'12
As I said on Friday, we’re not going to cover the hard-news aspects of the Colorado theater massacre and I’m definitely not going to spend any time on the POS shooter. But I will cover some aspects of the story that have to do with studio, the director and the actors involved. Warner Bros. canceled Friday’s Paris premiere of The Dark Knight Rises, and I assumed (wrongly) that Warner Bros. would probably end up coming back to their set promotional schedule next week – I imagined that there were scheduled premieres all over Europe and perhaps in Russia and several in Asia as well. Well, Warner Bros has pulled all of the actors from France, and the actors were seen flying back to America on a private plane (owned by Warner Bros.). So… I guess promotion is over. Which is fine, really. A source tells People Magazine, “The cast was completely shocked and several – Anne and Marion [Cotillard], a couple of the men – were in tears. There was enormous, enormous sadness.” Warner Bros. is also withholding the box office numbers for their opening weekend until Monday – traditionally, studio executives would be bragging about every little movement at the box office, with press releases for the first 24 hours of release, then 48 hours, then on Sunday they would declare victory.
Christian Bale released a statement on Saturday, saying: “Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them.” And before that, late Friday, director Christopher Nolan issued a public statement about the massacre:
“Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community,” Nolan says. “I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime.”
“The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me,” Nolan adds, referring to alleged shooter James Holmes, whose attack resulted in 12 deaths and more than 38 injuries. “Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families.”
As public statements go, I think Nolan adequately and eloquently described his horror and his grief. I think what bothers Nolan – and incidentally, what bothers so many people on all of these movie and gossip blogs, including me – is that these people at a midnight screening were simply die-hard film fans. They were one of us. These were people who had been waiting months, gleefully anticipating arguably the biggest film event of the year. They couldn’t wait another hour, and that night was probably something they had been looking forward to for weeks and weeks. And don’t all of the film-fans out there relate to that? I don’t mean to diminish anything about the lives of the victims – I’m merely saying that it struck me so hard (and so many people out there) because all of us love movies so much, and Nolan is right – many of us do treat the theater like a “home,” a safe place where we can let our geeky film-fanatic freak-flags fly.
Incidentally, I went to see The Dark Knight Rises on Saturday. I’m not going to do a full review or anything, partly because I do think the focus should be on Colorado victims and their families, and partly because… well, TDKR doesn’t need MY review, you know? You already know if you want to see it, and you probably already have. So, NO SPOILERS, I’ll just say that I enjoyed it very much. Tom Hardy was great as Bane, Morgan Freeman was terrific, Gary Oldman was awesome, and Christian Bale… well, he was good too. He was noticeably smaller (less muscled) in this one than in the previous films, which makes me think that Bale’s body is finally putting up a big fight about his constant weight fluctuations. My favorite parts were every scene with Anne Hathaway and Joseph Gordon Levitt, honestly. JGL was ah-mazing! Annie was great too – sexy and vulnerable and tough. At first, the politics and some of the motivations of some of the characters made no sense to me, but it all comes together beautifully in the last 30-40 minutes. It was a really great way for the trilogy to go out.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Fame/Flynet.
Written by Kaiser
Posted in Anne Hathaway, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Tragedy
- Harry Styles & Kimberly Stewart going strong [Lainey]
- Demi Moore’s new man is gross [D-Listed]
- Fug or fab: Emma Stone [Go Fug Yourself]
- Arrest warrant issued for Jenelle Evans [Reality Tea]
- Only God Forgives review [Pajiba]
- Hugh Jackman, scooter master [Buzzfeed]
- Who does Drew Barrymore call her sister? [Evil Beet]
- Cannes couples past and present [Popsugar]
- Arrested Development supercut [CDAN]
- Lea Michele’s see through skirt [Celebslam]
- Cheating wife’s lover escapes out of window [Movin925]
- Joe Francis is crazy [Starcasm]
It’s a shame that this film is forever going to be tarnished by the actions of the POS shooter. I feel sorry for the victims but I also feel sorry for Christoper Nolan and the actors who have obviously felt compelled to publicly respond because this imbecile happened to carry out his actions at a screening of their film. Sadly choosing to do what he did at the premiere of a world wide blockbuster has given this guy more attention than he deserves and will probably set a precedent for more losers like him to do the same.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
and I think that’s why he did it. so his name, image will forever be tied to this movie. No one will think of this movie without thinking of him and his heinous crime. It wasn’t random, he planned it. He’s not mentally ill, he wanted his 15 min. of fame/infamy and IMO that makes him the lowest form of human being..
