MovieChat Forums > Screwed (2000) Discussion > Funny, but a Ripoff of The Big Lebowski

Funny, but a Ripoff of The Big Lebowski

posted 19 years ago by Rowsdower100
15 replies | jump to latest

The movie was funny enough. It's a tough job to make Danny DeVito, Dave Chappelle and Norm McDonald unfunny. But while this film was entertaining and reasonably funny, the entire plot of botched kidnapping and ransom money was way too close to the Coen Brothers' masterpiece, The Big Lebowski, which came out two years earlier, and was ten times the film that Screwed is. In fact, Mrs. Crock, with her loud manner and pride in achievement and wealth, was a direct copy of David Huddleston's charachter in Lebowski. Really, a lot of the charachters from screwed match up with Big Lebowski Charachters
Willard Filmore, lazy underachiever like The Dude, though he was also thought to be kidnapped when he really wasn't, like Bunny Lebowski
Rusty Hayes, well meaning friend, convinces Willard bad ideas will work, like Walter Sobchack
Chip Oswald, faithful suck up to Mrs. Crock, like Brandt
The kid who steals the briefcase in the park is just like little Larry Sellars

I would urge anyone who likes Screwed to watch The Big Lebowski. I would hypothesize that Screwed fans unfamiliar with Lebowski, will love Lebowski as much or more than Screwed.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Rowsdower100 19 years ago

The films are very different in style. No one can copy the Coen Brothers' stlye. All I'm saying is that the plot and some of the charachters' personalities are uncomfortably similar. Don't get me wrong, I like Screwed, and Dirty Work, but watch Screwed and Lebowski back to back, and similarites will become apparent.

[–] cliffordzang 19 years ago

I love Screwed, but I just couldn't get into Lebowski that much. It was a good movie, but I can't say that it was better. To me, the best part about Screwed is the interaction (and bad acting) between Norm MacDonald and Dave Chappelle.

[–] Rowsdower100 19 years ago

Screwed was a funny movie and all, but it lacked the subtle nuances and genuine charachters that The Big Lebowski had. I would reccomend watching The Big Lebowski again. It tends to be an acquired taste for some people.

[–] shygoat 19 years ago

I keep trying to like The Big Lebowski, but it's just not happening... The characters are all so annoying to me, save for Maude, played by Julianne Moore. Yeah, she was good. I found the storytelling and pacing to be awful. Screwed has given me a couple of chuckles so far (I'm in the middle of watching it).

[–] ganonslayer 19 years ago

This movie is totally incomparable to TBL.

You people don't get the movie.

This movie blows.

[–] TakeMyKnifePlease 18 years ago

"This movie is totally incomparable to TBL."

Word to that

[–] mbs 18 years ago

i like when dave chapelle keeps hitting people in the head with a lamp.

i love the big lebowski--take that nihilist! but if there's one thing that movie lacked its a guy hitting people in the head with a lamp and then shifitng their eyes crazily.

oh and danny devito was good here too.

its true, big lebowski is much more of a movie movie, and a film's film but this one's enjoyable. I gotta admit certain plot points are similar, but you know screwed to the big lebowski is like saying i don't know evolution is like ghostbusters. they share similar plot outlines, one is clearly the better film, while the other is merely a distracting movie, good for a watch on the tv, i don't know i was trying to think of an example and that's what i thought of.

still big lebowski aside, screwed was good enough to waste two hours staring at on usa, (would have preferred to rent it, lord knows they crammed too many commercials into the thing.)

[–] nasatravelagency2003 18 years ago

The Big Lebowski is a great movie, but Screwed is a rip off?

"Willard Filmore, lazy underachiever like The Dude" = Not even close.

In Screwed, Willard Filmore worked his butt off for little or no pay. Look at the opening scenes of screwed and show me where he is a lazy underachiever.

I don't see him drinking white Russians and lying around on the floor.

Where do you people come up with these ideas? At least have a better argument.

[–] bonsctt21 18 years ago

agreed, those two movies are not comparable, besides for dealing with a ransom...i love them both though, but you gotta like norm macdonald's humor to truly love this movie, which i do. if you liked this movie definitely check out dirty work

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Eric-1226 18 years ago

I seen 'em both, several times, and i never once got the feeling that one was similar to the other. And certainly no feeling whatsoever that "Screwed" ripped off TBL.

While watching "Screwed," I was too taken by the zany characters, the setting, the dialogue, etc. to even notice that it was based on a kidnapping plot that was similar to the one in TBL. "Screwed" was too over-the-top whacky (e.g. the whole Danny DeVito character, in the morgue and later with the sophisticated weapons, Jack Lord Fan Club Vice President, etc. Not to mention Chappelle's whacky character, and Mrs. Crock - that mean old b!tch... lol).

I guess it's one of those things where characters and personalities make the film, and the plot, though crucial, becomes secondary and you don't even notice that it is similar to some other movie's plot. Hell, the two movies could have had identical plots, but given the whacky characters in "Screwed," I would scarcely have noticed the similarity.

Finally, I thought TBL was okay, but The Dude and Sobchak were not nearly as fun and likable as Willard and Rusty. Not even close.

[–] EroticMidget 17 years ago

I've seen the Big Lebowski twice, and just didn't give a toss about it, didn't find it that funny, but I'm not overly keen on the Coen Brothers stuff other than The Hudsucker Proxy.

However I loved Screwed, I'm sure I've seen the story done before, and some of the charachters too, but I think it all just comes togeather wonderfully in this film, it made me laugh, which is more than I can say for the Big Lebowski, even stoned as a crow it isn't funny.

[–] rjk2424 16 years ago

The Big Lebowski is my favorite movie of all-time and I also love Screwed. I have seen both over 10 times each. I don't think it is a rip-off at all, they have some minor similarities, but not a lot. Either way, this movie is hilarious, same with The Big Lebowski. I would recommend either one.

[–] walkingf00l 14 years ago

And one thing people seem to be missing is that "The Big Lebowski" is a "rip-off" itself, in that, it was an homage to private eye films of the 40s. There are many plot elements/themes that were taken from those 40's noir films... same way "Hudsucker Proxy" took many plot elements/themes from Frank Capra films.

(And by the way, I like both Coen Bros films and Screwed.)