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The Big Lebowski Pinball Machine Review (Dutch Pinball, 2016)

Straight Down the Middle·video·48m 24s·analyzed·Oct 27, 2020
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claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 · $0.033

TL;DR

SDTM reviews The Big Lebowski (Dutch Pinball 2016): beautiful theme/toys, solid B-range gameplay, shallow code.

Summary

Zach and Greg from Straight Down the Middle review Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski (2016), a rare and expensive licensed machine. They praise its artwork, toys (notably a working bowling alley mechanism), and integration of theme, but criticize the code as lacking polish and feeling repetitive compared to modern standards. The review highlights the machine's production troubles, licensing negotiations, and positioning as a 'trophy pin' rather than a deep competitive title.

Key Claims

  • Dutch Pinball developed The Big Lebowski prototype without initial licensing approval, taking it to Expo with full assets (Eagles songs, Jeff Bridges imagery, marijuana leaves), before negotiating a final agreement

    high confidence · Zach explains the licensing story: 'they didn't do so with the agreement or the approval... they made it into a prototype anyway... they took it to Expo and had this VIP party... the production company was like, no, you can't use any of this. Somehow they still got an agreement'

  • The Big Lebowski comes with an actual rug as part of the machine (with a piss stain design reference)

    high confidence · Zach: 'did you know that when you buy this game, Greg, you actually do get a rug? Yes. Like the Lebowski, and it's got a piss stain on it.'

  • The machine features a functional bowling alley mechanism with physical pins and ball physics similar to actual bowling

    high confidence · Greg describes the mechanism: 'you get two balls yes just like in bowling yes and you try to get a spare yes and then they'll have like you can get weird splits yeah and physics wise it's pretty close'

  • Dutch Pinball faced multi-year production delays, lawsuits, and manufacturing issues that affected many customers' orders

    high confidence · Zach: 'There is a big controversy surrounding the Dutch Pinball Company that dates back years upon years and probably millions of dollars... It was a mess. They couldn't get it manufactured... there was lawsuits'

  • Only one dealer in the United States sells Dutch Pinball games, creating parts availability concerns

    high confidence · Zach: 'The thing is... there's one dealer in the whole country of the united states that deals these games. Are you going to be able to get parts?'

Notable Quotes

  • “The theme alone sells... Very much so.”

    Zach and Greg@ 3:32 — Acknowledges The Big Lebowski's primary value proposition despite high price and production challenges

  • “It's one of those things you just can't put your finger on because it just fits... they stayed very true to the film with everything they've done”

    Zach@ 16:05 — Captures the tension between authentic theme execution and artistic masterpiece potential in pinball design

  • “This feels more like a trophy pin... I'm really digging this.”

    Greg@ 25:21 — Characterizes the machine as a display/collector piece rather than a competitive deep-play title

  • “It's very reminiscent of Judge Dredd... a lot of the modes... is unique... But something just comes off very kind of stale.”

    Greg@ 21:03 — Identifies the code's structural competence alongside its lack of exciting moment-to-moment gameplay

  • “The wait is over. A revolution in LED lighting for your pinball is finally here.”

    [Advertisement/Sponsor Message]@ 23:33 — Embedded sponsor message (Penn Stadium Lights) indicating monetization strategy

Entities

Zach MinneypersonGreg BonepersonDutch PinballcompanyThe Big LebowskigameBarry DysonpersonKane HeltselpersonFreak van HagenpersonJean-Paul de WinpersonJules ReverepersonCoen Brothersperson

Signals

  • ?

    business_signal: Dutch Pinball's production and legal troubles created extended customer wait times and potential unfulfilled orders, affecting brand reliability perception

    high · Zach: 'There is a big controversy... dates back years upon years and probably millions of dollars. Some people lost out on that' and 'lawsuits, and they're still trying to crank them out'

  • ?

    community_signal: SDTM hosts received regular updates from community member/friend throughout Big Lebowski production saga, indicating strong fan engagement despite company challenges

    medium · Zach: 'we have a fan who's a friend of ours... would send me updates on the regular... sent us every newsletter'

  • ?

    design_philosophy: Big Lebowski exemplifies tension between authentic theme fidelity and elevated artistic execution; photoshopped faces on inserts noted as inconsistent with hand-illustrated lower playfield

    medium · Greg questions photoshopped faces contrasting with illustrated artwork; both note hand-drawn style preference but acknowledge photographic authenticity serves theme

  • ?

    licensing_signal: Dutch Pinball successfully negotiated Big Lebowski licensing after initially developing prototype without approval, requiring removal of marijuana leaves and Kahlúa branding but retaining overall design

    high · Zach describes prototype development without agreement, subsequent Expo reveal, and final negotiation where only minor elements (marijuana leaf, Kahlúa name) were removed

  • ?

    product_strategy: Machine positioned as 'trophy pin' (collector/display piece) rather than competitive deep-play title, appealing to casual family/social players rather than serious competitors

