stoots24
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Hi - my name's Mike, and I cosplay at Cons here in MN as The Dude (Search "The Dude at Cons" on Facebook). Since I was already in town dressed as The Dude for a Convention, I figured I’d stop by the place that inspired The Coen Brothers to write The Big Lebowski! Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater - it’s a cute little Bar & Grill with a handful of bowling lanes and small playhouse theater attached!
Story goes that The Coen Brothers rented the place out for their cast party upon completion of filming FARGO.
As I walk in, this guy at the bar just starts guffawing at my outfit, so I knew I was in the right place. The bartender was nice enough to let me do a small photo shoot out on the lanes!!! She also told me that the mural behind the bar “may or may not have” inspired the dream sequence in the movie!
This is one of the last remianing vintage bowling alleys in the country. It even has the original pin-setters still! From their website: "Bowling on a 1950s vintage lane in Minneapolis offers a nostalgic experience that transports you back in time. Imagine stepping into a retro bowling alley, classic above-ground ball returns, and hand scoring. Whether you're enjoying a fun night out with friends or reliving the golden age of bowling, these lanes offer a unique blend of history and entertainment, right in the heart of Minneapolis."
Was I over the line? The world may never know. Walter wasn't around to decide, because it was Shomer Shabbos - and we all know he doesn't roll on Shomer Shobbos....
Also - the theater was having a show that night, so I swung back after the Con to catch the closing night of Chap Snatchers! - a bonkers “Weekend at Bernie’s” type story about the guys who held Charlie Chaplan’s body for ransom in 1978. Hilarious!!!
The Dude Abides......
jlist
Wow, neat! I love the Coen Brothers but had not seen The Big Lebrowski until recently. Damn good movie.
evoroadster
Where is Jesus?
stoots24
Lol Somebody f*cked with him.....
RavennaMagnus
How I imagine you felt
stoots24
EXACTLY! It felt like I was getting my senior pictures taken - I was so proud of myself! lol
AZJackeen
I dressed up as The Dude for Halloween a couple of years ago, the robe, shorts, sandals version. I was in the restroom of a bar taking a pee and this old guy came in. He looked at me and asked was I wearing a costume. I told him, I'm The Dude from the Big Lebowski. He looked at me for a few seconds and said, I thought you'd escaped from a mental institution.
stoots24
Well, obviously - he's not a golfer.
korndogg83
stoots24
....until it goes *click*
marc55410
Kind of a punk hangout. I used to live near uptown. It was one of the cooler spots on that stretch of street.
azazyel
RetrogradeLlama
Shut the fuck up, Mike!
Nice cosplay.
3dartwork
Up until this post, I was absolutely 100% sure the bowling alley was torn down within the last 15 year or so. I remember going to lay in 2011 and was planning on going to the bowling alley, and they had announced it was torn down.
Not sure now what to believe.
stoots24
Yes - the alley where they filmed was in LA and has been torn down. This is the bowling alley in MN that inspired The Coen Brothers to write The Big Lebowski when they came here after filming FARGO. The Coen Brothers were local boys!
springer57
That's probably the alley where it was filmed. Bryant Lake Bowl is very much still there.
GravyEducation
I didn't know Bryant Lake Bowl was the inspiration but yknow that makes a lotta sense. Never been in but the sign is iconic and used to take the St Louis Park bus to uptown to Minneapolis for work
Exyr
Did you have a sasparilla?
pinkmilkyway
Direkt4
Sorry, I'm still coming to terms with Fluke Skywalker being exactly how I thought he would be.
Rumpelstiltskinner
My immediate thought, too. Unfortunate the mind goes straight there.
Direkt4
He's where he belongs now.
stoots24
Yeah, I hear ya. I think of that every time I make a cosplay post, too. I figured picking an adult-oriented character was the way to go - and I'm not collecting toys. I LOVE walking through a convention, and hearing someone yell out "Hey, Dude!!!" I'll run over to them, tell them to hit me with a quote from the movie - if they do, I reach into my coffee can, and pull out a printout of the Ransom Note from the movie (with a link to my The Dude at Cons Facebook page). Always gets a laugh!
stoots24
I just want to make people laugh - I work at a hospital, and I make humor a huge part of my care for patients. When I was 20, I was in a car wreck and needed 12 hours of surgery, 12-13 units of blood, and a month in the hospital. My friends got Billy Joel to send me a big Get-Well Package! Here's a bunch of pics! (Warning: careful if you're triggered by car crashes). /gallery/23-years-ago-how-billy-joel-helped-save-life-6K9Q0
pollypocketfullofposies
Hello, fellow Minnesotan! I have always loved this video of the place: https://youtu.be/Tvkot4jGLWU?si=3LYsusg3gdNUsdAl
stoots24
YES!!! This video was also how I learned about this place and it's connection to the movie!!! That's when I decided I would seek it out for a photo shoot!
rebelft
Is that a wig or are you that dedicated? ;)
stoots24
It's real. I grew my hair out during the pandemic, and got a lot of compliments. Especially when the grey came in.
rebelft
It sure does look good 👍
stoots24
Thanks, man! The Dude abides!!!