My Analysis of the Colorado Movie Theater Massacre

On Thursday night/Friday morning, in the Denver, Colorado suburb or Aurora a gunman purchased tickets to the midnight showing of summer blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises and thirty minutes into the premiere, proceeded to gun-down and kill 12 people while injuring another 59.

24-year-old James Holmes is
suspected in the Aurora
Massacre on July 20, 2012.
(Credit: University of Colorado)

Upon being arrested, the perpetrator was identified as 24-year-old James Holmes, originally of San Diego, California and currently residing in Aurora, Colorado. Details of the crime have been revealed since the chain  of events unfolded. The general consensus is that Holmes purchased a ticket, left out an Emergency Exit, which was propped open, while he returned to his car to put on SWAT-type riot gear. Thirty minutes into the movie he then returned to the theater, threw down tear gas canisters and proceeded the massacre.

When he was arrested, Holmes identified himself as the "Joker", the prevalent villain from the second installment of the Christopher Nolan Batman series, The Dark Knight, who was famously portrayed by Heath Ledger.

With more information trickling in, such as the suspect's apartment apparently being "booby-trapped" for police, further builds the suspects character profile.

Now, I am not a psychologist, but my opinion is, this man was obviously negatively influenced by the Hollywood picture The Dark Knight.

If someone were asked to choose a word to describe the tone or theme of The Dark Knight, most certainly included on that list would be "chaos" and "anarchy", of which The Joker declares as his only intentions in a monologue to Aaron Eckhart's character Harvey Dent (which triggers his full-turn to the villain Two-Face, at that point in the film).

Now, how this relates to the Colorado shooting rampage, is that, this kind of thing has been happening with Hollywood films for years. While in my opinions, Christopher Nolan's Batman films are no where near the most intense terrorism-related homicide to the general populace I have ever seen, the imagery and ease in which he depicts chaos, could easily, in my opinion, be a catalyst for James Holmes' rampage last Friday.

Hollywood's responsibility for the actions of its film goers has been called into question for years. Most recently, and famously, is Oliver Stone's classic picture Natural Born Killers, which portrays a serial killer couple Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox (Juliette Lewis) and their killing spree across the southwest desert of the United States and the media frenzy which surrounds them. This includes "fans" of Mickey and Mallory, and the host of a program called "American Psychos" (played by Robert Downey Jr.) who wants to interview them in prison to boost his own fame.

Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory
(Julliette Lewis) make killing look easy
in Oliver Stone's 1994 film Natural Born Killers.
(Photo Credit: The Escapist User Reviews)

Natural Born Killers is the film most known for producing the most known copycat crimes, due to the severity of the tone of the film, its message has been twisted and misunderstood for years, as people try to emulate Mickey and Mallory. (For more information on specific cases, search List of alleged Natural Born Killers copycat crimes on Wikipedia).

Whether directly responsible for the crimes in question, or just a mild influence, Oliver Stone or the actors and creators of Natural Born Killers have never had to be held accountable for these crimes. In my opinion, this is rightfully so. Oliver Stone cannot be held responsible for how people may or may not react to his movie. However, the other side of the coin is, should Oliver Stone have known making a film with such extreme themes be made so, haphazardly...if that's the right word.

Christopher Nolan's themes of Batman are clearly not as extreme as those of Stone's Killers film. Good is expected to eventually triumph over evil in the superhero genre, and it is obviously played to an audience where mature children would be expected to be a large portion. So, obviously, the violence is toned down, the language is toned down and the situation is directed in a more serious tone, while keeping the innocence of that "superhero" quality.

The Joker (Heath Ledger) tells Harvey
Dent (Aaron Eckhart) to "introduce a
little anarchy" in Christopher Nolan's
2008 film The Dark Knight.
(Photo Credit: MoviesOnline.ca)

The question that is called into play is, should Nolan be held responsible for the influence of violence his films have clearly created? A recent triple robbery-homicide committed right here in Edmonton at the University of Alberta was foreshadowed by Facebook quotes from The Dark Knight less than two weeks before Travis Baumgartner shot and killed his co-workers. James Holmes shot up Nolan's latest premiere and identified himself as "The Joker" upon arrest. These are two current examples which show Nolan's Batman film's cloud of influence and how people have clung to The Joker as an anti-hero (despite clearly being a villain) the same way people clung to Wall Street's Gordon Gekko as an anti-hero, despite clearly being a person who valued money over anything and everything else and was portrayed very negatively.

