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Community Corner

Santa Cruzans Flock to 'Batman' A Day after Colorado Mass Murder

The line for the 8:30 p.m. showing of 'The Dark Knight Rises' in downtown Santa Cruz stretched down the block, and people said they weren't scared.

Santa Cruzans said they felt strange seeing the new Batman movie a day after a shooting rampage in a Colorado theater, but they didn't feel unsafe.

"It was just weird coming here tonight, just thinking about what happened last night, all those people coming here to have a good time and not knowing that disaster would strike. For me it was more having compassion for those people rather than worrying about my own particular safety. But you have to wonder if you're really safe anywhere," said Sue L, 49. (Sue did not wish for her last name to be published.)

Despite Thursday night's tragedy that left 12 people dead and 59 injured, and even though broadcast and cable channels pulled the plug on advertisements for The Dark Knight Rises on Friday, Santa Cruzans still came out in full force to see the flick.

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On Friday evening around 8:15, the line for the 8:30 p.m. showing of The Dark Knight Rises stretched down the entire block outside of Santa Cruz Cinema 9 on Pacific Avenue.

Emilio Palacios, a manager at Cinema 9, declined to comment on whether the box office had seen an increase in sales since Thursday, but paying customers spoke to Patch about the tragic incident that occurred all too recently to movie goers just like themselves. 

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"No, I think he (the shooting suspect, James Holmes) had mental problems," said Maceo Hastings, 17, when asked whether or not he thought the violence in the Batman movies inspired the shootings. 

Most customers questioned agreed, it wasn't the violence. But not all.

"Yes. Absolutely. I'm certain of it," said Randall Moore, 32. "I think that the person was bringing art into life in sort of a post modern way." 

When people go to the movies they have an "illusory barrier" between the violence they see on the screen and real life, explained Moore. "What he did was take down that barrier, so that we are all an audience for that man's show."

Chip Yamada, 34, a friend of Moore's, wasn't certain there was "some sort of poetic explanation" or reasoning behind the shooting.

"Something happened like this in Seattle at a cafe where I used to go a lot," said Yamada. "It's really just hitting us where we're most vulnerable. It's sad." 

Yamada speculated that if the suspect had mental issues, if he was sad and depressed, then a bunch of people having a good time would be exactly what he wouldn't like. 

Other movie goers admitted that although they did not feel unsafe, they did feel strange seeing the movie after last night's incidents. 

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