Why did the audience at the Dark Knight shooting think it was part of the show at first?

A question just came to my mind that I would like to ask of users here. Why did the audience at this shooting think that this man in body armor was part of the show? Think about it. There is almost no extra theatricality when you go to a movie. There has never been a film that I've seen that had actors in the theater participating with the film. So, why would people think that at first? Was it disbelief or just plain confusion at what they were seeing?

I read on another forum that people are starting to think that maybe Christopher Nolan's film Inception was actually about the dreamlike state that we enter when we watch a film and are sent hidden messages while in that state. I think this would account for the reaction of the victim's to the attacker when he appeared. Imagine waking up suddenly to someone standing over your bed whilst you were dreaming. It's disorienting and your brain tries to quantify it with the dream you were experiencing.

Anyway, that's why I think people thought it might be part of the show.

Note: I put this in Philosophy and Metaphysics because it also covers Psychology.

I've been to a couple of movie premiers.

Alien 3.

Austin Powers 2.

At Alien 3 there was Eggs and posters given out to the audience.

At Austin Powers 2. There were people dressed like hippies.
Neil Patrick Harris was there with two smokin chicks.

I remember when I saw the last indiana jones...

I know it was a mistake and I am ashamed I saw it at theaters...

Anyway they had people dressed as Indie and soldiers running up and down the isles chasing the one dressed as Indie before it started.

Come to think about it, thats probably not going tobe happening anymore in theaters after this...

Yeah, It's not that common.

reply to post by PhantomLimb

Yeah, It's not that common.

I can think of three movies I have been to where thats happened, come to think of it it happened when I saw the Dark Knight...

someone was in a cheap bat suit, and one usher was dressed as the joker "hiding" in the audience, it was rather stupid..

and for matrix reloaded they had people dressed as characters...

But I live in SO Ca, movie capital here so that might have something to do with it.

A bunch of people that like comic books like to cos-play. In the footage you can even see some kid dressed like batman running out the door. I would imagine multiple people were dressed up.

If I were there I would have probably thought it was someone being a douche and playing a prank.

I think the real question is why so many people read into an event more than it is needed. If you have normal sane people watching a movie, when someone shows up in a gas mask the first thing that comes to mind is "Oh is this part of the show?" not "Is there a lone gunman trying to kill us all"


Forgive the common populace for not thinking their life is about to come to a tragic end at every moment of the day...

=/

Have you ever seen Rocky Horror? Half the audiance would dress up.

its the new 4d experience you get to be a part of the action, but not like this. Ok so if it was 3d things are meant to come flying at you, but from the screen, not from a assault rifle.

media comps ar ealways trying new tactics to excite / shock audiences, like making it more interactive, thats why they thought it was part of the show. Its the age of illusion where it becomes difficult to differentiate between real and non real.

Also who is to blame for these killings???

The killer??
Really? Are you sure tht killer was born into the world with one mission - to kill 12 or so people at the pictures?

No? Society creates the monsters! (in the old days of small communities and lack of education) the elders would scare the kids and youngsters by telling them stories of ghosts and bad men lurking around the village, or maybe beat up the "naughty" boy as an example. But that doesnt cut it these days. So yes it can be a conspiracy, but you need facts to prove things like this, otherwise its just speculations.

So what are cause of this incident?
Well lets see first we have weapons - killing machines - And no they arent used for self defense! Do you think the guys who design and make these things make them for self defense? no they are killing machines! So if "men" did not make these guns the kiler would have had no weapons to kill them! (or maybe he would killed less using maybe a plank of wood or summat)

"I am the joker" he apparantly said. The guys in the cinema went to watch Batman. Now if Batman didnt exists those 12 people would still be alive along with all their descendents. Thats what you have to remember, he may have actually killed 12 people but in reality he has butchered entire future possible generations from those 12, yes thats scary.

Where did he get the idea for this and also booby trapping??

reply to post by PhantomLimb


It's true, if you watch TV or a film your brain waves change and you are in a more suggestible state. This is why you get caught up in a film and why advertisers continue to advertise on TV. You enter a similar state when driving, I honestly think the people at the movie were concentrating on the movie and not that there was anything that would 'hypnotise' them anymore than usual.