Report this comment as spam or abuse
If it was to get his name in history books then that has gor to be the sickest thing I’ve ever heard. Go invent something, don’t murder innocent film loving fans!
Incidentally, when I think of TDKR, I actually think of it as being the best film I’ve seen all year first, and then of the pos dirtbag who maimed dozens. Ha. Take that, psycho. Can’t believe he booby trapped his apartment too.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
JH was an outcast, who craved attention. He was rejected by women, full of anger. He was academically brilliant, but socially awkward. He had a degree, yet the only job he could obtain was McDonalds. PHD dropout in June 2012. His eyes are so glassy in all the photos..dating back to his high school days. Is JH on Meds? Did his parents know he was mentally ill? I read his mother sent him to Colorado..why? Couldn’t he obtain his PHD in California? Two well-educated professional, affluent parents raised a deranged murderer. I want to know Why.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I also think he planned it, at least a little bit. No matter what the courts say, he didn’t just pick this movie at random. I read that some of the people there just thought at first that it was something to do with the premiere, because of that trailer. He must have known that. I’m sure part of his sick plan was no on suspecting anything until the very last second.
Whatever happens to him, I hope he doesn’t get any more satisfaction out of his life at all.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
of course he planned it. its pretty hard to sneak into a sold out show of that magnitude.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Yeah, this was supposed to be their big moment after months of hard work and they barely got to enjoy an hour of it before this man ruined it.
The worst thing he did was take lives, but by doing so he also badly affected all kinds of people (movie-fans, actors, batman-fans, cinema workers) and tainted them with this.
The best way to punish the moron is for everyone who comes into contact with him is to act like what he did was nothing important and then throw him in some hole where people only talk to him to praise others. That would be his worst nightmare; thinking nobody cared about his deed.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
True. I hope the cops keep him away from all forms of media so his sick mind doesn’t get to bask in the media coverage of what he did.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I was going to see it yesterday but now Ill wait.. I was looking forward to seeing it all week and now
Im just not in any real rush to sit in a dark theater with strangers. It’s already been a hard news week with the missing girls and that little boy in China. Its just depressing what people will do to each other.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
This whole thing breaks my heart. I LOVE midnight showings of films and it’s insane what happened to a room full of innocent people. It literally could have been one of us and that’s what brought me to tears.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
It is a shame that all the hard work and dedication from all the people who worked tirelessly on this movie will forever be linked to a massacre and the monster who did it.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I sent my teenage, die-hard Batman fan, son, off to the movies last thursday evening, he was so excited he got tickets for the midnight show…told him “have fun, love you”…I’m always a little worried when he drives the car…just getting used to that…but never in my wildest dreams did I worry about him sitting in the movie theater…I will from now on…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I saw it with a sold out crowd and enjoyed it immensely. I’ll be going back in a week or two when there is some distance from the tragedy but in light of the tragedy I found the film’s messages quite powerful (possibly more than I would have). The film will do extremely well and deserves to, to say anymore than that is unnecessary.
For me it is less about”it could have been anyone” (that was clear from the school shootings) but that our time at the movies is supposed to be an escape. Real life is not supposed to intrude.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
POS shooter will get his 15 minutes of fame at the expense of other people’s lives. Some people are just…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I usually wait til the hype dies down to see big movies like this…..but after watching 6 hours of this story on Friday, it made me determined to see TDKR and add my bit to its opening weekend gross.
I wanted to support the film, the director, the actors—and the victims who never got to enjoy the few hours of fun they had gone there for. I will not let this POS ruin something I and millions of others had been waiting for.
