"Number one authority on nothing"
Matthew Nash
Contact Matt at mnash@sequimgazette.com
Matthew Nash hails from Portland, Ore., and stumbled into writing for newspapers when his high school allowed him to write movie reviews. Nash is married to a kindergarten teacher. They have one child together who is named after two superheroes.

 

As a precursor, my heart goes out to the victims and all those afflicted by the tragedy in Aurora, Colo.

 

Reports say 12 people are now dead and 58 wounded with 20 people still hospitalized on Tuesday.

 

To me, the movie theater is a sanctuary of sorts and for this attack to occur is horrifying and among other things sacrilegious.

 

Reading “The Dark Knight Rises” director Christopher Nolan's statement really struck me — particularly this excerpt:

 

“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,” he said.

“The movie theater 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. 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.”

 

I phoned local theaters on Friday to see if this tragedy was affecting their showings, but I didn't receive any phone calls back. I'm assuming showings went on as planned, as they should.

 

The business aspect aside, the summer is a time for great experiences like seeing movies and particularly films like — “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises.”

 

For quite some time, I've planned to see the final installment of Nolan's Batman on my birthday (this past weekend).

 

Reading the news about the shootings made my heart sink and I questioned if I should see it. Then I read some articles about it and spoke to friends and family, and we decided not to change plans.

 

In the theater, I turned off worries and let myself escape. I sat captivated. Its nearly three-hour running time flew by.

 

I found the film grim at times, but deep with insightful commentary and hope.

 

Even in its title — “Rises” — was an interesting choice for wording and the more I think about it the more fitting it feels.

 

Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is a broken man and his will is tested relentlessly by mercenary-villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy, who truly ups the stakes established by Heath Ledger's iconic Joker in “The Dark Knight.”

 

“Rises” is fantastic. And fantastic movies are ones you think about days later and want to see again and again to see all of the details.

 

However, this Batman story has ended.

 

The impact of this shooting has not.

 

Batman will be rebooted again.

 

I doubt anyone in Aurora will forget the tragedy anytime soon.

 

As the world moves on, think of the victims and their families.

 

Send your prayers and any support.

 

I think one thing we can do in our area is to continue celebrating what the movie-goers wanted to enjoy before the tragedy.

 

Celebrate a good story. See great filmmaking. Enjoy the heroes that inspire us.