Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/613887
Since I was a teenager I have loved movies, even some of the bad ones. I know that most movies easily cost over $1 million just to make. A er that expense, all we have to do is get to a theater, buy a Sprite, popcorn and maybe some Milk Duds and just sit back and enjoy. Itseemstometobegreat bargain. I decided to share my take on movies with you because of a re- sponse I got once from a friend in Tehama County who regularly comments on my columns. His name is Ethan. In just one e-mail I received from him, I recall he advised me to forget the movie reviews. If I remember correctly, he suggested that such an ac- tivity might be beneath me, in view of the fact that I'm sup- posed to be smart and have en- joyed an important and success- ful life. I think he mostly wants me to concentrate on things like California's public policy. I have learned that roughly 400 movies are made each year by those folks in Hollywood. I think Hollywood is one of Cal- ifornia's greatest assets. I have wondered whether Ethan con- siders movies like "The Godfa- ther" and "The Lion King" just a waste of time. These films have helped me learn lessons and feel important emotions, over and over. I think many films have considerable redeeming value. Some others don't. However, movies are a pri- mary medicine I use to regu- larly cure my occasional bore- dom. I especially enjoyed being appointed as a member of Cal- ifornia's Film Commission for a short period during my ten- ure in the California Assem- bly in the 1980s. It did not take me long to learn that many other places are trying to steal Hollywood from us. It's called "Runaway Production." That refers to the fact that many states and other countries have been trying to steal Hol- lywood away from California for decades. Canada is just one good ex- ample. That's where well known actor Johnny Depp started his career as part of the very popu- lar "21 Jump Street." That series was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. The show was cre- ated and produced by the late Stephen J. Cannell, with whom I personally visited with in Hol- lywood. I even got to travel once to the set and talk with actor Peter DeLuise, one of the co- stars, the son of late comedian "Dom" DeLuise. I also discovered that many cities and counties offer much local cooperation or tax incen- tives to bring movie productions to their area. Movie production means additional revenue and usually some jobs for local cit- izens. As a result of that trip, I then introduced a proposal in our legislature for a "one stop per- mit" process to help keep pro- duction companies here in our Golden State. I am happy to tell you that efficient process is still being used. At the time, I de- cided that keeping "show-biz" in our state was a very big priority. So, it is most important that my movie review this week shows you how good movies can be. Sometimes, it is more than you can imagine. For openers, our movies give the rest of the world a profile of life in America. I do highly recommend you see the recent release "Love the Coopers" starring Dianne Keaton and John Goodman, along with an equally excel- lent cast. It is loaded with laughs and many good les- sons about relationships and life itself. If you see this film please tell me if you agree. Thank you. StanStathamserved1976- 1994 in the California Assembly and was a television news anchor at KHSL-TV in Chico 1965- 1975. He is past president of the California Broadcasters Association and can be reached at StanStatham@ gmail.com. Mytake A long time fan of the movies I especially enjoyed being appointed as a member of California's Film Commission for a short period during my tenure in the California Assembly in the 1980s. It did not take me long to learn that many other places are trying to steal Hollywood from us. Inresponsetocolumnist Editor: I would like to respond to some of the comments made by Robert Minch in Friday's I Say column. I read Robert's column ev- ery week and disagree with most of what he has to say. Once in awhile, I agree with him, and I always enjoy his jokes at the end. But Friday he made some erroneous state- ments about guns. Perhaps, since he doesn't like them, he doesn't own them, and hence doesn't know much about them. May I give him some facts, without attempting to change his opinion. He stated that "They (the weapons of choice) are invari- ably automatic pistols or as- sault rifles." Automatic weap- ons are not legal in any state in this country, not pistols or rifles, and only the military can have them. "Banning of all automatic weapons" was ac- complished many years ago in this country. The FBI reported that the San Bernardino shoot- ers used semi-automatic guns. What's the difference? Well, when a shooter pulls the trigger on an automatic weapon, the weapon will con- tinue to fire automatically as long as the trigger is held and there is ammunition in the magazine. However, pull- ing the trigger on a semi-au- tomatic weapon fires only one round. In order to fire again, the trigger must be released and pulled again for each sub- sequent firing. The days of sub-machine guns used by gangsters to mow down their opponents are basically gone. Now, it is certainly true that a semi-automatic weapon can fire faster than a single shot or a bolt action rifle, and proba- bly a revolver, it's not nearly as easy or as fast to fire as an au- tomatic weapon. Robert used the term "as- sault rifle," but the term really needs some clarification. The popular AR-15 and similar ri- fles are considered assault ri- fles. However, the first com- pany to manufacture these ri- fles is Armalite, and their designation of "AR" meant "Armalite Rifle." Who inter- preted AR to mean Assault Ri- fle? Who knows, possibly a re- porter who wanted to describe the weapon more menacingly. But an AR-15, by any name, is still just a rifle. I believe the military started using the style during the Viet- nam war because it is lighter, more comfortable to fire, holds more rounds in the magazine — 30 for the military, 10 in California — and it's smaller when compared to earlier mil- itary rifles, such as the M-1, which was longer, heavier and held only 7 rounds in a clip. For these very reasons, man- ufacturers started making ri- fles