The talk might be all peace — well, the prospect for it — love, and closing down Gitmo in Washington. And in Hollywood, post Oscar annoucement, the main matter of concern for those not attending Sundance might be that now we all really do have to see Benjamin Button even if — like me — you’re kind of dreading it.

But via cinephile newsmeister David Hudson, we learn that, as per Anne Thompson, fists are flying in Park City, Utah. Well, one fist flew, anyway. And not just any fist but one belonging to well known critic John Anderson and his target was Jeff “the Dude” Dowd — and if there’s any film fans reading who aren’t at least dimly aware that producer’s rep Dowd, a sort of super-agent/salesperson for independent films, was the model for Jeff Bridges’ “Dude” in The Big Lebowski, I’d be surprised.

Beyond noting that Park City during Sundance really is a stressful environment and, given the constant lay-offs in the print media and open season on movie critics, this might not be a good time to antagonize them. I will also say that I and my laptop practically lived in the place where the not-quite brawl apparently took place: the friendly and fairly intimate restaurant/bar of the Yarrow Hotel, where most of the press screenings are held and which became a beloved refuge for me during my single ten-day Sundance stretch back in 2005.

Technically a private club because of Utah’s unsurprising blue laws, it’s not a very big place, so the altercation must have been a sight to see. Also, given the genuine niceness of the staff — who  collectively allowed me to click away for hours with fairly minimal purchases of coffee, burgers, and the very occasional post-writing beer — I’m glad there wasn’t too big a mess and they now have another good story to tell about those crazy people from Hollywood.