Obviously, James Holmes' psychological profile will take years to build and present to a court, before he is eventually convicted of life in prison anyways, so this post I've written may be a little premature, however, focusing on these small details in this large crime, it is easy to analyze that the motion picture industry at the very least, needs to be a little more careful of the extreme themes their films are presenting and that they can make extreme violence look very easy, without demonstrating all the consequences.

-Adam Orion

Orion's 3 Stars #1 (Jul. 8-14, 2012)

So, when I started a couple of months ago, I had the intention of writing something as often as possible. When I logged in today, I had realized I haven't made a post since March. So, I decided to debut a new "column" of mine which I will publish (or at least attempt to publish) every Sunday called ORION'S 3 STARS.

ORION'S 3 STARS will highlight what I believe to be the three most important people, issues, events, moments, etc. that majorly affect Edmonton or Canada. So, without further ado, let's get started;

THIS WEEKS' 3RD STAR....DOWNTOWN ARENA SAGA PART XXXVIII: This week Edmonton tax-payers were once again greeted to more money-related discussions about the Downtown Arena complex. This time, we have been told the arena is now $30 million over budget. I don't know about you, but I'm growing less and less excited about this project by the day.

Eskimos GM, Eric Tillman.
(Credit: TSN.ca)

THIS WEEK'S 2ND STAR...ESKIMOS GENERAL MANAGER, ERIC TILLMAN: When Edmonton Eskimos General Manager, Eric Tillman was asked earlier this week about his trade  of quarterback Ricky Ray to the Toronto Argonauts last off season, Tillman retorted with some spectacularly idiotic comments. Tillman stated, in so many words, he regretted the Ray trade and would not make the same move over again. I'm no coach or motivator, but I think if I were the acquired player(s), I would not be too anxious to play for a guy who they know would reverse the trade if necessary. Not that I'm the biggest Eskimos fan, but this grabbed my attention in a big way.

THIS WEEK'S 1ST STAR...THE EXTREME WEATHER: And last but certainly not least...how 'bout that weather this week?! On Thursday night, Edmontonians were treated to the biggest rainstorm in eight years, as several inches of rain fell over night, flooding basements and large portions of Whitemud Drive on the south side. I gotta give huge props to the first responders (fire, EMS, police, etc.) and the people who helped pump out flooded areas to get the city back to normal. However, the extreme weather events were not limited to rain, Edmonton got treated to a multi-day heat wave which resembled more of a Southern Ontario atmosphere than a Northern Alberta one. Hopefully nobody ended up too burned and got a good tan this week. 

Hope you all enjoyed my post, and I'll see ya next week!

Top 10 Reasons Why Edmonton Has Lost Its Appeal To Me...

First of all, this post is not meant to slam Edmonton. Let me state that I consider myself an Edmontonian. Even though I was not born here, I consider myself one. I have lived in Edmonton my entire adult life. I left Mississauga the day after I turned eleven and never looked back. This post is merely, as I've stated before, therapy. These are things about the city I am from in which I would address to make it better. This is not "10 Reasons Why Edmonton Sucks" or "10 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Edmonton". I'd encourage people to come here, it's wonderful; however, being here for almost thirteen years, this city has lost its appeal to me to some degree. So if you must give this post another title let it be "10 Things Edmonton Needs To Take A Look At Harder". So here we go...


**NOTE: This post is not filled with cited "facts" this is merely a collection of thoughts based on things I have read, heard and what I feel based on where I live.**


10) IDIOT DRIVERS

Ok, this one isn't Edmonton specific, as I realize there are idiot drivers everywhere, however; Edmonton seems to have an extraordinary amount of idiot drivers. The amount of times I have been cut off by someone not paying attention is amazing. New laws are always being passed all over Alberta to try and get drivers to pay more attention but it never seems to make a difference.

