#34: Mr. Roland Emmerich, Hear Our Plea!

Dear Mr. Roland Emmerich, 

Mr. Roland Emmerich, the Master of Visions, Contemplating the Cosmos

Good day to you! We send you great joy and light from General Snobbery Podcast! 

As you know, we are great fans of your work. In fact, we have made it quite plain to our listeners that Independence Day: Resurgence is the definitive film of our podcast. Thus, we recorded this episode for you, Mr. Emmerich, that we might bring a shred of joy to your life in repayment for all the joy you have brought ours. 

We are well aware of your busyness, and we are most grateful for your continual creativity (and for your gifts!). Yet should you find a few spare moments whilst driving, flying, or perhaps lounging in the ole tub after a long and productive day, we sure hope you pop on this episode that we have recorded for you. While our pronunciation of the German words in our introduction may be flawed, know that we attempted these words in an effort to show our love and appreciation for all you do. 

We need not say more here, but know that in this episode, there lies a proposition. We hope that you consider it. Should you find joy and/or delight at the thought of entertaining this proposition, you know how to contact us. 

Thank you, Mr. Emmerich, for all that you have brought us and the world. Regardless of your response, know that we have great respect for you and eagerly anticipate what future projects you will bring to be. 

With love, joy, and gratitude,

Matt and Sean
General Snobbery Podcast

INTRO LYRICS

Roland E. it’s G. Snobbery
Coming at you from dimensions only YOU can see
With your warlord visions and your creativity
Giving people images of universal majesty 

Our torschlusspanik has arisen in our dreams
That if we don’t act soon, opportunity will leave
So we beseech of you on humble bended knee
You might listen to this episode recorded for thee

We await in space of gemütlichkeit
and invite you to join us in our seeking of the light
that the fight for understanding and an openness of mind
May possess and progress all of humankind 

For your fingerspitzengefühl inspires
Makes our luftschloss feel as real as our desires
So Master Emmerich hear now our plea
To unite with the forces of Eternal Snobbery! 
 

TRANSLATION OF GERMAN WORDS

Torschlusspanik - fear that time is running out to achieve life goals
Luftschloss - unrealistic desire, like airy castle
Gemütlichkeit - space of warmth and friendliness
Fingerspitzengefuhl - empathy with things and people

#33: Jaws: Dreyfuss, Quint, and Trivia

That classic Dreyfuss smile

General Snobbery is a big fan of Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws for many reasons. Predominant among these reasons is Richard Dreyfuss. We love Dreyfuss. Maybe it's that smile. Maybe it's that sardonic wit. Whatever it is, we can't get enough of him, and boy oh boy do we enjoy talking about him. 

But fear not, ye Dreyfuss dissenters. In this lengthy snob, we discuss many Jaws-related items outside of Dreyfuss' eternal realm. Quint, Brody, and Bruce the Shark grant much in the way of conversation thanks to their boisterous personalities and, in the case of the latter, insatiable appetite for human flesh. 

We are most pleased this film exists, and we are thrilled that after over forty years, it still entertains to high degrees. We hope you enjoy this conversation, listener, and we hope you enjoy the Jaws trivia we toss at each other in the latter half of this episode. One of our microphones may have malfunctioned during the recording, but we hope the snobbing transcends any issues of sound and greets your heart with the special kind of delight embodied in that award-winning Dreyfuss smile. Climb aboard the Orca, lift your anchors, and come sail these snobbing seas! 

Episode Progression:
0-9:00: Update on our absence
9:00: Conversation re: Jaws begins with Quint
13:00: General Snobbery finally discussed Dreyfuss
42:00: Trivia Begins
1:10: Our revisit of our favorite hermeneutic of Jaws we have ever discovered

Gary Potter advising Happy Gilmore.

Fishy Fishy Fish from Monty Python's Meaning of Life

A whaaaaat?

The Onion's look at Jaws

#32: The Big Lebowski

There is the occasional movie that earns the adage, "ever ancient, ever new."  The great Coen Brothers opus, The Big Lebowski, is one of these movies indeed.  Few movies are as quotable as this one, with its many F words, its right-winged Walter rants, and the wonderful voice serenades of Sam Elliot (and his mustache). 

In short, Lebowski is a True Snob's dream.  It is a complex machine that moves with absolute ease and enjoyment.  Sort of the cinematic equivalent of a Segway, only way cooler.  On the surface, The Big Lebowski is a film about a kidnapping.  Only, that is simply the surface.  Through the medium of brilliantly conceived - and always enjoyable - characters, the Coen Brothers take us into a world of philosophical universals, engaging cultural mentalities and evoking contemplations on time.

Liam (J. Hoosier), ever faithful to The Jesus

This episode marks the beginning of General Snobbery's new interview campaign.  While the main characters are a delight, even the smallest of characters tells a whole story in this film.  Sean and Matt have been fans of Liam for years.  Who is Liam?  He is Jesus' bowling sidekick, his apparent minion who follows and defends Jesus with absolute loyalty.  Liam, that is to say, James Hoosier, we seek your wisdom.  Help us understand this movie!  For while it is great, The Big Lebowski is a film about which words ultimately fall flat.  It can never be exhausted.

And so how can one know this film?  First, press the play button, Listener.  Let Sean and Matt help you a little.  And after you have done that, evoke the spirit of Ancient Israel, a spirit that embraces mystery in time and space.  For "generations come and go, but The Dude abides" (Ecclesiastes 1:4).