie Boone