Interviews home entertainment channel bullzeye home. They joked with him about it and began picking up on some of dowd s weird mannerisms and character. His given name is jeffrey lebowski but the stoner hero of the big. It was the dude, leading an investagative body of dusty cohl, richard corliss and roger ebert that found me reading the screenplay to armageddon, whilst on a balcony passing through the panama canal in my boxers sipping a pina colada. Watch a short doc about the dude behind the dude in. The dude, a documentary short about jeff dowd, the real. He is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity, after which the dude learns that a millionaire also named jeffrey lebowski was the intended victim. Before becoming a movie producer and cofounder of the sundance film festival, jeff dowd who had been known as the dude since sixth grade was a longhaired, antiwar activist in a group.
Burning the midnight oil book by phil cousineau, jeff the. Hollywood film producer jeff dowd, 65, claims poor communication. In burning the midnight oil, wordwrangler extraordinaire phil cousineau has gathered an eclectic and electric collection of soulful poems and prose from great thinkers throughout the ages. The dude, jeff dowd, is at a crucial moment, and harry. The coen brothers primarily based the dude played by jeff bridges on a man named jeff dowd, who helped distribute their first film, blood simple, in 1984. The dude who inspired the dude in the big lebowski is one. Jeff dowd left with robert redford right in the early 1980s. Jeff dowd is an indie film producer and promoter who is known to one and all as the dude, having served in large part as the inspiration for jeff bridges immortal dude character in the coen brothers the big lebowski. With these words, jeff the dude lebowski forever cemented his legend. The big lebowski is a cult movie phenomenon from writerdirectors the. Npr weekend edition sensitively selected, the pieces are moving, haunting, beautiful, leaving the reader with a feeling of quiet pensivity. Sep 01, 2012 filmmaker jeff feuerzeig created the dude, a documentary film short about jeff dowd, the reallife inspiration for the dude character in the coen brothers film, the big lebowski. Original dude jeff dowd who inspired the big lebowski seeks. Jeff dowd makes it clear that he is not jeffrey lebowski.
This documentary short follows jeff dowd to a lebowski fest offering a glimpse into this fascinating subculture and colorful reallife character behind the iconic mythical dude and. One of the very few disappointments of meeting jeff dowd, the inspiration for the coen brothers creation of the dude in the big lebowski, is that hes hardly the lethargic, carefree type that jeff bridges went on to turn into one of the most famous characters in recent memory, though of course his dude would probably never remember it. Meet jeff dowd, an independent movie producer who inspired one of the biggest classics in film and helped create some classics of his own. The films central character inspired the creation of dudeism, a neoreligion. Jeff feuerzeig reveals the inspiration for the beloved central character in the coen brothers cultfavorite film the big lebowski. Dec 21, 20 the book has a forward from a surprising figure.
Apr 14, 2003 perhaps the most well known among this evershrinking circle of throwbacks is jeff dowd, better known as the dude. The chaos, and surprising conclusion, of the 1970 trial of. Shot with a tampaarea lebowskifest as the backdrop, feuerzeigs film lets us get to know mr. Like the stoner character in the movie, dowd was a member of the anti. Jeff dowd is a film producer, movie marketing executive, former political.
Jeff is also a politcal activist going back to his days in the vietnam antiwar movement he was one of the seattle seven indicted by nixon and mitchell. The film follows jeff dowd to a lebowski fest offering a glimpse into this fascinating subculture and colorful reallife character behind the iconic mythical dude and the secret to how he always abides. The dude, jeff dowd, is at a crucial moment, and harry will. To celebrate todays 25th anniversary of jeff buckleys masterpiece grace, we are proud to present you with a chapter from the forthcoming deluxe coffee table book 25 years of grace. Jul, 2016 the big lebowski was inspired by this real dude jeff dowd uproxx.
Jeff dowd, a film producer and political activist who was the inspiration for the dude in the coen brothers film the big lebowski. Dec 17, 20 the book has a forward from a surprising figure. The last rainforest 1992, irish girls and desperately seeking susan 1985. Bluray book this highquality hardcover bluray book package contains production stills, film trivia, a formula to mix your own caucasian, an interview with jeff dowd, reallife inspiration for the dude, and much more. Sundance award winning director jeff feuerzeig, the devil and daniel johnston, espn 30 for 30s the real rocky, reveals the inspiration jeff dowd a. Documentary director jeff feuerzeig talks about the incredible reputation that jeff the dude dowd had before becoming the inspiration for the dude in the big lebowski. Burning the midnight oil book by phil cousineau, jeff. Jeff the dude dowd, the real life inspiration for the big lebowskis main character, talks about his optimism for social change with filmmaker.
Ive known jeff dowd for years coteaching myth and movie. May 25, 2008 ever since jeff dowd was a kid, everyone called him the dude. Here is the unedited, real email not that fake crap you read on some film sites that jeff the dude dowd sent out just before the sundance 2001 film festival kicked off. Wordcatcher phil cousineau joins the big lebowskis dude. Filmmaker jeff feuerzeig created the dude, a documentary film short about jeff dowd, the reallife inspiration for the dude character in the coen brothers film, the big lebowski. Jeff dowd, better known as being the inspiration for the the dude from the cult classic, the big lebowski, is an influencer, an activist and has been a driving force in independent film for decades.