9) THE RIVER VALLEY TRAIL SYSTEM COULD BE BETTER

Edmonton has the unique quality to have a major river running through it. Historically the North Saskatchewan River divided the City of Edmonton with the City of Strathcona. Since amalgamation, the city has installed a number of walking trails which overlook the river valley and they are quite nice. I read an article last year which made me think; Vancouver has several boardwalks which are at water level, allowing for an even more extraordinary experience. The article argued that Edmonton could use a boardwalk and I agree, the river valley system could be better with the addition of a boardwalk type of area, however of this list, this is the one I would focus on the least.

8) 118 AVENUE EAST OF REXALL PLACE NEEDS WORK

There are a few areas in Edmonton a lot of people would consider "run down". Areas on Fort Road, off Jasper Avenue and Stony Plain Road are a few additional areas which I believe require more attention. The one which I believe requires most attention is 118 Avenue east of Rexall Place. During my last drive down the Ave., I counted no less than ten boarded up businesses and more than a dozen more run down looking business. I'm not trying to insult the Beverly area, because I do respect the history of the community and I can't blame a community that doesn't necessarily have the means to support itself. However, I think there is something the government could do to revitalize the area and bring more money in the the Beverly community. The removal of the Oilers from Rexall Place to the Downtown Arena is the worst decision ever for this very reason; it will take even more money from the community when Rexall Place becomes a money pit and eventually sold and demolished.

7) THE OILERS REALLY SUCK LATELY

This one isn't specific to the city, it's more a morale thing. The Oilers making it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2006 did something to the city. There was a bond; a brotherhood; a friendship. The city was friendlier and fun. Every season since then, the Oilers have failed to make the playoffs and are at risk of finishing dead last in the NHL for the third straight season. The hardest part of watching NHL hockey for me personally, is these people get fat contracts to play a game for a living and then they can't even go out there and give it 100% for the people who are paying their hard earned money on over-inflated tickets. Edmontonians all hear the rumors of the young players' antics off the ice. The bar hopping. The bed hopping. It's easy to assume that these guys are rich, young and are not giving hockey their entire focus. Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers of the 80s were champions on and off the ice, which is something our group of young players needs to learn to be.

6) CITY COUNCIL IS A JOKE

This one doesn't need much in depth detail. We all know people's opinion's of governments always has them doing stupid things; wasting taxpayer dollars and sanctioning idiotic construction projects are two of the ones I hear in Edmonton the most. Mayor Mandel and his council have proven themselves a joke through simple idiotic comments in the paper. Example: Mayor Mandel's council has sanctioned more construction projects in the last three years than ever before, yet he goes in the paper to complain about the amount of construction projects. This is where I face palm.

5) CONSTANT CONSTRUCTION

This one ties well into the last one, obviously, as I think a majority of Edmontonians are fed up with the amount of construction projects sanctioned over the last number of years. Yes, the major projects such as the Anthony Henday West and the widening of the Quesnell Bridge are finished, there are even still residual things to be done on these areas. Exit signs on the Whitemud have yet to be installed despite road work being finished for months. I know I don't understand all the ins and outs of construction, and to be honest I could care less, I just think that citizens are tired of having those big orange arrows slowing up our day. Add the LRT expansion to all the little projects going on at any given time and it can add up to one hell of a headache.

4) DOWNTOWN IS DANGEROUS

First of all, when I say "dangerous", I don't mean by saying "if you go to Downtown Edmonton something bad will happen to you". It probably won't. However, if you have ever had the opportunity to walk around various area by Jasper Avenue you will find that the area is in bad need of attention. I guess it's hard to pinpoint exactly what I do mean by "dangerous", however citizens of Edmonton (who don't live Downtown) will usually tell you that certain Downtown areas give off a certain vibe. Chinatown by 97 Street is not an area I would walk around at night. Same with Oliver north of 104 Avenue. These are just things you know. These are things most people know. These are things the government needs to know and fix.

