This is the true final matchup. The Ali vs. Frazier, Bird vs. Magic, and perhaps in terms of the colossal favorite that I think the Big Lebowski is, this matchup is like the miracle on ice, Russia vs. US. I hope people vote Boogie Nights further along. Do you believe in miracles? ..... But I was not so strong, Lebowski you have already earned my top prize.
Ryan - New Orleans/Chicago - 6 years ago
I may have a bit of recency bias since I literally just watched Boogie Nights an hour ago, and for the first time too! Nothing against The Big Lebowski, which I love, but Boogie Nights immediately catapulted into my top 10 films of all time, and here's why:
Wow. This movie blew me away. Never did I think I would be rating a film about Marky Mark becoming a famous pornstar with a huge cock 5 stars, but here we are.
Not only was this an absolute joy to watch, but it has all the aspects of a truly great film. A killer cast with awe-inspiring performances, weaving storylines that manage to surprise at every turn, beautiful cinematography and camera work, and a flawless soundtrack and score. This film is just so smooth in every way and does better than damn-near every film to immerse you in the story.
But obviously, the best part of Boogie Nights, and what pushes it past greatness, is the direction and screenplay from Paul Thomas Anderson. The film ventures into darkness while still feeling lighthearted, it goes wild while still being grounded, and it's simply hilarious and passionate. The characters are seemingly endless, yet all of them are strong and have logical and exciting story arcs.
This is one of those films that you just feel great watching, from the opening scene to hours (maybe even days) after you watch it. I wish I had more time to sit with this film and bask in the high of it.
Is Boogie Nights a masterpiece? Who am I to say? But yes; yes it is.
Dustin - 6 years ago
PTAs worst or the Coens worst? I will take the one with Phillip Seymour Hoffman
I want everyone voting for The Big Lebowski to look deep into the murky depths of your White Russians and really, sincerely ask yourselves when you last watched the WHOLE film from start to finish (especially with a pair of eyelids that could be opened more than a centimeter). Go ahead - I can wait more patiently than Brandt while you think it over. After a recent revisit, I found myself falling squarely into the camp that still loves to quote and reference the movie, but who gets very fatigued after the first 30 minutes or so. While the Jackie Treehorn drawing and Donny eulogy are great moments, I can only watch so many trippy LSD flashback-inspired musical numbers, Maude Lebowski monologues, and Walter Sobchak freakouts before starting to get restless. Boogie Nights is far from a perfect movie, but I'll be damned if PT Anderson wasn't able to tie that room together better than the Coens. Don't worry, Filmspotting Nation; if Lebowski gets sent to the great big bowling alley in the sky after this round, at least you can still watch your favorite scenes on YouTube. It's probably no different than what you were doing before.
Nick Iannarino - 6 years ago
I want everyone voting for The Big Lebowski to look deep into the murky depths of their White Russians and really, sincerely ask yourselves when you last watched the WHOLE film from start to finish (especially with a pair of eyelids that you could open more than a centimeter). Go ahead - I can wait as patiently as Brandt while you think it over. After a recent revisit, I found myself falling squarely into the camp that still loves to quote and reference the movie, but who gets very fatigued after the first 30 minutes or so. While the Jackie Treehorn sketch and Donny eulogy are great moments, I can only watch so many trippy LSD flashback-inspired musical numbers, Maude Lebowski monologues, and Walter Sobchak freakouts before starting to get restless. Boogie Nights is far from a perfect movie, but I'll be damned if PT Anderson wasn't able to tie that room together better than the Coens. Don't worry, Filmspotting Nation; if Lebowski gets sent to the great big bowling alley in the sky after this round, at least you can still watch your favorite scenes on YouTube. It's probably no different than what you were doing before.
I’m breaking Josh’s rule. Even though I voted against Boogie Nights last week, I won’t do it again.
My decision boiled down to the Phillip Seymour Hoffman characters in the two films. PSH’s scene where he calls himself an idiot over & over illicts such a strong emotional reaction from me every time I see it. I’m even feeling emotional writing about it in my car during my lunch break.
I'm voting against Boogie Nights, a film I love, because:
1) I had to vote against Fargo to keep a Linklater film in this because I voted against Dazed and Confused because it happened to go up against a movie with one of the most iconic villains, Silence of the Lambs. That meant that if I voted for Boogie Nights, there would be no Coen Brothers film left.
