I just finished writing my review of the new Batman movie, but I also wanted to write just a few words about the horrifying news that I’m now hearing of about the shooting that took place at one of the midnight premieres of the film out in Aurora, Colorado.
So far they’re saying that 10 people were killed, with another 40 injured, including a 3-month-old baby. (this part confuses me, but I suppose now’s not the time…)
He was a lone gunman – 24 year-old doctoral student in neuroscience – and he basically kicked in the emergency exit of one of the theaters, threw a smoke canister across the room, and then started shooting at people.
Until the actual shots were fired, many thought that it was just part of the theatrics associated with the movie premiere.
…
I don’t really know what to say, except that I hope the movie doesn’t get pulled from theaters because of this. I kinda doubt it will because not to be insensitive, but you don’t spend four years making a $250 million movie to shelve it after a senseless tragedy that you couldn’t have possibly had any control over. I’m seeing a lot of random rumors flying around that Warner Bros. is canceling a premiere over in Paris and other talks about pulling the movie from US theaters entirely, but they’re all just rumors so I’m not even going to bother with links to anything.
The thing is, it was a great movie, albeit very dark and sinister, but you can’t be responsible for how people choose to react after they’ve consumed your content. There have been a lot edgier movies than this (Pulp Fiction, Natural Born Killers, anyone???) and they didn’t result in any real world violence, so it’s silly to associate the motives of one lone lunatic with a story from Hollywood.
Besides, in a way silencing the movie really just gives the shooter even more power that he doesn’t deserve. You can’t shut everything down and call it a day in the face of terror – you have to take a moment to honor those lost, and then persevere. It’s crazy to think that this happened, for one, because my wife and I were at one of those midnight premieres ourselves last night, too. You never think when you go out to enjoy a nice movie with friends that the night could end in tragedy.
It’s really just a very sad, shocking story, and that’s all there is to say.