Transcript

youtube_groq_whisper · $0.145

0:00
All right, let's kick this shit. I woke up this morning with the sun down shining in. I found my mind in a brown paper bag. But then I tripped on a cloud and fell eight miles high. I tore my mind on a jagged sky. I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in. Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, what condition my condition was in.
1:10
Welcome back to Straight Down the Middle. I'm Zach and this is Greg. Oh yeah, you're doodin' it up today, aren't you? Doodin' it. Very dood-like today. Doodin' it. You got the cardigan on? have you been drinking your white russians do you like white russian you know what actually i do you actually do moscow mules is that similar i don't know i don't think so i don't know my liquor so here's a little backstory it kind of pertains to this okay i tell a lot of stories on here so when i first when we first a very first time i was kind of late to big lebowski okay you know everybody was a big fan of it and it had that cult father the film or the the film this is years and years ago when me and my wife first got together and so we'd first gotten married and we had washed it so we were on like a white russian kick so like we had a yard sale and we both wore just our robes to our yard sale and we we got drunk off white russians at the yard in the middle of the day we started at like eight in the morning because it's a yard sale and we start drinking white russians because you know you got vodka cream and kalua okay in there so it's kind of it's it's like bailey's does have any bailey's in there no but it's like Caloo is like Bailey's. Okay. So it's very breakfast-y. How is it breakfast-y? What makes it breakfast-y? The cream or the milk? The cream and the chocolate.
2:30
The coffee? It's like coffee. Oh, my God. We're here to review the Big Lebowski pinball machine. Quite a rare bird, this game is. Dutch pinball, 2016. Yeah. And we got some time on it. I owned one for a little bit of time. Slight. And then got rid of it. It's an expensive pinball machine. A little stupid expensive. There is a big controversy surrounding the Dutch Pinball Company that dates back years upon years and probably millions of dollars. Some people lost out on that. We have a fan who's a friend of ours, too, and I won't say his name on here, that would send me updates on the regular. I know who you're talking about. I think you probably got him, too. I know exactly who you're talking about. Sent us every newsletter, everything that they sent out. So we kind of followed the entire process, even though we didn't buy one or stay in one. I sort of felt like I did because I got all the updates. It was a mess. They couldn't get it manufactured over in Dutch land. And then there was lawsuits, and they're still trying to crank them out. Yeah. And a lot of people love this machine. I would take it. The theme alone sells. Yes, very much so. And they have a lot of assets really quickly. So when they developed this machine, I don't know if you know this, Greg, or viewer, they didn't do so with the agreement or the approval of I don't know if it was Universal or whatever production film company it was they didn't have any of the assets agreed upon but they made it into a prototype anyway and all the Eagle songs and Jeff Bridges and John Goode everything so they just made it full blown how they wanted it marijuana leafs everywhere and they took it to Expo and had this VIP party up in a hotel room. And everybody was like, okay, don't know how this nothing company in the Netherlands got the license for this, but very cool. And then, yeah, the company was, the production company was like, no, you can't use any of this.
New Line Cinemacompany
Jeff Bridgesperson
John Goodmanperson
Medieval Madnessgame
Attack from Marsgame
Monster Bashgame
Judge Dreddgame
Straight Down the Middlemedia
Julianne Mooreperson
Jersey Jack Pinballcompany

high · Greg: 'feels more like a trophy pin' and discussion of target player type: 'not looking to play 10 games a night... be able to start multi-bowls and stuff'

  • ?

    product_concern: Parts availability and technical support concerns for Big Lebowski due to single U.S. dealer and limited service infrastructure compared to larger manufacturers

    high · Zach: 'there's one dealer in the whole country of the united states that deals these games. Are you going to be able to get parts?' and prior owner had to stockpile replacement components

  • ?

    technology_signal: Code structure appears functionally complete but lacks iterative polish and moment-to-moment excitement relative to post-2000 manufacturing standards

    high · Both rate Rules B-minus; Greg notes 'lacks that polish... lacks the different sound effects... very flat when it comes to the scoring'; comparison to Medieval Madness structure with acknowledgment of staleness

