A Nerd 5 Editorial: Moments In Time

There are moments in everyone’s life that they remember forever. Moments that affect us and shape us. Of course there are big moments that the world shares together, whether they are good or bad. Then there are smaller moments that are personal, but we still always remember them, where we were and what we were doing. When I went to sleep last evening I thought The Dark Knight Rises would be one of those small moments for me as film nerd; when I woke up this morning the film had another stamp put on it, a much larger one at that. Tragedy.

In the early morning of July 20^th a man entered a showing of The Dark Knight Rises wearing a gas-mask (dressed as the character Bane in some reports), tossed a gas can into the crowd and opened fire. 12 people were killed and up to 59 people were injured. This act of violence has shaken the people Aurora, Colorado, the USA, and this film nerd.

There is a special breed of people who go to midnight showings. We stay up to be the first to see a film but we are not crazy (as some may say). We are dedicated, we are dreamers, we are fans for whatever reason and these characters give us hopes, dreams, inspiration, and joy. We are an amazing group of people. I’ve lost count as to how many midnight showings I’ve gone to over the years, but the ones that have made an impact on my life I always remember. But one midnight showing sticks out to me more than any other, and it was only last year.

Is it July 15^th? A questioned I asked daily in 2011 until the day finally arrived. The midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was preceded by a week of watching all the films, rereading the 7^th book, teaching an acting camp based on Potter, competing for the house cup, and of course dressing up in costume (Hagrid for the curious). I showed up to the theatre as early as I could with my closest Potter friends as early as work would allow. At 8pm we poured into the theatre to view a special showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and when it ended there was a feeling of anticipation, joy and excitement that could never be duplicated. It was the end of a world-wide phenomenon, for most of us in the theatre the end of childhood. The film started and so many tears streamed down my face. Simply put: I was in heaven.

Now to think of someone coming to that theatre, that place of joy and shattering that world is one of the most heartbreaking things I could think of. As nerd, and a human, we wait for those special moments when the world seems like it’s made for us. They give us something to look forward too. For Batman fans that moment was night, and for a group of them it was a moment of joy turned to fear. As a fan of comics, movies, and basically all things nerdy, these were the people that I consider my peers, people like me and my friends. This tragedy hits home, I guess, because it could have been me and my friends.

I know the movies are not as much of an event as they used to be, we now have Netflix, Blue-Ray, DVD, and the internet, plus ticket prices are through the roof. Going to the movies has become an ordeal and some people are just skipping them altogether. But for some us the movies are still a place of joy, of escape, a place where we don’t have to worry about the “real world.” A place that is filled with sticky floors, talking kids, annoying cell phones, too many commercials and overpriced popcorn but it’s also a place that you can go on a journey to Middle Earth, Gotham City, on the high seas for great adventure, and to infinity and beyond. But after last night is this outpost of happiness lost?

No. There are moments in time that affect us and change the way we live, moments that penetrate society and have become known to generation after generation as mile markers of society. The Dark Knight Rises was destined to be one, but let’s let it become one because it’s an end to cinematic journey with one of America’s most beloved characters. Let this be a moment in time that says we don’t care about the hate, anger and violence some people feel. We are free to do what we want, we are free to love batman, we are free to hate batman, and we are free to swing our fist as much as we want until it hits someone. But when we get hit, we are also free to get up and keep fighting for what we want. I want the theatre to be a safe happy place for all.

So I ask you, to go see a movie this weekend. I don’t care if it’s Dark Knight Rises or if it’s Battleship or if it’s the smallest independent film you can find, support the movies. Not because of making a statement about freedom, or to prove that good will conquer evil, but to enjoy a moment in time. To me a movie theatre is place where everyone is invited inside to see the magic and enjoy the world, a place where one moment lives forever, and a place where your imagination can get the better of you and you are taken to the most beautiful places in the world. Enjoy your moment in time, and please, this weekend go to the movies.

“Many victims of today’s tragedy were fans of science fiction/fantasy. They stood in line to see, to be inspired, and to escape. As a community of dreamers, we mourn this terrible tragedy and this senseless taking of innocent life” – George Takei