It’s got its own festival, action figures, costume contests, and about 20 different flavors of DVD box sets. It defines Jeff Bridges even more than his Oscar for Crazy Heart. It has rabid fans who know every line, which is the entire point to this evening’s special quote-along screening. We are talking, of course, about the Coen brothers’ cult comedy The Big Lebowski, the 1998 stoner noir that sends the amiable Dude on an endlessly quotable quest to recover his stolen rug, restore some decency to an overly stressed-out world, and go bowling. Everyone has their favorite line, from the Dude’s “nice marmot” to the “world of pain” promised by the raging Walter Sobchack (John Goodman) to the nihilists’ “We believe in nothing!” But even if you can’t recite the script from memory, the full text will be projected as subtitles, so you can shout along. Yes, there will be a costume contest, trivia, and silly props (but no White Russians in the theater, please). And finally, the former Seattle radical turned film producer Jeff Dowd, the original Dude, will be on hand to discuss the beloved movie he helped inspire. (Additionally, $50 gets you into a pre-show 21-and-over bowling party/happy hour at Garage on Capitol Hill.) BRIAN MILLER

Wed., March 28, 8:30 p.m., 2012