“The Big Lebowski” opens the 2011 Film on the Rocks series May 31 at Red Rockswith a guest appearance by Jeff Dowd, the inspiration for “The Dude” character played by Jeff Bridges in the iconic cult slacker flick.
Dowd and filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen all met when the Coen brothers were making “Blood Simple,” and Dowd helped the brothers promote it.
Dowd, who actually is called “The Dude,” also is pals with peacenik/moviemakers Ivan Suvanjieff and his wife, Dawn Engle. Suvanjieff, who lives near Red Rocks in Idledale, saw that “The Big Lebowski” was on the bill and called Dowd to see whether he wanted to make an appearance.
Dowd is an old friend of Film on the Rocks presenter, the Denver Film Society. He appeared with “The Big Lebowski” when it was screened at Red Rocks two summers ago. Festival director Britta Erickson says they rolled him across the stage inside a giant bowling ball.
“He’s pretty much up for anything,” she says.
“I’m trying to erase that from my memory,” Dowd said on the phone Monday from Santa Monica, Calif.. “Maybe they’ll roll me down the steps from the top of Red Rocks this year, to see if I’ll bounce.”
After the movie, Dowd will spend the night at Suvanjieff’s pad and have a party. “It’s The Dude,” says Suvanjieff. “It’s unavoidable.”
“I don’t do this that often, but I actually like it,” Dowd says. “When people see me, it’s like running into a good old friend, a big bear.”
You can see a short feature on The Dude at #!/the-dude?mid=10.
Money in the bank
Bo Cottrell is a Denver country performer with The Lawmen, but he’s busy this time of year promoting , a nonprofit that helps “families of the fallen.” (The Gatlin Brothers will host the sixth annual TAPS Celebrity Classic golf tourney June 24-25 at the Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur.)
You see Cottrell all the time in a series of TV commercials running now with state Treasurer Walker Stapleton on “The Great Colorado Payback.” Cottrell and his wife, Lynne, are the, er, elderly couple searching for their names on a computer and acting happy when they find that the state owes them money.
“Except we didn’t find any money,” Cottrell says.
Look for your money at /treasury/gcp/.
Revved up
KHOW yakker Peter Boyles has joined up with nightclub mogul Regas Christou to bring you a summer of Rockers, Rollers & Riders. Starting this Sunday and continuing every Sunday through Labor Day, the duo takes over City Hall Nightclub at 1144 Broadway for a day of bands, choppers, tattoos, scooters, beer and barbecue — “everything that destroyed the Soviet Union,” Boyles says.
No cover, doors open at 1 p.m., bands start at 3 p.m., and it goes until they throw the last guy out. This Sunday’s music comes from Mighty 18 Wheeler & Hotgun. The Cherry Poppin’ Daddies roll in on June 26.
City spirit
Colorado musician Jim Salestrom backs Dolly Parton on guitar, banjo and vocals Friday on the “Ellen” show. . . . Sez who: “That rug really tied the room together.” The Dude
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or at bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
