Reel to Too Real in Colorado

AURORA, CO - JULY 20: A Popcorn box lies on the ground outside Century 16 movie theatre where a gunmen attacked movie goers during an early morning screening of the new Batman movie, 'The Dark Knight Rises' July 20, 2012 in Aurora, outside of Denver, Colorado. According to reports, 12 people have been killed and at least 59 wounded when James Holmes allegedly opened fire inside the a movie theater showing the 'The Dark Knight Rises.' Police have James, 24, of Holmes of North Aurora, in custody. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

It's lovely in the Rocky Mountains at this time of year, as people bask in the natural beauty that John Denver once sang about.   As for the rest of the state of Colorado, it's getting considerably uglier.  First, Colorado Springs was nearly burned to the ground by wildfires.  Now, not far from where the Columbine High School massacre in 1999 took place, the Denver area has another one of those to deal with. 

At an Aurora movie complex, where a midnight screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" was taking place, a man tossed a smoke bomb and started shooting at the audience.  As of Friday night, according to the website for ABC station KMGH, 12 people are dead and 58 are wounded.

Police arrested James Holmes, who they believe is the only suspect in the shootings and is not terrorist-related.  Not only was Holmes alleged to have brought four legally-bought assault weapons into the theater, but he was reported to have told police his apartment nearby is ringed with explosives.

Along with reporting on the dead and injured in a situation like this, the media usually like to "include" the fact that women and children were involved, as if they're a special species apart from humankind.  In this case, a months-old infant was injured in the shooting, then released from the hospital.  Excuse me.  This was a movie that was shown after midnight.  What the hell were the parents thinking, letting their kids out at that hour?

This isn't the first time tragedy has visited the current "Batman" movie franchise.  Heath Ledger, who played The Joker in the first "Dark Knight" installment, had died after filming due to a drug overdose.  He was awarded posthumously in 2008 with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.  (Holmes was said to have told police that he came into the Aurora theater pretending to be the Joker.)

In times like these, people running for public office usually say something pious like this:  "Now is not the time for politics.  We must all stand together as Americans.  Our hearts go out to the victims of this terrible tragedy".  Too late.  ABC News had to back off of a Brian Ross report linking the alleged shooter to the Tea Party.  And CNN aired a political attack ad from President Obama's campaign during its coverage of the massacre.

Gun control?  Are you kidding?

Coming soon to a theater near you?  Security checkpoints, where you can either be wanded, or poked and prodded by a minimum-wage screener.  That'll add a buck or two to the price you already pay just to buy a ticket to the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

Once you finally get in to see the movie and pay extra for those big tubs of butter-drenched popcorn and soda, you'll also have to endure on-screen commercials and rude patrons with smart phones.  Now you have to worry about some individual whose actions don't gibe with what's on the screen.

Apropos of nothing, Warner Brothers is expected to rake in billions of dollars around the world for "The Dark Knight Rises".  Understandably, the studio is keeping a low profile on this one, giving sympathy to the victims of the massacre while watching the money roll in.

You know who really benefits from all of this, unseemly as it sounds?  Netflix, and other new technologies where it's now possible to stream movies from your computer.  Not only is it cheaper and safer, but there simply is no movie out there that can't wait a few months for the video release.

Yes, it is lovely in the Rockies this time of year.  In the shadow of the mountains, families will be grieving for the ones who thought the violence of Gotham City existed only on the big screen, instead of being right in front of them.  So did we.