'Endure, Master Wayne'

***Published in the newspapers of East Penn Publishing in July 2012***

I'm going to the movies after work.

I'm going on a mini road trip with friends to the IMAX theater in Reading because the only IMAX theater in the Lehigh County makes me want to chug a bottle of Advil.

Unlike the one at Rave Motion Pictures, the IMAX in Reading isn't an assault on the eardrums, but rather complete embracing of cinematic spectacle well worth driving an hour both ways.

And, since one of my favorite filmmakers is Christopher Nolan, I would not want to see any other movie out in theaters now than his newest film, "The Dark Knight Rises."

"But David!" someone might say. "What about the shootings in Colorado? That guy, James Holmes, killed a dozen people that was screening 'The Dark Knight Rises'! It could happen to you, too! Wouldn't you feel safer hitting up a local Redbox, renting 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' and watching it with friends in the comfort of a plushy suburban basement?"

First of all, shame on anyone for having the misplaced gumption to recommend "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" to any living organism. I'd rather pry my head open with a shrimp skewer and replace my brain with gummy worms than pay money to see that again.

But, more to the point, no. I wouldn't feel safer.

In fact, missing out on a movie I want very badly to see just because of one chance savagery would make me feel even less secure in this world.

See, the weird thing about me is that I love movies and, therefore, I love going to the movies.

I love cinema's ability to entertain, to provoke thought and discussion, to serve as art and even give me more of a reason to enjoy popcorn than I usually do.

And this love of visiting the theater and expanding my passion for movies cannot be taken away from me so long as I continue to breathe on this planet, especially not by any sort of red scare inspired by a singular lunatic.

We cannot let one unfortunate tragedy impact our everyday lives in any way and, for the most part, we as a nation have developed quite an aptitude for moving on.

A roller coaster might crash once and kill a couple people, but hundreds of thousands of Americans still ride them each day regardless of their uncertainty.

Nobody really knows what hot dogs are made of, but still they remain a major staple of the typical American barbecue regardless of their uncertainty.

There's a scene in "The Dark Knight," the second movie in Christopher Nolan's Batman series, where Bruce Wayne asks his trusty butler, Alfred, what he thinks Batman should do in the midst of adversity. "Endure, Master Wayne," Alfred replied. And that's exactly what I plan on doing. I plan to endure.

So, with respect to those afflicted by that horrible massacre in Colorado, I'll see you at the movies.