On this 10th anniversary of the release of The Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski, here’s a look at this awe-inspiring fan compendium that chronicles all things Dude.

I’m A Lebowski, You’re A Lebowski
By Bill Green, Ben Peskoe, Will Russell, Scott Shuffitt
Bloomsbury
Cover Price $15.95; Available Now

On the very first page, the Coen Brothers state “they neither have our blessing, or our curse” in the writing of this book. And so begins the awe-inspiring fan compendium, I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What-Have-You, that chronicles all things Dude. When The Big Lebowski hit theaters in 1998 (we’re coming up on ten years here!) as the follow-up to the Coen’s critically acclaimed Fargo, it performed less than modestly and quickly vanished from the theaters. But those who had seen it, and truly connected with what they saw on screen, coupled with multiple viewings on VHS and the then-dawning DVD format, quickly and quietly turned from fans to fanatics, as they memorized whole passages from the dialogue to recite and began to build their life around the key elements of the film, particularly taking on the qualities of The Dude.

As fans learned via Internet fan sites that they were not alone in their devotion to one of the finest “bowling noirs” ever, somewhere down in Kentucky four friends made the realization that if there can be conventions dedicated to the most niche-driven hobbies, then there be one for their favorite movie as well. And so began the dream of The Lebowski Fest, which made its 1st annual debut in 2002, and now in its sixth year includes festivals across all of America and even the UK.

It should be no surprise then that the four friends who created what is now a worldwide phenomena celebrating all things Lebowski would set out to write the ultimate fan book that would inscribe for all time the collective sheer joy that this modern cult classic has given its fans. While the book The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film, which was released at the same time as the film and gave a thorough and technical look at the film (which is a must-read, by the way), Green, Peskie, Russell, and Shufitt (here on out known as “The Bums”) set out to approach the film for the first time from a purely fan perspective. And proud we are of all of them for succeeding in their endeavors.

The book itself is broken down into specific chapters, including interviews with the principle cast and with the real-life inspirations for the characters we love so dearly, as well as a historic preservation of The Lebowski Fest via photos and poster reprints. Also interspersed throughout the book are helpful charts on D.I.Y Home Security (make sure your door does not open out), where the cash machines in Pasadena are, and how to do a bowler’s celebratory dance. But before the meat and potatoes of the book, Jeff Bridges offers up a heartfelt and emotional foreword in which he states he’d “be fucking delighted” if The Dude was the one character he would be remembered by.

After the first chapter that shows ways to Dude-ify your car, your workspace, and your ethos, the Bums get into what is certainly the best part of the book, that being interviews with the cast themselves. The Bums score interviews with just about every cast member you can think of, from Jeff Bridges and John Goodman, all the way down to Jesse “Little Larry Sellars” Flanagan and Jerry “Saddam Hussein” Haleva. Each interview offers up a new tidbit to pack away for your next Lebowski quip or one up a rival fan of the movie with the most obscure knowledge. The Bums, who you can tell from their questioning are just dumbstruck that they’ve been able to get everyone to talk to them, keep everything as casual as they can as their inquiries remain on a friendly conversational level throughout rather than a press junket style interview.

Following their interviews with the cast, the Bums get the actual people, whose personalities and real-life stories became the inspirations and origins for many of the characters and plot points that made their way into The Big Lebowski. Of particular note in this chapter are the interviews with Jeff “The Dude” Dowd and John Milius (of Conan The Barbarian and Rome fame) who served as part of the design for Walter Sobchak. What is simply incredible to discover here is that these people had no idea their life was being transformed into a movie until they actually saw the movie!

From here, the Bums just go for absolute broke in filling their pages with fun facts, trivia, additional interviews, and even a chapter set aside that acts a guide through Los Angeles via photographs to show where every scene took place. And just when you think they’ve drawn the well dry, they surprise you with something more! It should be noted that to even begin to unlock the secrets of this book, one should have experienced The Big Lebowski from start to finish at least three or four times, and if you have made it this far in the review, you probably have. Part of the fun of this book, is just discovering how many fans are out there who have organically grown and found each other over these past ten years. We are not alone, and this book is a testament to that fact.

Purchase I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You now!