The shooting which took place at a midnight screening of Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” in Colorado last week was front and center in my mind during my recent screening. Although the movie itself has done nothing wrong, it’s still kind of hard to watch the film without thinking about all of those people who were attempting to enjoy the same thing when James Holmes stormed the theater. My eyes kept wandering towards the emergency exits, my mind surveying the other people in attendance. None of this was done consciously, and I was a little surprised by how much the events affected my overall experience.

Apparently there’s good reason to keep an eye on your fellow moviegoers during showings of the latest Batman feature. No less than three individuals have been arrested for acting up during the movie, which has understandably caused people to be a little on edge. My biggest fear is that theaters will start patting down patrons on their way in, especially considering how many individuals continue to act a fool while Batman is trying to save Gotham City.

A drunk and disorderly fellow started causing a commotion during a showing in Sierra Visa, Arizona, forcing over 50 patrons to flee in panic. The Cochise County Sheriff’s office described the public’s reaction to the man’s behavior as “mass hysteria”.

In Maine, police discovered an AK-47 assault weapon, four handguns, ammunition, and several news clippings about the Colorado shooting after pulling Timothy Courtois over for speeding. According to reports, the man was on his way to murder his former boss a day after viewing “The Dark Knight Rises”. My mind is completely boggled by this.

In Southern California, 52-year-old Clark Tabor became a little agitated when the showing of the latest Batman flick didn’t start on time. “I should go off like in Colorado,” Tabor shouted. “Does anybody have a gun?” Police were immediately called to the scene, though a search of the man’s backpack revealed he wasn’t carrying any firearms.

Since the film made $160 million over the weekend, it would seem that most individuals are okay with heading out for viewing of “The Dark Knight Rises”. It’s an incredible movie, and I highly recommend it to fans of the franchise. However, don’t be overly alarmed if you find yourself eyeballing the exit doors, as well as your fellow moviegoers. Considering how unstable people seem to be these days, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.