    • 4:31
    Somehow they still got an agreement with this. I don't know if it's New Line Cinema. still got the agreement they only had to take out like a marijuana leaf they had to take out the kalua name of course yeah just put cream or something um they took out a couple things like that but they still got it done that's kind of actually insane it's pretty pull that off it's pretty insane but it's a wicked it's very you're like the dude i'm more like walter with this haircut chino faded me up good too oh look at that great that's like good like an american badass very different what is Walter what does he say this is what happens Larry you see what happens Larry when you're fucking stranger in the ass well that's kind of me too yeah yeah I'm just gonna you just gotta hear man It's kind of here, man. You're here and there. You're going to wear those sunglasses the whole time. I don't know.
    5:37
    All right. Let's talk about the big Lebowski. It was designed, I've got to look it up, by Barry Dyson. Do you have a Dutch accent? No. And Kane Heltsel. Heltsel and Dyson. Heltsel. Software by Kane Heltsel. artwork by Freak that's his name look Freak Van Hagen and you know that name Jean-Paul DeWin oh Jean-Paul DeWin helped with this game oh shit yeah 2016 JP for DeWin animation by Barry Dreisel and Jean-Paul DeWin sound by Jules Revere their last ride and music Jules Revere Nice. So not familiar with a lot of those people except for our buddy JP DeWin. And we'll talk about his work on artwork and animation. It's a highlight of this game. But before we do that, Greg, why don't we kick it over to an overview and a tutorial of The Big Lebowski.
    6:47
    You're out of your element, Donnie. I'm eager to review this game as well with Greg. But first, let's take a closer look at Dutch Pinball's The Big Lebowski. Obviously you're not a golfer. That's right. You just take it easy.
    7:02
    You see the artwork on this game is pretty amazing. Typical in lanes, out lanes on the Big Lebowski. There is a kickback right here though. It does spell out zero. You're doing zeros to... Where is that? Mark at zero. So you're trying to complete all these tasks to get to the do to bides. Which includes marking at zero. Getting enough of these in lanes. You can't see it now but going through this left scoop. getting a super jackpot completing all the rug modes car modes collecting all the balls and starting characters we'll get to that now but very typical in lane out lane from left to right you have a left saucer right here that's where you collect your market zeros you start your characters there and you go bowling there as well down here you can also go bowling up at the top play field that we'll cover here in a minute you've got your left orbit over here which indicates donnie you light up Donnie with every shot that you make D-O-N-N-Y that's also an arrow for the different modes that you're playing you've got a left ramp right here this is the dude you're trying to spell out the dude and I have to say it in his voice you're spelling out the dude to light up the dude here Donnie dude mod is back in the pops there they're in lanes we can look at that in a second But they're different because there's three in lanes up there and then two in lanes down here to spell out mod. Then you have Jesus right here. He's this little, it's like a little buckshot that gets you up to the upper play field. Jesus is right there. And of course, Walter is the right ramp. But as we're continuing on, we have a scoop here that's responsible for starting that wizard mode, extra ball, your mystery awards, and starting Nihilist Showdown. Here's your rug mode. when you bash that enough times you will enable a rug mode these are your main modes of the game essentially you also have another orbit with a spinner uh inner orbit that is a very satisfying shot right ramp right ramp will put you up here and what to give it it'll give you a couple options i did forget to say that the left ramp has a diverter i don't know if you can see it a diverter right there and it will come up to allow balls to pass through to lock balls for a multi-ball. But when we're talking about the upper play field, plenty to do up here. One of my favorite upper play fields in any pinball machine. It comes, you hit it either in the ramp or the buck path. It'll come right here. Lead to this flipper. You have a couple options here. You can hit the loop, which you can spell out bowling and you'll go back down. Once you get this bowling spelled then you go let's go bowling right there and play your bowling under lower playfield game so you can do the loops that's fun or you can hit the the disability or the handicap stand up targets here you hit those enough and you will enable a car mode the car will come out of here i don't think i can there it is the car will come out like that some of the modes you bash it once some of the modes you avoid it some of the modes you hit it and it goes down you got come back up and hit it again and that's pretty much what's up there there's some stand-up targets over here to collect your items cream coffee liquor it's kalua vodka and ice to make make your drink man and the stand-up target over here lights trampoline trampoline is that kickback so that's pretty much it again uh very basic a lot of depth in this game i'm not sure it's completely coded yet which is kind of a downside but the tasks of this game now that you guys know the layout and the shots market zero inline super jackpot with the multi-ball rug modes are straight up the middle here car modes are up top on the upper play field collecting balls we didn't talk about collecting balls so this lower play field here there are many games within it the many games consist of either getting two balls and trying to hit a strike or a spare or hit a roving pin this is a physical mechanism you will see the pins move going up and down and then also this is a ball is on an actuator i don't know if i can see so that will move as well so what you're trying to do you hit these guys enough each character and it will light these you can stack them and try to get all five to start your multi-ball you can have two lit and start your multi-ball the higher up you go the higher the points the more balls during your multi-ball but each of them also has an associated bowling ball those can be obtained through the mini modes so when you start up this mini mode uh down here this lower play field you are going to get a choice do you are you going for walter ball are you going for mods ball etc and you have to complete that task or that goal to obtain that ball you get all of the balls and you will light that task of collecting balls And then of course there start characters You start all of them I not come close to all of it, but I think it can be done. All right, I guess that's about it. Now it is time to review the Big Lebowski. Look at that artwork. We got to go to Pasadena, man. Come pick me up or I'm off the fucking bowling team.
    12:27
    You started us off. I did. How? With a look. With a yawn. I can see them watery ass eyes. This is like your time. It's 12 o'clock. It's just like the dude.
    12:40