2) I found a way to reckon with there not being any PTA representation going forth because we all know the There Will Be Blood is going to take the naughties next year. Right, guys?
So, Lebowski moves on, which is really just confirmation that all of these tough match-ups are driving me towards nihilism.
I don't love that The Big Lebowski has gained so much of its reputation from a cult following. People seem to wave it's flag more to say something about themselves than to genuinely celebrate the film as a film. But even though Boogie Nights seems to have it all - creative cinematography, stellar performances, entertaining content, and even a legendary soundtrack - what I think it lacks is a "why", and the aforementioned one for Lebowski, though not my favorite, is enough to go on for this matchup.
WAIT! I think this poll is broken. Where’s the option to vote for Groundhog Day????
Josh from Nova Scotia - 6 years ago
I love both films, but its not really a contest; Boogie Nights is the runaway choice. And we can't have PTA out of this tournament completely, after too many of my fellow Filmspotting listeners followed Adam and Josh's crusade of tyranny against Magnolia, and let it lose to a far inferior film. For this, we should always be ashamed.
So now, there is only one thing left for us to do for The Big Lebowski: In accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.
Charlene - 6 years ago
Jeff Bridges is a wonderful actor. Definitely. But I didn't think The Big Lebowski was great or that the character was anything special - I often found it annoying. I guess it's popularity truly stems from pot (Dazed & Confused - boring) & quotable dialogue (Fight Club anyone?). Neither feature is important to me in choosing a movie.
And isn't the whole purpose of Film Spotting Madness supposed to be about each specific film rather than trying to 'keep a director alive'? Hmmm
Jason Wilson - 6 years ago
I went with Lebowski as it's one of my top 5 of all time. I can see why it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I am kind of surprised by how vehemently those who don't like it seem to really hate it.
Sam in Kansas City - 6 years ago
With the eternal absence of Chungking Express, these now stand as my two favorite films of the 1990s, so my angst about their Sweet Sixteen matchup is only natural. This isn't fair.
PTA has compared Dirk Diggler's anatomical reveal as Boogie's curtain closes to the reveal of the great white in Jaws. I agree that its effect is similarly jolting, and it's the first in Anderson's career full of genuinely surprising final scenes. The scene works as an impish recontextualization of the events involving Dirk to that moment, and more importantly as a plain-as-day visualization of Dirk's blessing and curse. We're meant to think, "No wonder he was sucked into this world," and that transports us right back to his entry into the industry at the beginning of the film.
Boogie Nights is an epic and a tragedy, a dark comedy with a daring set of subjects, a technical directorial wonder that captures a series of deeply human characters. It's Raging Bull tragedy with a Nashville wide angle, and then dressed up as Debbie Does Dallas. What an audacious film.
All of that being said, I can't that deny my heart wants The Big Lebowski. It's my favorite Coens film, an opinion-- I'll admit--that's probably more prevalent among casual film lovers than the deepest-diving cinephiles. Lebowski features the Coen's richest characters, their most playful ambitions, and by far their funniest dialogue (okay, outside of Marge Gunderson).
What is it about Lebowski that leaves some people eager to dismiss it as middle-of-the-pack Coen Brothers? Does its lack the gravitas we want out of list toppers? If so, I think we need to give comedy its equal shot at critical appreciation. Maybe it's because of its reliance on references to film noir? I'd counter that line of thinking by saying that I love films that love films, and besides, the narrative here is merely background for the truly terrific characters. And so many great films stand on the shoulders of their predecessors: Lebowski doesn't exist without film noir, just as Boogie Nights doesn't exist without French New Wave.
If all other things are equal between these two films, should I just preserve Jeff Bridges' seminal role rather than Mark Wahlberg's? Maybe. I'd rather just keep both films. Can we make that happen? I vote for the film with the great performances from Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Craig from Toronto - 6 years ago
I don't much like 'Boogie Nights', but I was so broken-hearted when PTA's 'Magnolia' was knocked out in the last round that it actually feels pretty good to throw it a vote. Happily it is up against what I think is the worst Coen Brothers film. Not a hard choice.
Neil Mitchell - 6 years ago
Boogie Nights is PTA's second best film after Punch Drunk Love, it's exceptional in every aspect. Lebowski is brilliant, but I'd in the middle echelon of the acorns ouevre. I watch The Dude more, but Boogie Nights is easily the better film.
