Guilty Pleasures — 'The Big Lebowski'

It's no secret that Guilty Pleasures' cinematic tastes run the gamut from the silly to the sublime.

So this week, Guilty Pleasures mourns for Jerry Reed, the CB-talkin' truck driver from the "Smokey and the Bandit" movies who died Monday.

But next week, it's all about celebrating the 10th anniversary of "The Big Lebowski."

On Tuesday, Universal Studios is re-releasing this Coen brothers' cult classic/mystery/stoner/white Russian-drinking/Viking helmet-wearing/Eagles-hating/bowling flick.

The two-disk set includes a bunch of extras — if you're not into the whole brevity thing — including a mini documentary about Lebowski Fest, annual gatherings of the film's fans that began in 2002 in Louisville, Ky., that are now held in various cities across the country. (Seattle didn't have one this year, but there is one this weekend in San Francisco and one in New York on Nov. 15-16. Visit lebowskifest.com for info.)

Also, if you pick up the special limited-edition version of the anniversary set, it comes packaged in a bowling ball. Guilty Pleasures has already pre-ordered it on Amazon and is sure it will, you know, tie the room together.

However, there have been some complaints by DVD geeks that there isn't a Blu-ray version yet — but that aggression will not stand, man.

A favorite of pretty much everyone Guilty Pleasures knows, "The Big Lebowski" is responsible for so many great lines that it's hard not to try to one-up your buddies by throwing out an apt and well-timed quote.

And sure, the bowling alley is an easy place to rattle 'em off, but you get extra points for working Lebowskisms into everyday conversation:

* After being bumped at the bar — "Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here."

* Anytime an Eagles song plays — "I've had a rough night and I hate the (expletive deleted) Eagles, man."

* Someone's cell phone rings — "Phone's ringing, Dude."

* Someone asks you to do something you don't want to — I've told you "a thousand times that I don't roll on Shabbos!" (It doesn't really matter if it's Saturday or not.)

* Shouted to emphasize your point in an argument — "Mark it zero!"

* When in need of a sassy comeback — "At least I'm housebroken."

* When in need of any kind of comeback — "Yeah, well, you know that's just like, uh, your opinion, man."

* Anytime you're on a roll — "I'm throwing rocks tonight."

* Someone tells you to take it easy — "The Dude abides."

And so does Guilty Pleasures.

* Guilty Pleasures is a weekly look at whatever Guilty Pleasures wants to look at.

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