Lebowski Fest

Screening Fri., Sept. 25, 8 p.m., $20, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332; bowling party Sat., Sept. 26, 8 p.m., $25-$30, North Bowl, 909 N. Second St., 215-238-2695; lebowskifest.com.

by Scott Yorko

[ festival/movies ]

Some folks are friends because they went to the same school, have the same taste in music or believe in the same god. Others are brought together by something much purer — the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski. This group of fans, "Achievers" being their preferred nomenclature, has grown so rapidly in the past decade that it's formed Lebowski Fest, a series of gatherings that takes place in eight cities annually. "It's about connecting people," says founder William Russell. "People use the movie as a filter. If they meet someone that likes The Big Lebowski, then they're headed in the right direction." The event kicks off at the Electric Factory with soul/rock band The Black Diamond Heavies, which covers soundtrack songs by Kenny Rogers and "the fuckin' Eagles, man!" The movie will then screen, which the audience will inevitably quote verbatim. On the second night, the crowd hits the lanes for Lebowski-themed bowling. Attendees often arrive in costumes, ranging from the Dude himself to Bunny Lebowski's severed pinky toe. Ew.

Screening Fri., Sept. 25, 8 p.m., $20, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., 215-627-1332; bowling party Sat., Sept. 26, 8 p.m., $25-$30, North Bowl, 909 N. Second St., 215-238-2695; lebowskifest.com.