Authorities pressure local media on Muslim film shoot details, ctd

Another reader commenting on pressure from the City & LASD to not publish details of the Innocence in Muslims movie:

What is it about Santa Clarita that brings out the crazy? Folks from the Antelope Valley, led by militants like Frank Jorge, stormed Valencia as a platform to muster the “proud racist” moment from Bob Kellar. Now this Nakoula Massely Nakoula rolls up from Cerritos and brings more shame to the place. So, yeah, GET OFF MY LAWN.

I know, right? For a family friendly, almost bucolic community, we sure attract our share of Teh Crazy. What attracts them? The perchlorate in the water? The constant wind? The searing heat? Is it a cocktail of all of the above or what? It seems like every time we're in the national/international news, it's for the wrong reasons, sadly.

Another:

Where are the First Amendment police who used to hound you Jeff? Here we have what amounts to government ordering local media not to publish information. I would think all those Tea Party types would be storming City Hall right now, but no! Nary a word from them.

You see, it's only *scary voice* Censorship when you refuse to publish comments on your privately owned blog. When the gubmn't decrees that thou shall not publish this, that's just looking out for the good of the community, at least according to Dave Bossert.

Another reader corrects me, saying I had the wrong film ranch in mind when I posted this thread. He shares his memories of these two Saugus film locations:

FYI - From the picture, Blue Cloud Ranch looks like Mystery Mesa (just south of Vasquez Cyn Rd, at the top between Bouquet and Sierra Highway). Part of War of the Worlds and numerous other productions have been filmed at Mystery Mesa.

Many years ago (in the 70s) we would hike up Plum Canyon to get to Mystery Mesa and see these pools with wildflowers everywhere (only after a good springtime rain). I wish I owned a camera back then.

I bet it was beautiful. The reader is indeed right. I confused Blue Cloud Ranch with Mystery Mesa. They're both near each other, but the only time I've seen Blue Cloud Ranch is when I took my dog to a kennel deep in Bouquet Canyon.

The Iraq War protest photograph was indeed shot at Mystery Mesa. And so was this excellent Conan O'Brien trailer in 2010:

An embedded YouTube video appeared here in the original post. View the original — embeds are preserved as links in this archive.

Yeah! That's the stuff!

Another reader:

The Hollywood Reporter says the FBI wants Veluzat's help in identifying the filmmakers.

Is there a crime that they are investigating?

Of course not. No one is suggesting Veluzat is in any way responsible. I imagine he gave his full cooperation and he deserves our support during this.

One wonders that if this stupid insignificant movie could set off such violence in the mideast, might the photograph of the filmmaker being hauled away for questioning help quell the violence? As long as the guy looks like he's being arrested, maybe the dopes rioting and burning our embassies will chill out. These rioters aren't people who deal in nuance and actual credible information after all.

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