I guess we could call it a classic period piece by now...

Rating: 10/10 (18 November 2005)

This movie has certainly gained cult status and nothing I could say would persuade any reader to watch it because if you are reading this review you are one of the 99% of the people who absolutely love this flick.
Growing up in the Chicago area my dad was the manager of a bowling alley for 30 years and I was a bowling alley rat as a kid. This film is especially funny to me because I remember characters like "The Dude" and Walter Sobczak drinking and bowling all the time. A lot of wing nuts hang at the lanes, which to me, made the story even more plausible. LOL. I remember the late 80's & early 90's and they captured the ambiance of the bowling alley crowd perfectly. I adore this movie.
The movie is hilarious but this is something you already know. I have a soft spot in my heart for the scene after Donnie has the heart attack and the next scene is a really cool pan of the lanes and the bowlers as Townes Van Zandt pines the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers" live as a backdrop; a really great combination of great Coen brothers and great music. Sadly, Townes Van Zandt died a year before this came out, which makes me wonder if they put that song in there as a tribute to him, and also fitting with Donnie's death; both are sad moments.
And remember: "That's right, nobody f*cks with the Jesus!"