When two friends Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt decided to throw a bowling party in honor of their favorite movie, they had no idea that the subsequent gathering of fellow Lebowski fans would eventually spawn a full-blown movement. It did. The fans are now known as 'Achievers,' and their movement is called Lebowski Fest. Upon its release in 1998, The Big Lebowski was... Misunderstood. Inspired in part by the noir mysteries of Raymond Chandler, the film is a meandering tale about a listless stoner and bowling enthusiast, known simply as The Dude, who finds himself in the middle of a plot involving kidnapping, extortion, nihilists, the avant-garde art world, Tara Reid and the L.A. porn scene. Then, there was that business about a missing rug. Critics and the general public promptly dismissed the Coen Brothers comedy as a forgettable mess, and it flopped at the box office. Since then, however, the film's true merits have slowly come to light. Namely, The Dude - who has become the patron saint of slackerdom - and the film's idioms, which have become slacker gospel. Lebowski Fest typically takes place over two days and involves a night of drinking with a massive screening of the film followed by a bowling party with even more drinking, costume, trivia and other contests and bowling. The Dude would be proud.