Seriously, TDKR is terrific. The film, and the entire trilogy was a labor of love for so many—DON’T let one creep taint the film. If somebody is nuts enough to do this, it’s not about the film, it’s about the NUT JOB. He would have done it anywhere. The ‘Joker’ aspect was an excuse by the murderer, NOT the cause.
If you let this guy taint a good movie, or any movie in future, HE WINS. The terrorists win.
It’s AWESOME. Go see it.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I think cancelling the European promotions was the respectful thing to do.
When others have lost their lives, it would look tremendously disrespectful (and possibly greedy) to just carry on as if nothing has happened.
I am angry though, because in my home we are all Batfans, and this was supposed to the awesome, exciting finale (of this arc, anyway). And this sh!tbag had to come along…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
plus one
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I will be perfectly honest… crazy is crazy. This guy wanted to be notorious. He booby trapped his freaking apartment. Send him to general population and let the problem be taken care of. I will go see this movie even though I had not planned on it before. I refuse to leave in fear of one sociopathic moron.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I totally agree with you crazy just doesn’t pop up out of no where – he had been planning this for months . I just hate that this awesome movie will be stained because of one moron.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
He’d been planning it for at least two: he purchased his 4 guns in the last 60 days; he withdrew from the college last month; his entire apartment was booby-trapped with IEDs, trip-wires, and accelerant .
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Funny you should mention that, because I saw a couple news blips with guys who were just released, and they said the only thing the other inmates were talking about was killing this guy; that if they were given half a chance, he wouldn’t see his Monday morning court date.
Now, I’m not normally one for physical violence, but violence begets violence, no?
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I doubt it, he’ll be more protected in jail than those poor people he killed. A shame really…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
+1
Here, here.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Hear hear! whats that British saying in the face of tragedy?..”Stand strong and carry on”..? In other words, dont let a terrorist cower you and alter your life. If you want to see it-go see it. Nothing wrong with that.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’m so torn about this. I totally dig why they’ve cancelled the premieres and why people would be nervous about going into a theater anytime soon. But as you mentioned Kaiser, us midnight movie fans are a special breed-and I feel in a way that the best way to honor our fellow midnighters, as well as the people who put so much into their craft to create for us is to go to a theater today (or soon) and see something. Not even this movie-just something. So that we don’t allow this monster to taint something that meant so much to the people at that show and to the people who worked hard to provide it.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I dragged my bf to the 3:30 am screening, which got out well after daybreak. When we got home, I saw the news online, and it was a heartbreaking nightcap. I agree, we are a “special breed,” motivated by nothing more than love, when you break it down to it’s simplest element. How &$%@ing dare he. >8(
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Kaiser, I don’t know if the American news is covering this part or not, but what broke my heart about this whole thing is that one of the victims was a girl who was narrowly escaped a gang shooting at the Toronto Eaton Centre just a month ago. She blogged about how the incident changed her life and made her treasure each moment. Only to die in another shooting one month later. It’s just beyond tragic.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Yes they have been covering that part of the story here, and it is another unbelievable aspect to the whole nightmare. To think she escaped death a little over a month ago and then was caught in this? There are no words………….
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I read about that too, and any death is tragic, but I think it’s an exaggeration to say she narrowly escaped the first incident. There was a gang shooting in a food court where she’d just been. Gang shootings can be brazen and innocent bystanders can and do get shot, but that wasn’t the same situation as this at all, and though I can understand the horror of even being witness and wouldn’t wish it on anyone, being in that food court would not have been a death sentence.
Actually, when my young son heard about this shooting he really freaked out. I had to reassure him that, even in this most gruesome theatre situation, I’d estimate less than 1 in 20 were killed. While 1 is 1 too many, I for one am grateful it wasn’t more. It’s vaguely reassuring that even in these gruesome situations, your odds of surviving are still relatively good. Otherwise, it could lead one to never want to open their front door.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
@jay
Not to argue against your very positive point about the odds of survival in this situation, but didn’t his most powerful automatic weapon jam? I heard if that hadn’t happened it would’ve been an absolute and complete bloodbath. I do believe there are those greater than us that do watch over us and one such creature was responsible for jamming that gun.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
@Anahata, as I read it, the gun jammed because he put an aftermarket magazine on it that carried 150 rounds and was prone to jamming, as opposed to the standard magazine that carried much less. Basically the jamming was his own “greed” (for greater carnage) doing him in.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Wherever he is right now, Tom Cruise is thrilled that this POS shooter took the spotlight off of him and the Co$.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
What a terrible thing to say. Whatever’s going on in Cruise’s life, I don’t think he wished tragedy on other people. Shame on you.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
jilly, you are just too offensive. Really, could you not come up with something meaningful to say? Regardeless of what is happening in Cruise’s life, to suggest this reaction from him is reprehensible on your part.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
FAIL.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Yikes. That was a bit much, Jilly……
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Horrible comment.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Horrible comment! Who even thinks that way?!?
