The movie theater experience now includes: reclining seats, 3-D and IMAX action, and a high risk of dying. Since 2012 there has been three mass shootings in movie theaters, two of which happened this year. As many would conclude, mass shootings in theaters are a direct result of the lack of gun control laws and the “gun free zone” label. U.S. movie theaters are “gun free zones,” however that label has cost many their lives. The labeling itself has made movie theaters a target for people with criminal intent. James Holmes, the gunman responsible for the 2012 Aurora Shooting during a screening of The Dark Knight, contemplated in his diary whether to shoot up an airport or a movie theater. He ended up opting for the movie theater option because “people can’t have guns there,” they are “isolated,” and “large.”
So, as movie theater shootings and threats continue the question arises: What is being done to prevent these tragedies from happening again?
The answer: increased security- but is that enough?
When the movie Straight Outta Compton hit theaters in mid- August law enforcement agencies took precautionary steps in response to potential problems that could arise from the launch of the film, “which chronicles the history of the landmark rap group N.W.A and includes scenes of gang violence and police harassment,” as reported by Variety. Or like last weekend when I went to watch The Scorch Trials and tried really hard to ignore the police officer sitting behind me as I watched Dylan O’Brian escape WCKD. Unfortunately for him he was not on a date, he was more of a chaperone- Kind of like when your mom would take you to the movies when you were 13 and just sit creepily behind you and you while you tried to forget she was there and focus on watching Toy Story 3. Or maybe that’s just me.
So as I sat there being chaperoned once again I thought: this is what it has come to, fear. Fear of the wicked world we live in because unlike in the Scorch trials our people are not being inflected by a deadly flare, instead they are being infected by fear and in many cases diseases that under our existing laws still allows them to buy guns and go into theaters to create their own version of destruction.
So no. Increased security in the form of police officers and S.W.A.T patrols parked outside the movie theater is not enough. But how can movie theaters find that sweet spot for moviegoers where they could feel secure but still be able to enjoy their movie? Can they find a way to implement routine security without the price of a movie ticket becoming more expensive then it already is?
The reality is that there is no sweet spot, that in order to keep movie theaters safe extraordinary measures must be implemented: metal detectors, bag searches, and pat downs. Because now we live in a world where going to watch a movie is a risk and a threat to ourselves. However, without the implementation of extraordinary measures in those dark screenings anyone could open fire. And before you know it the trials have begun, audience vs. gun.