Jeff dowd born november 20, 1949 is an american film producer and political activist best. Jeff bridges revives the dude to honor his big lebowski costar john. Join facebook to connect with jeff dowd and others you may know. Dowd helped robert redford start sundance institute and the sundance film festival. Aug 01, 2018 jeff dowd was an actual member of the seattle liberation front protesting the vietnam war. He is the basis for one of their most popular characters, jeffrey the dude lebowski from the big lebowski. He helped shape the sundance film festival early on with hollywood legend robert redford.
Its been well known for a while that the dude was based on jeff dowd, a former member of the seattle liberation front who was part of the seattle seven, as the defendants in a 1970 court case were called. Jeff dowd dresses casually, drinks a lot of white russians, and prefers to be called the dude. Working closely with dowd, the coen brothers soon discovered that his nickname was the dude. I can easily see how he might have inspired the dude. They joked with him about it and began picking up on some of dowds weird mannerisms and character. The 1998 film the big lebowski featured jeff bridges as the dude, described as a lazy deadbeat. Well, jeff the dude dowd said in his defense, you had to be in shape to drink all those white russians and make love to all those women. The big lebowski was inspired by this real dude jeff dowd uproxx. May 05, 2009 phil cousineau, the renaissance man, who joseph campbell asked to carry on for him, somehow captured the dudes appeal the best. May 10, 2017 jeff dowd, better known as being the inspiration for the the dude from the cult classic, the big lebowski, is an influencer, an activist and has been a driving force in independent film for decades. And now friends of jeff dowd are asking fans to chip in to help him pay his medical bills.
Phil cousineau, the renaissance man, who joseph campbell asked to carry on for him, somehow captured the dudes appeal the best. Who knows what the dudes veteran buddy walter would have made of that. In discussing his famous confrontation with a film critic at sundance, jeff the dude dowd sent me the following explanation, justification, context, autobiography, exhortation, news linkage and playlist. The film follows jeff dowd to a lebowski fest offering a glimpse into this fascinating subculture and colorful reallife character behind the iconic.
Joel and ethan coen met jeff dowd when he was working behind the scenes on distribution and promotional strategies for their 1984 film blood simple. To cult movie fans, jeff dowds greatest accomplishment will likely forever be the fact that hes credited as being the inspiration for the character of the dude in the big lebowski. Challenge assumptions episode 28 jeff dowd the dude. The dude abides, indeed, and slogan and character alike are natural advertisements for an indelibly american form of zen. The dude, a documentary short about jeff dowd, the real big. The nazis in his real world didnt lose their ears, though dowd did unfurl a nazi flag during his trial, branding his accuser a good german, or fascist facilitator. Social activistturnedmovie producer jeff dowd was the reallife inspiration for the dude and filmmaker jeff feuerzeig shows us who the man is and what hes like in his short documentary the dude. Mar 10, 2010 it is widely known that the dude was inspired by a real man named jeff dowd, a freelance publicist who was instrumental in launching blood simple 1984, the first film in the coen canon. Bf podcast jeff dowdinspiration for the dude in the big.
Ever since jeff dowd was a kid, everyone called him the dude. The man who was the inspiration behind the dude looper. The character was largely inspired by activist and producer jeff dowd who has been called dude since childhood. Jeff dowd, the inspiration behind the the big lebowskis lovable lead, comes to tampa for lebowski fest feb. A founding member of sundance, dowd was hardly a slacker. Illuminating words for the long nights journey into day kindle edition by cousineau, phil, dowd, jeff the dude.
The coen brothers primarily based the dude played by jeff bridges on a man named jeff dowd, who helped distribute their first film, blood. Joel and ethan coen met jeff dowd when he was working behindthescenes on distribution and promotional strategies for their 1984 film blood simple. Early in the morning, jeff dowd strode out of the defendants conference room and down the hall to the judges chambers, determined to convince boldt to do right by their cold and wet supporters. Grab your bowling balls and a white russian because here are a few facts about the big lebowski that really tie the room together 1. The big lebowski was inspired by this real dude jeff dowd. Jeff dowd, the coen brothers inspiration for the dude character in the big. Furthermore, dowd admits to drinking white russians as well, but, uh, far from exclusively. Aug 23, 2019 to celebrate todays 25th anniversary of jeff buckleys masterpiece grace, we are proud to present you with a chapter from the forthcoming deluxe coffee table book 25 years of grace. Jeff dowd born november 20, 1949 is an american film producer and political activist best known as a member of the seattle seven, who went to jail briefly, for contempt of court following a violent protest against the vietnam war. Perhaps the most well known among this evershrinking circle of throwbacks is jeff dowd, better known as the dude.
Jeff dowd, a film producer from california was the inspiration for the coen brothers movie the big lebowski dowd is considered the real life dude incarnate he is seen here at a big lebowski lebowskifest in losangeles california. Meet jeff dowd, the reallife inspiration for the dude. Nov 19, 2008 there are plenty of additional overlaps. Whether beguiling readers with glorious poetry or consoling them with prayers from fellow restless souls, cousineau can relieve any insomniacs unease. A fixture on the indie circuit for the past 25 years, dowd is best known as. The real lebowski jeff dowd, meet the real dude from big. The dude, jeff dowd, has been there for so many and this moment.
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