Report this comment as spam or abuse
i know this is a ‘celebrity bitch’ blog- but can we give those who passed and suffered respect? not the time, not even the place…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I thought that when I made a quick trip to the grocer last night and saw all the Tom faces on the magazines.
That and…
DOES ANYONE STILL BUY THOSE?
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Wow. Wow. What is wrong with you!?
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I think it was the right move – a premiere is a celebration, and I think that would have been insensitive, and I’m sure there are security concerns as well. And let’s be honest, the film doesn’t need promotion.
The whole thing is so sad, I just can’t even imagine. It is one of those moments were you realize how random and fragile and precious life can be.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I saw it last night and I loved it. Bravo, great film and the best Batman movie for me personally. Wow Bane (Tom) did a terrific job, Anne was PERFECT for the role. Great actors creates perfect movie. So sad for the victims but I’m not going to let that lunatic control me and my fears.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
First of all I wish the media would STOP putting that assholes face up on the screen, and on the front page. He is getting the notoriety he wanted, that SOB. Stop calling him “The Joker”, it’s exactly what he wanted. I don’t care to hear about his visitation to porn sites, his schooling, his intelligence etc. He is evil personified, and scary as it is, we have to know that this exists. The only thing I want to hear about him is when he’s dead himself. I agree, let the general population in jail take care of him. There’s no doubt about his guilt, so don’t waste our tax payer money to put him on trial, feed him, clothe him, give him medical and dental services, cable TV or the right to breathe. Don’t glorify him so other wannabe lunatics out there will be inspired to achieve the same notoriety, make him an example so they may think twice before committing such a heinous act.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
+1! Don’t glorify the bastard & let the inmates get to him
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Forget ‘isolation’ in prison…but, I surely hope he doesn’t get beat up and dead- I REALLY want him to suffer the HELL he is getting ready to endure,
and the HELL he will face when he dies.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’m amazed and happy they are handling it so classy. The statements were well thought out and beautiful. I’m glad they are stopped the promotion for now. Honestly, the movie doesn’t need it. So it’s nice they are pulling back a little bit.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I, for one, will not allow this a**hole’s actions to dictate what I do, so I WILL see it in the theatre now.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’m really bothered that this guy claims to be inspired by the joker. Knowing how tormented Heath Ledger was by that role, I can’t help but think how guilty he might have felt (not that he should). I feel like it puts an undeserved stain on that portrayal.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’m taking my Mom to see it tonight. Glad to hear that Anne was good in it after all the bashing she took right here on this site. As far as the mass murderer goes. As a white guy, how did I know before they ever showed his picture, that it was going to be a white guy. Seems the vast majority of this type of heinous things work out like that. Very sad for the families of this despicable crime. Nice post as well Kaiser.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
are you kidding me…thats your comment…that you KNEW he would be white…please go crawl back under the rock you came out of…
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Statistically the majority of mass shooters in America have been middle class white males.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I get you Kevin. Before the picture was released, my coworkers were saying,” Please don’t let this be a black dude!” The way things are racially in the US, I think people don’t want their racial group tied to a heinous crime such as this one.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Oh please! This isn’t and shouldn’t be about race. It wouldn’t matter if he were white, black, latino, asian or purple with pink polka dots for crying out loud! This is about someone who is nothing but pure EVIL. Get it? This monster walked into a movie theater, and decided that these innocent souls who were just out to have a nice evening watching a movie, were going to die at his sick hand.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
And no one wants to be associated with that evil in any sort of way, racially or otherwise, was the point.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Dude, with all due respect, THIS is NOT the time to speak about criminal statistics…
just let it rest for right now. Please give ALL the victims, passed, injured, friends and families PEACE.
we’ll analyze it later..