Chad Hill (Monticello, AR) - 6 years ago
I knew Lebowski was gonna go far, but it doesn't deserve it. Hopefully Filmspotting nation comes to its senses and stops its reign of terror here.
Mike H. - 6 years ago
Double feature indeed. The comic absurdity of dumb people bumbling their way through a stylized LA dreamscape.
I really don't want to see either of these films go. But I have to say I must be a bit of a Coen Bros contrarian because unlike what I've heard from Josh and Adam and also read in the comments here throughout this tournament, I would put Fargo in the bottom half of my Coens ranking and Lebowski towards the top. Just because a movie is endlessly quoted by the annoying guy named Dave at your office doesn't make it less worthy on its own merits. The Big Lebowski is an existential masterpiece and Jeff Bridges' performance is a once-in-a-lifetime thing of beauty. As much as I love Boogie Nights, I don't think anyone would say the same about the central performance in that film by Mark Walhberg, surprise factor aside.
For me it comes down to this: Boogie Nights is an auteur at the top of his game. The Big Lebowski is an entire cast and crew at the top of all of their games and really firing on all six cylinders to make a singular piece of art. It's also funnier. So there's that.
They're both great films, and both high watermarks for their directors. I love Boogie Nights, but it does wear as I watch it - not much, but the last 30 are always just a touch rougher for me than the rest of it. Lebowski is enjoyable from beginning to end, every time I see it.
So why the hell did I vote Boogie Nights?
I'm going to have to re-vote and nullify myself.
Handy Barker - 6 years ago
I think you may be starting to discover that, like in basketball or futbol matches like this, or Academy Award ceremonies, it's not necessarily the best film that wins but the one everyone knows and has the most hype. For that reason, I predict your overall winner already will be Lebowski, though its neither in the top ten films of the 90s, nor even in the top five of the Coens catalogue.
Though I dearly love the idiosyncratic dialectic of film noir and cowboy film elements, your Madness really will end up rewarding this Jock Jams of a film.
Ryan Burson (Fort Wayne, IN) - 6 years ago
The Big Lebowski is the perfect movie for Filmspotting Madness. It gets better upon each rewatch. Could there be a better movie in a last film standing scenario than one that gets funnier and more enjoyable every time you revisit? Yes, that movie is the apparently under appreciated Shawshank Redemption but, you all struck it from existence in favor of Wes Anderson's 7th best movie. Yeah, well, I guess this whole Filmspotting Madness thing is just, like, our opinions, man. It's Lebowski for me.
Evan from Denver - 6 years ago
I've always felt that The Big Lebowski is far more fun to quote than it is to actually watch. For me, it's the perfect film to be incinerated as a Filmspotting Madness loser -- people will keep it alive in a better form, quoting their favorite parts to each other.
I’ve never quite understood the love for Lebowski. It’s one of the few Coen films I’ve disliked. Theory: All things else being equal, if you removed the marijuana, would it be so beloved? I’m thinking not.
Jim in Eau Claire - 6 years ago
Karl Hungus vs. Drik Diggler.
"How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus?"
The Big Lebowski advances.
True story: My apartment was robbed almost seven years ago, and roughly half of my DVD collection was taken, including my copies of Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski. The Big Lebowski isn't my favorite of the Coen Brothers, so it took me a little while to get a new copy. Boogie Nights, on the other hand, still hasn't been replaced. My point: I'm not sure which one is actually the better movie, and I believe that both PTA and the Coens have done better work, but there's no doubt which one I'd rather rewatch.
David Hoffman, Queens - 6 years ago
I'm going to go ahead and point to the bleachers here - I think The Big Lebowski may end up winning the whole thing.
Sebastian from Denmark - 6 years ago
I love both film, but for me this wasn't hard. For me The Big Lebowski is one of the funniest most quotable films i've seen, and it would be a shame to rid the whole world of any more The Big Lebowski drinkalongs.
This is the biggest no-brainer of the sweet sixteen for me. Boogie Nights deserve to be put on a pedestal alongside PTA's greats like The Master and There Will Be Blood. Lebowski, on the other hand, belongs in the middle tier of the Coen's oeuvre. Both are excellent movies, but Boogie Nights is transcendent in a way that few movies are.
Maybe it's not so bad that Groundhog's Day lost in the first round. It makes this choice easier.