for consumers that looked like the military rifle, and they have become the most pop- ular rifle in the country. The weapon can be used for hunt- ing, or target shooting, and yes, self defense, just as any ri- fle. In my opinion, any rifle, or handgun, can be used as a weapon against another, which in my book, turns that weapon into an assault weapon. I do agree with Robert that the media should play down these fanatics, don't disclose their names or photos, al- though I think the public does need to know about the enemy, and how to protect themselves and their families from them. One final important point I'd like to make. In the case of the San Bernardino shooters, and in many other shootings, while they used military style rifles to kill and maim, it's po- lice with the same type of ri- fle who put a stop to them. The danger is not in the weapon, it's in whose hand the weapon resides. Taking self defense guns away from law abiding citizens while criminals are still able to acquire them only makes the law abiding citi- zen a soft target for evil do- ers. There are plenty of laws already on the books that are designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, yet they still acquire them. The public needs to be armed, as too many innocent people are killed while the police are, on a national average, 11 minutes away. — John Ward, Red Bluff Columnist and letter writer need a math refresher Editor: Contrary to Don Polson's column stating that 1 percent of 100,000 is 10, or the follow up Nov. 19 letter writer's claim that the answer is 100, the cor- rect answer is 1,000. Surely, any fifth-grader could correct the math error. Math is math, old or new. To simplify the math logic. One hundred percent of 100,000 is of course 100,000. Ten percent of 100,000 has one less zero, or 10,000. By logic, 1 percent of 100,000 has 2 fewer zeros, or a correct math an- swer of 1,000. On this my near term 80th birthday, Dec. 8, my memory from the engineering bache- lors and masters degrees still lodges in my brain. Remember the old song: "I'm working my way through college, to get a lot of knowl- edge, that I ever never ever won't use?" Well, knowledge sticks with you for a very long time, if reinforced with use, and lifetime learning. I apologize for a late math response but Dec. 4 late deliv- ery of the Nov. 18 through Dec. 1 issues, thorough a delivery complication, prompted the delayed response. — Joseph Neff, Corning Your opinions Cartoonist's take Ah, time — it travels faster than the Millennium Falcon. I still remember the summer of 1977 and my late father sit- ting through the first "Star Wars" movie with me at the Hi-Way 50 Drive-In in Lewisburg, Tennes- see. (I had heard there would be a sequel, but I was so blown away by "A New Hope" that I couldn't imagine what was left to say.) Yes, I should have been with a date instead of my father; but I was a shy, awkward teen with zits boasting enough of a gravi- tational pull to bring down the Death Star. My father bought me an 8-track tape of the soundtrack for my next birthday. A few years later, the press was lampooning Pres. Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative as Star Wars. (Good thing the media didn't learn about other Reagan admin- istration plans for dealing with the Evil Empire, such as Animal House, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Attack of the Killer Toma- toes.) I married a girl who appreci- ated reading my Star Wars comic books. We had a son who dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween when he was four years old. Fast forward to 2015. All three of us are anxiously awaiting the premiere of "Star Wars Part VII: The Force Awakens". I under- stand that, because of using Han Solo and other characters who haven't been seen since "The Re- turn of the Jedi" 30 years ago, the title was almost "Star Wars Part VII: The Force Awakens, Goes To The Bathroom For The Third Time, and Goes Back To Bed." Seriously, actress Carrie Fisher was required to lose 35 pounds before being allowed to reprise her role as Princess (Gen- eral) Leia. She groused, "I'm in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and ap- pearance. That's so messed up." It does seem unfair that the stars must work so hard on their faces and bodies when audience members can just sit there with super-sized popcorn and soft drinks (and Jabba the Hutt Fit- bits). As Yoda might have said, "The cholesterol is strong in this one" or maybe "There is no try — there is only defibrillate or not defibrillate." The social media rumor mill has been running wild because Luke Skywalker is absent (or at least not definitely identified) in the film trailers. Is Luke hiding? Has he turned evil? Of course Donald Trump insists that he and numerous other people did see Luke in the trailer. ("My great- great grandmother and my mil- lions of ultra-liberal friends, to name a few.") The new movie's tagline ("Ev- ery generation has a story") seems to have the appropriate gravitas, but some millennials have amended it to "Every gen- eration has a story, unless they spend so much time on Ancestry. com that they don't have time to live their own story." Although fans expect box of- fice records to be shattered, there are still people who just don't "get" the Star Wars phenome- non. ("What's this about tie fight- ers? Sign me up as one; I don't like wearin' no monkey suit. Did someone mention Cologne Wars? Leave that sissified stuff to the metrosexuals. I'm gettin' by on the virtue of my natural aroma.") Here's hoping that director J.J. Abrams can run with George Lu- cas's legacy and keep the Star Wars battle of good versus evil going for many years. And maybe invent a Clearasil- dispensing droid? Every genera- tion has its acne. Danny Tyree welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol. com and visits to his Facebook fan page Tyree's Tyrades. Danny Tyree Star Wars Part VII: The Farce Awakens GregStevens,Publisher Chip Thompson, Editor EDITORIAL BOARD How to have your say: Letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: P.O. Box 220, 545 Diamond Ave., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS Stan Statham By Danny Tyree OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, December 10, 2015 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6