Report this comment as spam or abuse
That seems appropriate to cancel the promos. This whole situation is just so terrible. I watched the news last night and just started crying for the people who lost their loved ones. A six year old was killed. The world is f–ked up.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
The cast & crew are doing the right and respectful thing, I admire them for that.
We cannot let this @$$hole taint our love of going to the movies, nor give him any notoriety for what he did. In that psycho’s mind, doing such a thing would make him feel special for once in his pathetic life. He’s not a badass, he’s a f***ing monster for killing innocent people. If you have to do that to get attention, then you don’t deserve attention by any means. Hope they put him with Sandusky in regular prison.
Pay tribute to the victims, they are what is important.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
+1. Amen to that!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I work in Omaha, I went to school in Omaha, and I was in the city just 2 miles away when the Von Maur shooting happened at a mall I’d gone to almost monthly as a kid.
I know what a city feels like after something like this happens. Don’t let some coward dictate your life or rob your sense of security. The loss of life is one so great that he doesn’t need your innocence and happiness too.
No one stopped shopping after Von Maur, and that was the biggest sign of support our city could have gotten from the rest of the US.
Go see a movie. Do it for the ones we’ve all lost, and do it for yourself.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Thanks for this post, Kaiser. I went to see ice age yesterday, thinking that TDKR was sold out. The early morning show wasn’t sold out and I saw it. Great movie!!!!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’m not a gigantic Batman fan, and I usually don’t comment on these sorts of news events, because I prefer to pretend they never happened, it’s just too disturbing, but I really just want to say that we should all go see this movie. for several reasons: 1.) This isn’t about a movie. Instead of boycotting a movie, we should try having an adult discussion about gun control, and try to forget about all the $$$$ involved for once. People’s babies are being shot; and 2.) It would just send a message that we can’t be scared into submission by the crazies we make ourselves. I mean, if we’re going to enable them, the least we could do is let them know they won’t rule our lives. Yes, we’ll help you obtain your weapons legally, but we won’t let you scare us.
VOTE ROMNEY (if you love “freedom”)
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I’ve read a lot of research on NDE’s, Near Death Experience Phenomeneom and I firmly believe in an afterlife- I only hope the magnitude of sheer joy, intensified beauty and music, unconditional love and the Holy Light is a trillion times raised as to somehow ‘make up’ for the sheer horror these beautiful souls had to endure in the last minutes of their life…
along with that..
I DO believe that this ‘evil entity’ we all mistook as a human being will surely meet the isolation, confusion, and monsters of darkness that he thinks might be Hell but he’ll have no F****king clue…and the pain lasts an INFINITY!
Report this comment as spam or abuse
NOTE: All the TDKR celeb pics are wearing black in the pictures above. Interesting, thank you for showing respect.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
My Husband & I saw it today! No WAY were we going to let that pos keep us away from it. In fact, it made me want to see it MORE in some kind of weirdly defiant way. I agree with your review~ JGL was awesome, and Tom hardy as bane was totally believable.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Um, I guess I’m gonna take the gossip way out and say that I find it interesting that Anne Hathaway is obviously in deep discussion with Christian Bale’s wife in one of these photos. Sibi definitely looks like she’s having a hard time.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I also noticed this
Report this comment as spam or abuse
I haven’t seen the movie, but instead of tying it to some psychopath, I’d like to remember the people who needlessly died – especially Matthew McQuinn and Jonathan Blunk, who died shielding their girlfriends from the gunfire.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Ad bots have no sense of decency. Currently seeing an ad for ballistics training “shoot faster and more accurately” at the top of this article.
Report this comment as spam or abuse
Hello, i think that i saw you visited my blog so i got here to go back the prefer?.I am trying to to find issues to enhance my site!I suppose its ok to make use of some of your concepts!!
Report this comment as spam or abuse