Ammaar from Los Angeles - 6 years ago
I was dreading having to pick Boogie Nights vs Groundhog's Day, though I would have ultimately gone with Groundhogs's Day (the best movie of the 90s hands down), but this makes it easier. Love The Big Lebowski, it's a masterpiece, but it's an easy choice compared to Boogie Nights. PTA is the GOAT, sorry not sorry.
My buddies did not die face down in the muck so that these strumpets, these whores could prance around town...
As much as I enjoy the strumpets and whores of Boogie Nights, it's The Lebowski for me. Endlessly quotable greatness.
This is the true final matchup. The Ali vs. Frazier, Bird vs. Magic, and perhaps in terms of the colossal favorite that I think the Big Lebowski is, this matchup is like the miracle on ice, Russia vs. US. I hope people vote Boogie Nights further along. Do you believe in miracles? ..... But I was not so strong, Lebowski you have already earned my top prize.
I may have a bit of recency bias since I literally just watched Boogie Nights an hour ago, and for the first time too! Nothing against The Big Lebowski, which I love, but Boogie Nights immediately catapulted into my top 10 films of all time, and here's why:
Wow. This movie blew me away. Never did I think I would be rating a film about Marky Mark becoming a famous pornstar with a huge cock 5 stars, but here we are.
Not only was this an absolute joy to watch, but it has all the aspects of a truly great film. A killer cast with awe-inspiring performances, weaving storylines that manage to surprise at every turn, beautiful cinematography and camera work, and a flawless soundtrack and score. This film is just so smooth in every way and does better than damn-near every film to immerse you in the story.
But obviously, the best part of Boogie Nights, and what pushes it past greatness, is the direction and screenplay from Paul Thomas Anderson. The film ventures into darkness while still feeling lighthearted, it goes wild while still being grounded, and it's simply hilarious and passionate. The characters are seemingly endless, yet all of them are strong and have logical and exciting story arcs.
This is one of those films that you just feel great watching, from the opening scene to hours (maybe even days) after you watch it. I wish I had more time to sit with this film and bask in the high of it.
Is Boogie Nights a masterpiece? Who am I to say? But yes; yes it is.
PTAs worst or the Coens worst? I will take the one with Phillip Seymour Hoffman
I want everyone voting for The Big Lebowski to look deep into the murky depths of your White Russians and really, sincerely ask yourselves when you last watched the WHOLE film from start to finish (especially with a pair of eyelids that could be opened more than a centimeter). Go ahead - I can wait more patiently than Brandt while you think it over. After a recent revisit, I found myself falling squarely into the camp that still loves to quote and reference the movie, but who gets very fatigued after the first 30 minutes or so. While the Jackie Treehorn drawing and Donny eulogy are great moments, I can only watch so many trippy LSD flashback-inspired musical numbers, Maude Lebowski monologues, and Walter Sobchak freakouts before starting to get restless. Boogie Nights is far from a perfect movie, but I'll be damned if PT Anderson wasn't able to tie that room together better than the Coens. Don't worry, Filmspotting Nation; if Lebowski gets sent to the great big bowling alley in the sky after this round, at least you can still watch your favorite scenes on YouTube. It's probably no different than what you were doing before.
I want everyone voting for The Big Lebowski to look deep into the murky depths of their White Russians and really, sincerely ask yourselves when you last watched the WHOLE film from start to finish (especially with a pair of eyelids that you could open more than a centimeter). Go ahead - I can wait as patiently as Brandt while you think it over. After a recent revisit, I found myself falling squarely into the camp that still loves to quote and reference the movie, but who gets very fatigued after the first 30 minutes or so. While the Jackie Treehorn sketch and Donny eulogy are great moments, I can only watch so many trippy LSD flashback-inspired musical numbers, Maude Lebowski monologues, and Walter Sobchak freakouts before starting to get restless. Boogie Nights is far from a perfect movie, but I'll be damned if PT Anderson wasn't able to tie that room together better than the Coens. Don't worry, Filmspotting Nation; if Lebowski gets sent to the great big bowling alley in the sky after this round, at least you can still watch your favorite scenes on YouTube. It's probably no different than what you were doing before.
I’m breaking Josh’s rule. Even though I voted against Boogie Nights last week, I won’t do it again.
My decision boiled down to the Phillip Seymour Hoffman characters in the two films. PSH’s scene where he calls himself an idiot over & over illicts such a strong emotional reaction from me every time I see it. I’m even feeling emotional writing about it in my car during my lunch break.