    This works. You get drunk and high all the time and piss on your rug. Or he doesn't piss on the rug.
    12:46
    Have you ever had an oriental rug like that? I have a little one. Do you? In my hallway. not right i did have it in my hallway what happened to it the wife made me get rid of it why she made me put it in the dirty room she hated it she said dirty room i guess i haven't seen that one yet the unfinished room oh my gosh the sex room i was like what kind of dirty room ugly rug in the dirty room you're like the chick on the lebowski that's swinging through with the paint.
    13:16
    I was always creeped out by that. Who's that, Julianne Moore? Yeah. Is that who that is? I think Julianne Moore's in there. Now, with this game, did you know that when you buy this game, Greg, you actually do get a rug? Yes. Like the Lebowski, and it's got a piss stain on it. I remember your rug. Yeah. We used that rug. We did.
    13:35
    I wonder where that game is now. I don't know. It was good. It was nice. It was a beautiful game. It was really pretty. built really well this game is yes really heavy it is super heavy uh i had some issues with it but let's go into like we do typically on the reviews the artwork yes uh now you artwork wise you're not as hot as i am you're at a b i am at a solid a okay i love the artwork i especially love the illustrations on the play field that style um oh i love that and then the back glass is a super thick back glass. Like you think a screen printed spooky is thick. This is like excessively thick. It weighs like 10 pounds, this back glass. But it's a nice screen print. I like the composition. I don't know if it's the movie poster. And then the side, you get that kind of that Western Big Lebowski insignia. And then up the head, you get him holding that ball. I don't see how you rate it anything besides an A. It is a very solid, beautiful art package to me. Well, I agree with all those things. Like the back glass, everything, the artwork. It's a really weird thing to rate. No Yeti. No, and this is the thing that's weird about it. Like the play field, there's nothing spectacular about it. And that's what throws me off. But the weird thing is you don't want to go in any different direction than what they did with the play field art. You don't think they could hand illustrate some of that stuff? Yeah, they could have. Like some of the people. Yeah, the faces are a little photoshoppy. Yeah, could have been. But I'm just saying the layout, it's very shitty bowling alley. It's very true to the film. It's just like your opinion, man. I'm going to have to do something like that. I'm sorry. That's kind of a joke. Okay, so just solid. Yeah, it's just solid to me. You guys are seeing the pictures now. What do you guys think? Put it down in the comments section. I just, the illustrated artwork of the bottom third for me, I would love to see that type of artwork on future pinball machines. I like that hand drawn illustrated, but it's very cartoon, but it's still comic booky kind of thing. Um, I would say they would have done that on the faces on the inserts. Cause that is a little Photoshop. Yeah. It kind of, it, it sticks out even worse because that other stuff is so, I mean, yeah. That rug really tied the room together. Did it not? Fucking A. This guy peed on it. Donnie, please. But like, I don't know. It's just weird. It's, it's one of those things you just can't put your finger on because it just, it fits. It's, it's, they stayed very true to the film with everything they've done in this pin and the artwork. You just didn't need anything else. But then like, how do you rate it?
    16:20
    How do you be true to something? You don't necessarily have to do this masterful art piece, but you stay true to it. So how do you rate that? Do you give points because they say, you know, so true to something. It's kind of like, what do you do with Game of Thrones? I mean, it's going to look grungy. regardless what do you do with walking dead it's gonna kind of look grungy what do you do yeah how are you gonna be like well i don't know i think some of those you could have done really crazy good i'm trying to help you here i know let's let's move on to uh the shots and layout take a look at this the layout on this pinball machine all right great shots and layout we are together on this one we're both at b pluses surprise surprise uh why are we not at an a why are we not at a C. To me, it's kind of a typical fan layout.
    17:10
    But the shots are fun. They're smooth like a Bally Williams. It very much reminds me of a Bally Williams game. It is a very close Bally Williams. The flippers felt like a Bally Williams. My flippers were a little spongy after a game or so. Well, but initial startup. Initial startup. I think this feels more like a Bally Williams than even JVP games. Yeah, I will agree. Maybe it's the code and different stuff we'll get into. but some of my favorite shots are when the flippers are working well. That right ramp, it's in the orbit position, so you have to have a lot of power, and it's a high ramp to get to the upper playfield. But that's fun, and then you loop around that upper playfield. That's one of the best upper playfields out there. It is a good upper playfield. It's a very smooth little loop up there that you get off of that little mini flipper. Do you repeat it? Yes, it's just fun. The car comes out, which we can be toys, but it's still a shot. It's fun. The Jesus shot. That's fun. Into it. It's kind of surprising. Like an underground buck kind of thing. Because I kind of almost feel like, because you've got orbit, then inner orbit, and then you almost feel like Jesus is going to be in orbit. Yeah. But it's not in orbit. So it... And the bash toy is fun. Don't fuck with the Jesus. The bash toy is fun. The rug. The rug's awesome. We'll talk about the toys. But the rug... It's hard not to talk about the toys in the maximum. Because that's a lot of the shots. The ramps are nice. The ramps are smooth. The left ramp is nice. They are nice. It returns. But it's nothing like, they're nothing that blow you out of the water to go to an A, but they're super solid, fun, and smooth. Yeah. So you can't go any lower than a B+. I'm with you. If you're going to go up anywhere, you're going to go up from there. You can't really start deducting and go too much further away from a B+. You might be able to say that it's a B and stuff. But you see what I'm saying? Yeah. Well, because to me, in A, there are no big faults in any of the shots, and there are a couple shots that leave you thinking, that's one of my favorite shots ever. We don't get that. No, no. They're just good, solid shots. That's why you've got to stick it at B. It's like you say, yes. At C, there's nothing detrimental in this game that would qualify. No. A C where you're just like, oh, I hate that. There's no shot that I hate on this one. Like you said, there's even shit games that are terrible, but have that one shot that's like okay now that's fucking cool man that's neat that's cool but this like you said this doesn't have that super cool one-off shot so it just keeps you like it's a super solid shooting game but it feels very familiar too yes okay yes i think we did that one correctly i think b plus is correct on that all right let's move down to rules now this is where both you and I are in agreement again. For us, this is where the game falls a little bit short. Yes. It's a B- for us.
