Editor:

Charlie Myers’ column of Dec. 11 (“Filmland”) bemoans the slim diversity of offerings Coming Attractions Theatres allows Humboldt County to choose from. It’s appropriate to fuss about the lack of choice -- Milk, Gran Torino and others currently available in most markets remain elusive to us slack-jawed yokels. But Myers errs in accepting this monoculture as inevitable. 

It was only a few years ago that Minor Theatres operated the same screens available to us now. The Bayshore Mall offered teenaged crap, the Broadway had more adult and occasionally challenging movies, the Minor emulated an art house and the Mill Creek mixed the Broadway and Bayshore Mall’s offerings. In short, we were trusted to pick from a much wider range of films than are currently offered. The current slate of pablum is not inevitable. Come on, this is Humboldt, we fuss about everything!

Coming Attractions is a relatively small chain, and the locally owned Minor chain had to have been a valuable (i.e., profitable) target. Let Coming Attractions know that we miss the diversity previously offered. I know that I have spent less money on first-run movies over that last few years than in the past. Fuss at them -- this is the place that stood up to Wal-Mart, these guys should be easy!

— Richard Bergstresser, Hydesville