Banners and Flags in the Big Lebowski - 1998

 Several Flags and important vexillological insignia appear in the riotously funny and quite deep and well thought out film par excellence The Big Lebowski 1998.  Although the film was released in 1998 it is set during the first Iraqi Gulf War of 1991. Here the California State flag is visible when the hero - the Dude - is taken in to police custody for disorderly conduct.

One of the more local and original banners to appear in The Big Lebowski occurs during the diner scene. It reads "Home of the Hamburgers."  Hamburgers are a national dish for Americans. They come in all kinds of varieties, you can even purchase vegetarian or vegan burgers in the US.

US Flag in The Big Lebowski with Malibu police shield. Behind the officer is the US flag.  The Malibu police badge is as sleek as the Malibu name with its name written in cursive. 

 You can barely see a Malibu Flag behind the Dude's head. The Dude is squinting because the officer of the law has just thrown a coffee cup at his head.  The flag in the background has a white fringe along it bottom.

 Notice the unique Saddam Hussein Bowling Pin emblem on his black beret.  Amazingly this film like the first Matrix film coincidentally shows the date of 9/11 before the tragic events unfold three years later in 2001.  Here during a 'dream' sequence Saddam Hussein is working at a bowling alley.  

The classical bowling lane symbol - the three pointed blue crown.

Dr. Frank-N-Furter flag from the Rocky Horror Picture Show

Flag of Dr. Frank-N-Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.  It is shown in the beginning of the film atop the castle.  This film is a ground breaking cult classic.  It addresses the issues of gender identity though a semi-romantic science fiction rock and roll musical.  The film even warns the audience that they will be entering dangerous territory.   

 Arms of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the upper left on shield of arms.  Here the colleagues of Dr. Frank-N-Furter have collapsed after a wild performance of the Time Warp Dance. Although the story is supposed to take place in November - it has became a Halloween Cult Classic.




Here two regular conservative American Pie folk enter the mansion of an alien culture.  At least in the USA, in the 1970s the group ego identity of that a man should be and what a woman should be were challenged.  However by the 1980s a conservative and traditional role of male and female would ring proudly in the mass media. 

Various national flags appear during the Time Warp Dance.  Beginning from the left is the flag of Spain, Scotland, South Africa (retired), Netherlands, Japan, and Greece.

US flag in Cloud Atlas

A movie that sojurns though time and confronts the big issues of life though the media a film.  Cloud Atlas 2012 stars Tom Hanks in an incredible dream like journey though existence. This artful film for mature audiences has the potential to infuse a joyful wonder into reality.  It has the potential to shift the dream scape of Earth's deep dreamers.

In the first publicly released trailer features an 1849 version of the US flag.