    20:00
    You want to rate it a C because it does lack polish and finish. I wouldn't go as far as a C. I'm saying you want to. But because of the structure and the Bally Williams mindset of the code, That's why I'm at a B minus and not a C plus or a C. Yeah. I actually like, like you said, I actually really like the structure of the code. There's plenty to do. There is plenty to do. And it's fun. It's neat. But something at some point gets very, I don't even know, repetitive is the right word. You're on the right line. Yeah, I'm with you. You just, to me, and we'll get into it at another point, like very reminiscent of Judge Dredd. Oh, that's an interesting comparison. Yeah. In the fact that a lot of the modes, like a lot of the stuff that you're doing is unique. It's not just shoot the ramp, shoot the ramps to do this or that. Like there is some uniqueness to the different modes and different things that you do. But something just comes off very kind of stale. I think you're used to new Sterns and JJPs. Yeah. This is very much like a Ballywood. It reminds me of like a medieval madness. Where you run through stuff. It's very similar to like a medieval man's attack from Mars because of this. A couple points. You've got your main modes, hit the castle, or hit the UFO, hit the rogue. Yes. You've got your little side modes. You need a super jackpot. You need a five-way combo. You need your little side car missions. You need your bowling missions, right? Your market zero missions. Very much like that. Then you have your how many do you want to stack in monster bash before you start the multi-ball? How many characters do you want to stack? Yeah. Very much like Lebowski. How many characters do you want to stack to maximize score and balls in multiball before you cash that in? Very similar. You saying that, though, the thing that I think separates those games, because you're like, oh, fuck, those are great. Like, how are you comparing it to Medieval Madness and Attack from Marvel? Like, those are fucking fantastic. But when you hold the code up to today's standards. But what I think separates, because I still love those games. You do. Monster Bash wears on me a little bit. but the shots to the saucer the shots to the castle as cool as the rug is holds no comparison to the fun and the excitement and the moment that you get when you're hitting the castle or you're hitting the castle goes crazy exactly so i think that that's a good point i think that's the difference because when you really start getting deep and you get good at playing medieval madness and stuff it kind of gets yeah you're kind of like when you well to your point when you hit it into the rug saucer it's not like the rug starts unfolding or something you know like no so that's what i'm saying i think that that's what keeps those games more exciting and this one kind of uh code structure is the same though like you said i think you made very good point i'm teetering maybe i should have went a seat no b minus is right because it's got a lot to do. The structure is there. It just needs to be filled out a little bit more. It's still cool code. It's my kind of code. It lacks that polish. It lacks the different sound effects. It lacks just the little scoring in it. It's very flat when it comes to the scoring. And it's no excuse because we're stuck with what we have, but I think it's one of those things that if it would have went into production and made it and they would have been a fairly successful company, we'd have probably got some really good updates to have made it. They still claim that there's going to be updates. See, I mean... The wait is over. A revolution in LED lighting for your pinball is finally here. Fully customizable, full-spectrum lighting from Penn Stadium Lights. Order yours now at PennStadium.com.
    23:47
    Chrome it, brass it, black nickel it, candy chrome it, powder coat it. The possibilities are endless at PinballPlating.com.
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    Your pinball machine deserves the best. At Comet Pinball, you'll find the best variety of LED products with the best quality LEDs and most importantly at the best price Your collection is begging for an upgrade Order yours now at CometPinball Check out Pin Graphics for the latest and greatest in pinball enhancements power blades blade skins pin blades and even more Visit PinGraphics.com now to see what's available for your pinball machine. Well, see, but if they do, and they do do those code updates, I mean, you could easily bump this up and get into the higher Bs. depending on how much work they do. It's just that we're stuck with... Again, it's not bad. It's just not... Once you kind of go through it... It depends on the type of player you are. I've got customers, we've got friends that Monster Bash is perfect for them. The Munsters is perfect for them. They're not looking to play 10 games a night. They're looking to hang out once a week with their family, be able to start multi-bowls and stuff like that. And there's a lot of people that still do like that Munsters code, that enjoy it. Yeah. It's not my cup of tea. That's what I'm saying. We get a little bit deeper into codes.
    25:10
    So, nicely done. We get a little deeper into codes. So, for us, this feels more like a trophy pin. You got that trophy wife or that, like me, trophy husband. But it feels like a trophy pin. I'm really digging this. Look at this. You know, really, damn, I'm looking at the monitor. That's a really corny joke, and you just ignored it with your haircut. Yeah. My haircut's better than that joke. That's why I'm the trophy friend. You are a trophy friend. Actually, you're better to me now than what I am to you. It goes both ways. I've got to give you that. All right, so that's the code. Well, I think we've ranted about the code long enough. That's the dull point for me on the Big Lebowski. Is it code most of the time? Yeah, a lot of times it is. This next category will not disappoint anybody out there. This is toys and innovation. the thing is loaded it is that's what makes you feel like that bally williams again it's got plenty of mechanisms in it yes it's got a fucking rolling carpet greg the rolling carpet's awesome it works yeah yeah yeah i want to get a spare part so just in case yeah that's the problem with this game greg you don't know like when i bought it what's gonna break or when are there gonna be parts available there's one dealer in the whole country of the united states that deals these games. Are you going to be able to get parts? The guy that I bought it from had a replacement hard drive ready. He had a replacement, another board. He had like. Well, but I feel like all the Alien people did that too. But I think that there's a little bit bigger following behind Alien because there was more of them that I guess got out. And I feel like that people are a little more apt to be creative and to keep Alien working than they are Big Lebowski. I would say. Lebowski scares me a lot. I don't think it's a stretch saying sci-fi people tend to be IT people and they're more crafty than stoners.