I'm voting against Boogie Nights, a film I love, because:
1) I had to vote against Fargo to keep a Linklater film in this because I voted against Dazed and Confused because it happened to go up against a movie with one of the most iconic villains, Silence of the Lambs. That meant that if I voted for Boogie Nights, there would be no Coen Brothers film left.
2) I found a way to reckon with there not being any PTA representation going forth because we all know the There Will Be Blood is going to take the naughties next year. Right, guys?
So, Lebowski moves on, which is really just confirmation that all of these tough match-ups are driving me towards nihilism.
Is this the slot for Most Ramshackle?
I don't love that The Big Lebowski has gained so much of its reputation from a cult following. People seem to wave it's flag more to say something about themselves than to genuinely celebrate the film as a film. But even though Boogie Nights seems to have it all - creative cinematography, stellar performances, entertaining content, and even a legendary soundtrack - what I think it lacks is a "why", and the aforementioned one for Lebowski, though not my favorite, is enough to go on for this matchup.
WAIT! I think this poll is broken. Where’s the option to vote for Groundhog Day????
I love both films, but its not really a contest; Boogie Nights is the runaway choice. And we can't have PTA out of this tournament completely, after too many of my fellow Filmspotting listeners followed Adam and Josh's crusade of tyranny against Magnolia, and let it lose to a far inferior film. For this, we should always be ashamed.
So now, there is only one thing left for us to do for The Big Lebowski: In accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.
Jeff Bridges is a wonderful actor. Definitely. But I didn't think The Big Lebowski was great or that the character was anything special - I often found it annoying. I guess it's popularity truly stems from pot (Dazed & Confused - boring) & quotable dialogue (Fight Club anyone?). Neither feature is important to me in choosing a movie.
And isn't the whole purpose of Film Spotting Madness supposed to be about each specific film rather than trying to 'keep a director alive'? Hmmm
I went with Lebowski as it's one of my top 5 of all time. I can see why it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I am kind of surprised by how vehemently those who don't like it seem to really hate it.
With the eternal absence of Chungking Express, these now stand as my two favorite films of the 1990s, so my angst about their Sweet Sixteen matchup is only natural. This isn't fair.
PTA has compared Dirk Diggler's anatomical reveal as Boogie's curtain closes to the reveal of the great white in Jaws. I agree that its effect is similarly jolting, and it's the first in Anderson's career full of genuinely surprising final scenes. The scene works as an impish recontextualization of the events involving Dirk to that moment, and more importantly as a plain-as-day visualization of Dirk's blessing and curse. We're meant to think, "No wonder he was sucked into this world," and that transports us right back to his entry into the industry at the beginning of the film.
Boogie Nights is an epic and a tragedy, a dark comedy with a daring set of subjects, a technical directorial wonder that captures a series of deeply human characters. It's Raging Bull tragedy with a Nashville wide angle, and then dressed up as Debbie Does Dallas. What an audacious film.
All of that being said, I can't that deny my heart wants The Big Lebowski. It's my favorite Coens film, an opinion-- I'll admit--that's probably more prevalent among casual film lovers than the deepest-diving cinephiles. Lebowski features the Coen's richest characters, their most playful ambitions, and by far their funniest dialogue (okay, outside of Marge Gunderson).
What is it about Lebowski that leaves some people eager to dismiss it as middle-of-the-pack Coen Brothers? Does its lack the gravitas we want out of list toppers? If so, I think we need to give comedy its equal shot at critical appreciation. Maybe it's because of its reliance on references to film noir? I'd counter that line of thinking by saying that I love films that love films, and besides, the narrative here is merely background for the truly terrific characters. And so many great films stand on the shoulders of their predecessors: Lebowski doesn't exist without film noir, just as Boogie Nights doesn't exist without French New Wave.
If all other things are equal between these two films, should I just preserve Jeff Bridges' seminal role rather than Mark Wahlberg's? Maybe. I'd rather just keep both films. Can we make that happen? I vote for the film with the great performances from Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
I don't much like 'Boogie Nights', but I was so broken-hearted when PTA's 'Magnolia' was knocked out in the last round that it actually feels pretty good to throw it a vote. Happily it is up against what I think is the worst Coen Brothers film. Not a hard choice.
Boogie Nights is PTA's second best film after Punch Drunk Love, it's exceptional in every aspect. Lebowski is brilliant, but I'd in the middle echelon of the acorns ouevre. I watch The Dude more, but Boogie Nights is easily the better film.
