Big Lebowski Documentary

 

The Achievers: The Story of the Lebowski Fans is a documentary looking at the cultural phenomenon of The Big Lebowski and how it has gained the following that it has. This is a great medium for fans of The Big Lebowski to express their devotion, as several fans were interviewed and therefore could have explained why they were fans. Furthermore, the people who made the documentary themselves could have been fans, and therefore this would have been a great way for them to share their love of the film with fellow fans.

 

 

The producers might have made this documentary because they understood that it would have already had an audience because of the cult following behind The Big Lebowski. Therefore, fans of the film might have watched the documentary as a means of acknowledging their attachment to The Big Lebowski.

The Big Lebowski Costumes

 

 

This is an eBay page for costumes worn by the main characters in The Big Lebowski. It is a key part of fandom, as the fans can be subjected to ridicule by others if they wear these costumes in public. Therefore, the fact that they wear these costumes out in the open emphasises how The Big Lebowski is a key component of their self-identity. Furthermore, the fact that fellow fans are willing to part with these costumes on sites such as eBay implies that they want others to feel the same way they do about The Big Lebowski.

 

 

 

 

 



Since fans at Lebowski Fest dress up as different characters, this harbours the implication that not everyone connects with the protagonist and therefore emphasises how fans can be drawn to different elements of the film.

 

The Big Lebowski Spoofs

One of the main ways in which fans can express their devotion to The Big Lebowski is through making parody versions of the film. There is the sense that these fans want to prove themselves, and therefore are becoming more active by making such media products.

Fans are highly critical and creative audiences; they don't just criticise their beloved shows or franchises when they fall short of their expectations, they also make their own fan films, or write their own fan fiction. They want to express how these shows or franchises resonate with them.

For example, the YouTube channel Funny Or Die made a spoof version of The Big Lebowski, which emphasises how fans are making the best use of digital media in order to find more creative ways of expressing such devotion.

Celebrity Fans of Texts

This is a tribute to the character Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski from The Big Lebowski by Tara Lipinski.
The fact that it is a feature on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon emphasises the extent to which she considers herself a fan, given that since the show attracts high ratings, this would have been broadcast to millions of people, and therefore the implication is that she wants to make her devotion to The Big Lebowski known.

Since this tribute is coming from a celebrity, this creates the expectation that it is socially acceptable to be a fan of The Big Lebowski.

 

 

This is an excerpt from the book I'm A Lebowski, You're A Lebowski, in which Tony Hawk is being asked about his attachment to The Big Lebowski. He mentions that he frequented bowling alleys and starting drinking White Russians, which is exactly what the protagonist from The Big Lebowski did. The interesting thing is that Tony Hawk is incredibly famous, so the fact that he was attracted to a cult film suggests that anyone who can relate to the film can become a fan.

Gary Oldman Interviews

This is the 7/2/14 episode of The Graham Norton Show  in which Gary Oldman was one of the guests, promoting RoboCop. Since Gary Oldman has great star appeal (allegedly, he is the highest-grossing film star in the world), this will attract a lot of viewers and therefore will generate more awareness for the film. However, since The Graham Norton Show  already attracts millions in viewing figures (and is exported worldwide), it is already a given that many would have tuned in, and so this might have convinced people to see the film that wouldn't have bothered otherwise.

 

 

This is the 7/2/14 episode of BBC Breakfast, in which Gary Oldman is talking about Philip Seymour Hoffman's death. Since he is also talking about his new film, RoboCop, this is great marketing as Gary Oldman is featured on our screens both in the morning and late at night, which can target a wider audience and therefore suggests that there is a greater chance for people to become exposed to the film.

 

 



Promoting RoboCop at the Cinema

This is a photograph of the RoboCop  poster on an automatic ticket machine at Harrow Vue, taken on Monday 3rd February 2014. It can attract people to book tickets for the film because it has credits for the main cast, which might attract people because RoboCop  is using big-name blockbuster talent.

Since it has the release date, this might encourage people into using the machine so that they can look into other screening dates at the cinema.

RoboCop Bus Poster

 

 

 

 

This is a bus poster for RoboCop, taken on Thursday, 30th January 2014 in Euston. It makes good use of its space and is therefore easy on the eyes, which allows prospective audiences to easily absorb the information. The poster is quite enigmatic, as it features only the title, tagline and a mid-shot of the main character, and therefore might intrigue people who want to know what the film is all about.

 

It also provides links to its Facebook and Twitter feeds, which can allow people to access further information on the film and therefore allows them to receive constant updates.

 

The text telling people about its release date is boldened and therefore is quite noticeable, making it easier for people to find out when the film will be released in the UK.