    27:08
    Stoner bunch. Yeah, but a lot of those fuckers are smart, too. Yes, they are. But motivation. Hey, man, dude, I got this cannon, bro. So Toys and Innovation, of course, were both at what? An A? A pluses. It's like you can't not. Because you've got the car. We talked about that on the upper play field. You've got an upper play field. You said you got the carpet. Yep. You got a carpet. You got the diverter. Yes. The ramp diverter that you lock. For the lock. And you got a fucking bowling alley. A working bowling alley. Where you can actually hit the pins. It's not like a virtual thing. No. There is legit a ball and it rotates on that whatever. It's like the shooting it. Like when you had a BB and you shot. Mm-hmm. Like you could beep. Yeah. And you press the button and it lets it go and it rolls. Quarters. It's like the quarters. It is like the quarter. Like the Simpsons. Remember the Simpsons? You tried to get it on the toilet. Remember that game? the redemption games by stern spooky oh yes it hop and then go like you put the coin down it rolls down or the alpine yes yes it's exactly like that like that a pusher man a coin oh you're thinking of a pusher i'm thinking of a roller no but you're what you're saying it they're based off the same premise in a sense yes uh but you're hitting i like that it's not just here's your pins try to get a strike you get two balls yes just like in bowling yes and you try to get a spare yes and then they'll have like you can get weird splits yeah and physics wise it's pretty close yeah like if you hit the side of a pin to get the split and they do a roving target that's fun too it is yep but that's what i'm saying that's another one of those weird little things going back to the code just for a minute that makes it that the code is not bad that's why like things like that is why you can't give it a c i know it it mixes someone say it's just novelty though someone say it's just a novelty that bowling alley but that's not pinball it's just a novel no but that's something that adds to it and makes it fun and makes it cool there's a lot of novelty type stuff in freaking pinball i mean yeah in the time that i owned it i didn't get tired of the bowling alley no i didn't get tired i mean i didn't have a car why haven't you owned one it seems like you're kind of pin actually yeah it would be i actually love it Because once you get it, I mean, we're going to theme, but toys, toys, the integration of all those toys and everything in there, like they integrated everything so well. Yeah. It's a very well integrated. But, you know, we talk about certain manufacturers and the way that they integrate things. You know, we talked about, you know, like with J.J.P., what they did with G&R. We really should maybe. I know that we rate theme and a lot of people would rather us rate theme integration, but we feel strongly about the theme. I want to keep that. Yes. Because I still think it's important. Maybe there is some room for a theme integration category in our reviews.
    29:55
    Maybe there is. Even if it's a low, remember, our reviews are. I wonder if we don't add it. I wonder if we don't actually weigh it in, but it's like a sub. That's what I'm saying. It's just a small. I don't even know if we add it. I don't know if I want to, because I don't want to go back. I'm lazy like the dude. I don't want to go back and recalculate or have you recalculated everything. Let me tell you what I think. Yeah, that's true. He's always giving me a grave. He's like, give me my grave so I cannot be bothered. Hey, you've got to admit this, though. I'm fucking honest about stuff. I don't bullshit you. Yeah, that's true. I don't bullshit the heart. You never have to worry about it. No, you know I'm like, fuck that. I ain't doing that. That's what's nice about us. I know. You take up all my slack. No bullshit there. Ha, ha, ha.
    30:47
    All right. So that, what else? Is there any other toys and innovation? I would say that for the collectors out there, the game does come chromed. Yeah. This isn't a stainless steel. It comes chromed. I was talking about the thickness of that back glass. Yes. It's not really an innovation, but still part and parcel of this machine, what you get. Yeah.
    31:12
    Yeah. If you throw that in there, you're stretching. You get the rug. Is the rug not a... Oh. The actual rug that comes with the game? Would you... Is that a toy in innovation? I think it's kind of a toy. I like the apron. Die cut apron and stuff. It's not really a toy, but it is. Is that... It's more of a quality... Or more of a... It's a perk. A perk. Yeah. Do we rate perks now? But there's a lot of toys that we rate that are just molded that don't have any interaction with the ball. Yeah. So similar. Yeah. Like the bowling alley, the ball return? The ball return. It doesn't do anything. No. But it looks cool and it makes sense. Yeah. But that can be a toy. I mean, you don't... It's a toy. The bowling pin in the very back and the bowling ball top bumper? No, all that counts to me as toys. It doesn't have to be an interactive toy. It's an A-plus regardless. I mean, I don't think we've ever rated it like Toys and Innovation purely on interactive toys. Well, that's why I'm saying why not include the apron or the chrome?
    32:06
    It's not under the... The apron is under the... No. It's an A-plus. It doesn't matter. That's good. I know. Just picturing Dennis Creasel bitching right now.
    32:18
    Eat it, Dennis. Okay. I heard you mouthing us about our B pluses. See? On the pinball show. I finally have somebody on my back. I heard you. And he doesn't like looking up for me. How about that? I know. But I had to. He won't watch us. He likes the disregard. So that's what I watch. Display and animation. That's the big Lebowski. And they use the assets from the film. Like the videos there. And they're very well incorporated. because they incorporated and integrated the theme so well, so they've got their place. And even whenever they animate themselves, Yes! sequences, it's integrated, like you said, it's integrated perfectly. And JP! That's JP. I don't even know how much he's a part of this, but I'm giving him the credit here. Yeah. Sorry. If he's not the one that did it, I don't care if he does 10%, that 10% is better than 100% of a lot of people. Yep. It's JP for DeWin. It's an A+. It's freaking amazing. The only weird thing, it's an LCD screen, I believe, but it's still in a dot format. Yeah, it's like what's spooky. It looks okay.
    33:17
    Money Lebowski. It's down there somewhere. Let me take another look. Yeah. And I don't know if it fits the theme better that way than if it was just a... Because it's kind of 70s. It's like a mix between like an old school sort of like dirty bowling alley mixed with like modern technology.
    33:36
    I see I mix shit up like that in my head for certain things that makes me feel better about it. Okay. Do you not do that sometimes? I don't do that. You know, like if I'm just really dirty, I'm like, oh, I'm a hardworking man today. But really, I'm just dirty.
    33:48
