Today on Air Talk host Larry Mantle will help parse out all the latest news and angles of the deadly Aurora, CO shooting that took place after midnight during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. We'll also feature our film critics panel to discuss the movie and the repercussions this attack will have on the film. Plus, the latest news
A dark night in Aurora, Colorado
A midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises went tragically awry last night in Aurora, Colorado. Approximately twenty minutes into the movie, a man wearing a gas masked entered through the theater’s back exit, threw in a smoking canister and started randomly shooting into the packed crowd.
All told, thirteen people were killed and 38 injured. Before the gunshots took place, some audience members thought this was simply a live element to accompany the movie. Once it became clear what was happening, there was a mad scramble on the part of the audience to escape. The shooter, James Holmes, was arrested carrying a handgun and a rifle in the theater’s parking lot after the incident. Holmes is allegedly 24-years-old, and has a mother in San Diego.
AirTalk will be devoting the first hour of our program to following this devastating story. We’ll get the latest details, as well as take a local focus in regards to security at Colorado movie theaters.
What was the police response like in this situation? How does this shooting fit into the larger context of Colorado’s history, specifically Columbine? Is there any significance to the fact that Holmes’s mother lives in San Diego? What’s the psychology behind this incident? Could it have been foreseen or prevented? Why did Holmes do it? Will this event inspire others to do the same? What about the larger issue of gun control?
Will it become a major topic in the presidential campaign? Holmes has already been tangentially associated with the Democratic and Tea Parties by opposing sides, does his voting status matter and is it really something to discuss at a time like this? How are families and friends of the victims responding to this tragedy? What about the larger response of Twitter, Facebook and other social media?
Guests:
Justin McHeffey, Reporter with CBS4, Denver, Colorado
Larry Rosenthal, Professor of Law, Chapman School of Law
Dr. Stanton Samenow, author of “Inside the Criminal Mind,” Criminal Psychologist
Ed Joyce, KPCC reporter
Commander Andrew Smith, Public Information Officer for Los Angeles Police Department
FilmWeek: The Dark Knight Rises
Larry is joined by KPCC film critics Wade Major and Peter Rainer to discuss the tragic shooting at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises.
The random violence of the incident, paired with the fact that the movie shows fight scenes, gunshots and explosions, brings up the recurring topic movie violence plays in real life. And what does it mean that the audience thought at first that this was part of the show? Have we lost the ability to distinguish between screen and real life?
When contacted for a response, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. said, “"Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time."
What actions should Warner Bros. take, if any? A premiere in Paris of the film was canceled, will others be nixed as well? What about midnight screenings, are they a particularly suspect class of showings? Or do you think this is a totally isolated incident and the movie should play as planned?
And what about you personally, will this affect your decision whether or not to see the movie? What about movies in general? Will you still go to the theater, or wait until movies are released on disc?
Guests:
Edmund Lee, Bloomberg News Media reporter
Karen Trinidad, Reporter and Anchor, KOA News Radio, Denver, Colorado
Hal Kempfer, Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel, CEO of KIPP (Knowledge and Intelligence Program Professionals)
Dr. Rosalind Dorlen, Clinical Psychologist
Howard Pankratz, Reporter with the Denver Post
Wade Major, film critic for KPCC and boxoffice.com
Peter Rainer, film critic for KPCC and the Christian Science Monitor