The Dark Knight Will Still Rise

Last night, a tragedy occurred.  A mentally-imbalanced young man took several weapons and randomly and senselessly massacred an audience of moviegoers, injuring countless others.  Sadly, in the last twenty or so years, this is not an uncommon event, especially if you live in the Middle East.  But, it is the first time I recall where the venue was a movie cinema (at least, on American soil).  That doesn't change the severity of the crime.  Yet, the irony is confounding.  In our ever changing world, where we seem to be getting simultaneously closer and yet further away, there are few outlets left for the common experience--something most of us can share.  Movies are that one place where strangers get together with their differing viewpoints and backgrounds and share watching the same story unfold before them.  And, even rarer still, is that one movie where everyone and their mother want to go see.  The Dark Knight Rises was one of those "event" films.  It was the final installment in a trilogy from the vision of a talented director based on perhaps the most revered superhero of our time.  (If you have any doubts, name a single comic book hero who has had more feature-length commercial release adaptations in the last twenty-five years; I rest my case)  This was the followup to what many have suggested is the best superhero movie ever, which boasted an Oscar-winning performance from an actor who died before the film came out and is considered one of the definitive villainous portrayals ever.  This movie was special.  It was an event and so was this.  And, now, it's tainted by travesty by a man who couldn't separate fact from fiction.  If the answer to have avoided such an occurrence was simple, I'm sure it would have never happened to begin with.  A Batman could come in really handy now.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families, and friends.