    It's called rationalization. Yes. I spent, you know, this much, but it's not like I murdered a hooker. That's rationalization. No, I'm not rationalizing. Sounds like you are. I'm putting myself, I mean, there is a form of rationalization to it, but I guess that I am putting myself in a mindset to enjoy something better. Does that make sense? Like, hey, you know what? I'm all covered in dirt today, but I feel like a fucking lumberjack. Like, I really... Yeah, like, I am that character. I am that person. Okay. See, what would you call that?
    34:24
    Compensation? Compensation on rationalization? Yeah, it's like some guy that's like, I've got a two-inch dick, but, man, at least I've got a dick. Yeah, but at least I... What are you saying? It gets hard. No, I'll be like, no, like what I'm saying is like, I feel like a porn star with this thing. You see what I'm saying? Like I put myself in there. I'm swimming in a pool. You're lighting yourself. And I'm swimming laps. I'm like, I'm like an Olympic fucking swimmer. You see what I'm saying? And you're like, okay, I can do it. You know, like I go to a pool party. You are Michael Phillips. Go to a pool party and I don't want to be at a pool party. You're more ways than one.
    34:56
    And I don't want to be at the pool party. Okay. So I make up a story in my head to enjoy swimming in the pool. what story would you make up in your head that i'm michael phelps and i'm just gonna swim laps the whole goddamn time i'm training are you high probably need to be when you socialize with a bunch of people you don't want to be around i don't i'm sorry i don't know what that was uh but see what i'm talking about about the dot me i put it in my head i'm like you know what i did it with houdini animations oh we got it i'm saying i'm like oh that's fitting that's great I got you. Yeah. I don't know what you would call that. Yeah. But it sort of makes, I do it in my life too. Makes me just feel better about every situation I'm in. I think it's just general positivity and looking on the bright side of things. I think it's a fucking coping mechanism. Yeah, it is. It's trying to find the silver lining. Yeah. Yes. The silver lining. Yes. And I'm a super pessimistic person. So that fucking helps.
    35:52
    We need to do these more frequently. Therapy sessions. We should just do therapy sessions. No. I am so full of complex issues. Oh, I know. I believe you're my best friend. I know all about them. This could be amazing. Fuck, are they going to get- You want a tow? I can get you a tow. Believe me. There are ways, dude. You don't want to know about a believe me. But Walter Hell I can get you a tow by three o this afternoon He told me not to lie to him the other night And I did What When you fucking wrote me You tricked me into calling you back And I was like, oh, yeah, I didn't see your call. And what did I say? You were like, don't lie to me. I said, stop. We're too close. And I did lie to him because I was just like, I don't want to talk to him. But he tricked me. He lied to me. He was like, it'll take two minutes real quick. But you appreciated that I called you because I can read you. Because he hooked me in with talking about a show. Sorry. How good was that show? It was amazing. Haunting of Bly Manor. It was very amazing. King Cromwell passed. Did you see that? King Cromwell don't want to enjoy life. King Cromwell? It's not all about business. He said, is it real or fake? He was down with it if it was a documentary. But Ken didn't want to get into the world of make-believe. It's fiction, Ken. Chill out. He's like, pass.
    37:03
    Asshole. I got room for you no more, Ken. Oh, my God. Music and call-outs. We love it, too. I'm in an A plus you're in an A. Yes. What's so special about the music and call outs? It's the big Lebowski. They got the assets. Yes. They got the old, the call outs. The great phrases. Cause there are so many memorable moments in that movie. Fucking Santana.
    37:27
    That creep can roll, man. Yeah, but he's a pervert, dude. It's six months of Chino for exposing himself to an eight year old.
    37:37
    Eight year olds, dude. That's one of the greatest things that I think helped make that a cult following is because a lot of the unique sayings are so Great to quote mm-hmm that that's true. What hook people yeah, especially youth Yeah, like our middle-aged middle. Yeah, you can relate to it You can relate to not want to do a damn thing and blame it everybody else or the soon of the dialogue is just hilarious Yeah, there's a lot of philosophy in that film Isn't that what makes a man? sure that and a pair of testicles you mind if I do a J they're kind of Cohen brothers so yes they're my favorite intelligent yes yes so you get the big Lebowski man the lady killers was good very underrated film if you haven't seen the lady killer Tom Hanks good Marlon Wayans JK Simmons it is good mountain girl man that's a good one we need to watch using call outs is great because they do have all of the sounds, the call outs. Now they don't have the music, but they are renditions that are crafted well enough that they are passive and feel their past. Yeah. Like it pays, it plays the Santana version of hotel California. Yes. But you get the, but again, the way that they did it, you don't miss it. Like maybe if you were a diehard, like super diehard Lebowski fan, it might bother you. Yeah. But I think for your casual, just, I enjoy that movie and it's fucking hilarious. it's easily going to pass. And I think the Eagles fucking blow. So changing any of that crap. God, why do people do that? The Eagles are horrible. Why does everybody hate on the Eagles? I would rather listen to Britney Spears' greatest hits than Hotel fucking California. I don't want to go to Hotel California. No. I will agree with Hotel California. Most of that.
    39:22
    Theme. Jesus. I mean, come on. Yeah. It's another. I'm saying it again. Third category. A plus. Man, this thing is. It's all about. This thing is close to just checking all the boxes. Yes. And you know what? That's the most disheartening thing about this pen. It's like, I love Alien. Alien is good. It's integrated well, but it's still kind of a sloppy. There's no Sigourney Weaver. It's still kind of sloppy. Yeah, the shots are just a little tough. Yeah, I don't know. I like the artwork. I think it's one of those things, again, where the artwork kind of is encompassing. This shoots three times better than Alien. But that's what I'm saying. Alien shots are a little wonky, but I still fucking really love it. this pin is so production. It is so there in the fact that it didn't come out in the fact that it didn't happen. They're not far away from a perfect pinball machine. No. Truly or not. What? Like when we were in that code, it's like, man, if they could have just had time and this would have went into people's homes and that company would have survived. What could this have been? If a Jersey Jack or a Stern was able to reproduce it, the Chicago gaming company. Why? I just, I know it's probably just a legal nightmare getting into a lot of that stuff. But, man, like, I think that there are so many people that would push for that. The design is there. Fucking get Alien. Get