I knew Lebowski was gonna go far, but it doesn't deserve it. Hopefully Filmspotting nation comes to its senses and stops its reign of terror here.
Double feature indeed. The comic absurdity of dumb people bumbling their way through a stylized LA dreamscape.
I really don't want to see either of these films go. But I have to say I must be a bit of a Coen Bros contrarian because unlike what I've heard from Josh and Adam and also read in the comments here throughout this tournament, I would put Fargo in the bottom half of my Coens ranking and Lebowski towards the top. Just because a movie is endlessly quoted by the annoying guy named Dave at your office doesn't make it less worthy on its own merits. The Big Lebowski is an existential masterpiece and Jeff Bridges' performance is a once-in-a-lifetime thing of beauty. As much as I love Boogie Nights, I don't think anyone would say the same about the central performance in that film by Mark Walhberg, surprise factor aside.
For me it comes down to this: Boogie Nights is an auteur at the top of his game. The Big Lebowski is an entire cast and crew at the top of all of their games and really firing on all six cylinders to make a singular piece of art. It's also funnier. So there's that.
They're both great films, and both high watermarks for their directors. I love Boogie Nights, but it does wear as I watch it - not much, but the last 30 are always just a touch rougher for me than the rest of it. Lebowski is enjoyable from beginning to end, every time I see it.
So why the hell did I vote Boogie Nights?
I'm going to have to re-vote and nullify myself.
I think you may be starting to discover that, like in basketball or futbol matches like this, or Academy Award ceremonies, it's not necessarily the best film that wins but the one everyone knows and has the most hype. For that reason, I predict your overall winner already will be Lebowski, though its neither in the top ten films of the 90s, nor even in the top five of the Coens catalogue.
Though I dearly love the idiosyncratic dialectic of film noir and cowboy film elements, your Madness really will end up rewarding this Jock Jams of a film.
The Big Lebowski is the perfect movie for Filmspotting Madness. It gets better upon each rewatch. Could there be a better movie in a last film standing scenario than one that gets funnier and more enjoyable every time you revisit? Yes, that movie is the apparently under appreciated Shawshank Redemption but, you all struck it from existence in favor of Wes Anderson's 7th best movie. Yeah, well, I guess this whole Filmspotting Madness thing is just, like, our opinions, man. It's Lebowski for me.
I've always felt that The Big Lebowski is far more fun to quote than it is to actually watch. For me, it's the perfect film to be incinerated as a Filmspotting Madness loser -- people will keep it alive in a better form, quoting their favorite parts to each other.
I’ve never quite understood the love for Lebowski. It’s one of the few Coen films I’ve disliked. Theory: All things else being equal, if you removed the marijuana, would it be so beloved? I’m thinking not.
Karl Hungus vs. Drik Diggler.
"How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Karl Hungus?"
The Big Lebowski advances.
IT'S SHOMER SHABBOUS!
True story: My apartment was robbed almost seven years ago, and roughly half of my DVD collection was taken, including my copies of Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski. The Big Lebowski isn't my favorite of the Coen Brothers, so it took me a little while to get a new copy. Boogie Nights, on the other hand, still hasn't been replaced. My point: I'm not sure which one is actually the better movie, and I believe that both PTA and the Coens have done better work, but there's no doubt which one I'd rather rewatch.
I'm going to go ahead and point to the bleachers here - I think The Big Lebowski may end up winning the whole thing.
I love both film, but for me this wasn't hard. For me The Big Lebowski is one of the funniest most quotable films i've seen, and it would be a shame to rid the whole world of any more The Big Lebowski drinkalongs.
This is the biggest no-brainer of the sweet sixteen for me. Boogie Nights deserve to be put on a pedestal alongside PTA's greats like The Master and There Will Be Blood. Lebowski, on the other hand, belongs in the middle tier of the Coen's oeuvre. Both are excellent movies, but Boogie Nights is transcendent in a way that few movies are.
Maybe it's not so bad that Groundhog's Day lost in the first round. It makes this choice easier.
I was dreading having to pick Boogie Nights vs Groundhog's Day, though I would have ultimately gone with Groundhogs's Day (the best movie of the 90s hands down), but this makes it easier. Love The Big Lebowski, it's a masterpiece, but it's an easy choice compared to Boogie Nights. PTA is the GOAT, sorry not sorry.