Can you go ahead when you have time and expand on why Big Lebowski is 5 cookay. I re-watched it about a month ago and it's a good movie but I just don't understand its cult status. The people who love it, love it absolutely, and it's just not something that has stuck with me like say, a Pulp Fiction. I want to hop on this bandwagon and I feel that there's something I'm missing.
As far as NBK, I'd welcome anyone to tear it down. I just nominated it, I'm not necessarily sure it is 5 cook-ay, like, say I'm sure Boogie Nights is.
hmm to explain why I liked Lebowski... I don't know if I can explain what characteristics about the movie make is a fiver in my mind. Instead I'm just going to list examples of scenes/moments throughout that I think are worthy of the five start status.
1.) When the Dude colors the pad of jackey treehorn to try and find out what he was writing while on the phone. Simple, crude, perfect.
2.) When the two thugs are roughing up the Dude and urinate on his rug. The one line that makes the entire scene for me is "Obviously you're not a golfer."
3.) The confrontation between the three bowlers and nihilists in the parking lot
4.) Donny's funeral
5.) The dream sequence in which Sadam Hussein gives the Dude his bowling shoes
I just realized that I can keep going for a while...
oh and I have to mention 6.) when he trips over the board nailed to his floor
The ability of this movie to keep things superficial and light yet continuously hint the possibility that at any moment it could turn into a sober deep feeling film is what I love about it. It keeps walking up to the edge of non-humor, spinning abruptly, and giving you a look of come on did you really think I'd do that? I mean it's the only movie that can kill the lovable character and then make you laugh at his funeral.
It's crude, well done, juvenile and complexly written all at the same time. One person can laugh at the fact that a "chinaman" pees on the dude's rug and another can enjoy the fact that they keep mentioning a CCR tape on the police report when a car and a briefcase full of money was stolen. It is one of the only movies that has honestly made me laugh and continues to make me laugh all the way through it.
That and behind Harrison Ford, Jeff Bridges may be the greatest person ever....
I guess by the end of the post I actually could get a coherent statement out about why I liked the movie. I just needed a little inspiration in the form of specific scenes... who knew?
I actually bought it in the $5 bin at Walmart a while ago. John Goodman did make a lasting impression, along with the line about squeezing the trigger up your ass until I hear 'click'.
I have Into the Wild lying around here. Need to get to that one. Did read the book, I believe, on Todd's recommendation that he posted about on his site a while back.
how bout during movie dry times, like lately, you do a five cook-ay review in your signature review style - so you can, like, start a little official five cook-ay list in the your review section. Sorta like Ebert's Great Movies - but instead Todd's Five-Cook-ay Flicks - or sumpin'.
I agree with The Shawshank Redemption & Pulp Fiction. The Big Lebowski was good, but not that good. I'd say 4 Cookays. I would like to suggest that Trainspotting, Clockwork Orange, Being There and Doctor Strangelove all deserve a 5 cookay rating.
I'd take clockwork orange and Doctor Strangelove (I'd even say that Doctor Strangelove deserves more then 5). I've never seen Being There can you give me a run down?
I like Unforgiven personally: wonderful scenery, engaging story, excellent music, and a kind of realism that you would have never found in Westerns from 40 years ago.
Being There is somehow inexplicably sad to me. But it holds up against time unlike the Pink Panther series.
Shawshank
Amadeus
Godfather
Leon
True Romance (arguable)
hmm..I thought I had more but i guess thats it. I still uphold my very first suggestion on this board: they dont make'em like they used to.
Five cookay movies should do no less than create their own mythology within their running time and make you believe no other world exists but the one on screen. It has to transform the audience from viewers into inhabitants. It has to have form, plot(my one big issues with scorsese flicks), character arcs a great premise and even better ending; it has to have all this and yet STILL make you ultimately forget that you're watching a movie
How to tell if u have a 5 cookay flick on your hands? 90 percent is instinct but here are some good litmus tests to try:
1. Find as many people you know who would absolutely hate the kind of movie in question either for its genre or subject matter, force them to watch it. If they love it despite their prejudices its probably 5 cookays. (for me personally this has worked really well with Unbreakable, Leon and Kill Bill)
2. Find the noisiest, most obnoxious backseat movie watchers you know(we all know a few; the ones who never learned to sit still and watch a movie but have to make some snarky comment about SOMEthing onscreen every 5 seconds) and invite them over for a movie nite. If there is an odd, thick silence gradually permeating during the viewing its definitely a five cookay (works hands down every time with Shawshank)
3. One of my favorites: Serve someone a meal and then start the movie. See how long it takes for the person to finish their meal before the movie is over as opposed to the usual time it takes them to chow down. Long stringy Pasta dishes are best for this sort of thing. (I've seen people holding a fork of rolled up noodles an inch away from their mouths for up to five minutes before taking the bite. That is a five cookay)