Lebowski. It's the theme, man. The theme is great. Yeah. But both those pins have integrated the themes well. It could still, we've seen plenty of things with great themes that just don't integrate them well. I can guarantee you, somebody like a Stern Pinball or a Jersey Jack, they would think, before they've seen something like this, they would see the big Lebowski and say, no, that's not a pinball theme. No, that's what I'm always screaming for. Like some of these comedy films to take some consideration in some of these comedy films. Cause I'll 100% tell you that if you were to tell me, Greg, I would like a Lebowski pinball machine. I'd be like, okay, you, it sounds crazy. Yeah. But when you think of all the things that you can pull, think about people call me nuts. Some of the Sandler films, some of the Jim Carrey films, some of the Chris Farley films. Dumb and Dumber. So much stuff you can use. There are certain things that you really could because it has so many memorable moments. Billy Madison. So much stuff you can use. That mansion. I think a Happy Gilmore would be a little better. Happy Gilmore would be great with the Rude Goldberg thing. But I also think it's the comedic, it's the lines, it's the one-liners, it's the quotes. Why are we missing that in Pinball? We commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean.
    41:55
    Good night, sweet prince. It is kind of odd. Rick and Morty. That kills because of the call-outs and stuff. It's the comedy. Comedy would work in pinball machines. It doesn't have to be rock concert and action films. It doesn't have to be. I actually am fully behind you because there are some good cult comedies that would really fit. that would sell. That would really sell. Caddyshack would do great. Caddyshack would do well. Think about some of those. Bill Murray. You're pushing into that pinball generation at that point in the 50s. You're really hitting those people. But our generation is getting better. But we need, like you said, we need Adam Sandler. We need that sort of thing. We need the gym care. That's for our generation. And we're a big market now. We're an upcoming market. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase. It's one of my dream things. So I 100% back that. God, it'd be awesome. I love it. Don't give me the season bullshit either. It is. Because I started thinking about that. I'll play a motherfucker in July. I would, but I think that if you release it in December. Because I think about that with Hocus Pocus. I love Hocus Pocus. Hocus Pocus? Who doesn't love Hocus Pocus? I don't want a pinball machine. Yeah, you're probably going to make a perfect pinball machine, but it'd be neat. Not that good. It would be neat. Yeah. But horror stuff goes a little better. Just like Sarah Jessica Parker. You know what? I think she's unattractive, but in that film, it's so nice. I like her. This seems a little too sassy for me. Yeah, she's whiny. Let's get back on track. Like, this is all of a sudden just a free-for-all rant about whatever we want to talk about. And you guys either love it or hate it. And guess what? We don't give a shit. We do this for us. We don't make no money. That's for damn sure. We won't get into that. No.
    43:43
    Enjoyability to end us off on this SDTM review. You're to be plus, I'm to be. We enjoy it. I like it. We enjoy it. Like you said, the biggest thing. Sorry. No, go ahead. You had it. The biggest thing to take away from this, I think, is what we said before. It's on the verge of being something really, really good. The reason that I'm at a B and not an A, it's not because of animation. It's not because of toys. It's not because of layout. It's not because of art. It is only because of rules. That's it. Which is fixable. That is right. That's a good point. That's one thing you can fix. and I had troubles with mine. Yeah. The system's a little glitchy here and there. It uses a P-rock and it uses their own proprietary stuff, I think. A little glitchy. But I would assume that a lot of that could be fixed. Even the parts. This isn't Stern manufacturing this, though. This was a handful of people in a garage. But it's another one of those things. It's on the cusp. It would have been close to being a perfect pinball machine. It could have been. But what you're left with is a trophy pin. Yes. In my opinion. I don't think there's any non-casual pinball players that are going to purchase this. This is a high-end collection type of pin. Or this is a person outside of pinball that is obsessed with the Big Lebowski. Exactly. I don't know how many deep, deep collectors there are. I'd say you'd get a handful. Maybe a Coen Brothers aficionados. But overall, that leaves us at B pluses. you're at a 3.36 I'm a little hair higher at a 3.4 you don't watch this show for the letter grade you watch it for the color commentary don't lie to yourself so all of you who are like I'm never going to watch them look at that hair I need to trim this up but I'm feeling it man if I could actually bulk up a little bit that's why I like this big sweater I look like a man get that kinetosteroid thing going on it might be a little good We're just two Midwest guys. All right, what do people need to know for next time? Follow us on straightdownthemiddle.org.
    45:56
    Doesn't exist. We don't even have a website. No. Well, we got the reviews and stuff on Flippin' Up. Yeah, follow us on YouTube. Like and subscribe. Chuck works. Chuck works on streaming on Twitch. He's still streaming strong. Yep. Kerry Hardy. Yeah, Kerry Hardy's on there making videos. He's getting a lot better with things. Ashland is really enjoyable too. He's becoming a pretty good tech in pinball. It's fun to watch. Yeah, very good. And then, you know, like us on Facebook. We've got random weird little things on Facebook here and there. We do. Fun. Special shout-out to Scott Foreman who walked us through the process. And you guys can see the Twip article on it. But he really outdone himself on probably the nicest Big Lebowski custom done ever. It is really smooth. That's awesome. Shout-out to all of our sponsors, including Flippin' Out Pinball. If you want this machine, flipping out doesn't care. But everything else, Stern, JJP. You did have one, though. I did have one for sale. Yeah. That's a good point.
    46:52
    CGC, their game's coming out very soon. Get on the interested list. As well as Stern's. GNR by JJP. We've got all kinds of cool stuff. And even new stuff that we're going to be dealing here very, very soon. And you and I might be playing very, very soon. Yeah. Hopefully. So until next time, the dude, Walter, this is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass. See you later. You look like this guy. Hey, that wouldn't be so bad. I'm telling you, Chino, man, you need to. Mmm. You hit it off with a bumper knife straight down the middle again. Middle again. You had a flame with a flake shot. You're rolling out the island again. Yeah.
    47:33
    I tried to cradle you with my flipper. This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass, but I need to know if it's Larry. I think it's Larry.
    47:48
    So good. He fizzled like five times. Larry, okay. Oh my god, that's so good.