3) WEST EDMONTON MALL ISN'T ALL IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE

The Mardi Gras decorations
over Bourbon Street

Okay, like I stated at the beginning of the post, this is not an article meaning to tell people why they should not visit Edmonton. Obviously, West Edmonton Mall is a huge tourist attraction for the city. The attractions the mall has truly makes it a wonder; a waterpark, an NHL sized indoor ice rink, the World's largest indoor amusement park and several other features like Professor WEM's Golf Course and a full size replica of the Santa Maria definately make West Edmonton Mall a place to visit if you're ever coming to Edmonton. However, my problem with the mall lies a little bit deeper than that. As a citizen of Edmonton, not a tourist, the mall is...just a large mall. The attractions are there if I need them. It's convenient that there's an amusement park there, sure, but it's not a selling point for me to visit there every weekend or even every month. The worst part of the mall, is the shopping. If you're into shopping, it must be paradise, but in my opinion, every other store is some kind of high end clothing, shoe, or jewelry store. There are a few interesting novelty shops in the mall, the best of which is most likely Millennium or Spencers, but the mall is fastly being overtaken by what I like to call the Abercrombie & Fitch-type stores like Hollister, H&M and American Eagle. It's all the same. And it's all boring. I'd rather go elsewhere. There is nothing I can get at West Edmonton Mall that I can't get anywhere else in the city (and cheaper too), and that's the main reason I avoid it like the plague.


2) "DEADMONTON"

This one is pretty simple, so I'll keep it short and sweet. In 2011, Edmonton set a record for most homicides in one calendar year with 47 (I believe, someone might have to correct me) beating former record holding year 2005 with 39 murders (which we passed in September 2011). So, I guess this one is pretty self explanatory; with a disproportionate number of killings taking place Downtown and in the North End, it is quite obvious why I don't travel there as often as possible. Its hard to feel safe when the police have said they don't have the officers to keep up with the amount of violence in Edmonton. What the fuck is wrong with this city?

1) ST. ALBERT AND SHERWOOD PARK ARE BETTER ALTERNATIVES
So, as we get down to the final point of my rant, it is simply that St. Albert and Sherwood Park provide better alternatives for people who are looking to avoid the hassles of the city. Both are fully functioning cities with many of the amenities that Edmonton has, so travel to the big city can be minimal if that's what you're looking to avoid. The pros are both cities are adjacent to Edmonton, which provide easy access to the West End from St. Albert and Mill Woods from Sherwood Park, both in less than 20 minutes travel time. The cons are a higher cost of living, however when you're looking for safety and security you get what you pay for.


So, now that I've had the opportunity to vent, and most likely piss off  few of my fellow Edmontonians, I'd like to remind you all that this blog was not meant to tell you how much Edmonton sucks (which it can), but it is to remind the masses that cities are not built in a day, and they take even longer to properly maintain. If the government is unable or unwilling to make changes, hopefully at the very least this will make people aware of the problems in their city so they can better educate themselves. But one can only hope.

My Home Sweet Home

So, I live in Edmonton. City of Cha...hahahaha...ok, I almost got through that without laughing. Let me start over;

I live in Edmonton. It's a city in Northern Alberta with a general population of around a million people, and for the most part, Edmonton is pretty cool. Well it used to be.

I should state, this blog is simply my opinion. I don't need anybody with a hard-on for Edmonton blasting me for insulting their baby. I'm simply stating my opinions of this city. A lot of my opinions on this blog are politically motivated. I like to be informed. I like to know what's going on around me. I pay attention to the city I live in. I'm not so much interested in worldwide politics, but hometown politics is something I'm all for.

So, again, like I've said, I live in Edmonton and for the most part, it's a pretty cool place to live. It's got weather that's been more tolerable than normal for the last decade or so, which has made it easy to enjoy the climate here. We have an NHL hockey team, which is like "sports crack" for Canadian sports fans. Even though they really fucking suck the last six seasons we still believe. 

So, why all the negativity you ask? Well its all around us. In 2011, I think the city took a turn in the wrong direction. For all of the things that were done right; such as expansions on the LRT and making that a huge priority, they did a billion things wrong.

Over the course of the blog, I will probably vent over a variety of topics as they become hot issues again, such as the new Downtown Arena, education, bylaws and any other stupid piece of legislation city council decides to throw our way. So that's why I kind of did a little chuckle during my initial introduction.

So if you like rage, keep tuning in. Like I said, this blog is therapy ;)

Who the hell is Adam Orion?

Let me introduce myself. My name is Adam Orion. And everything you read on this blog is a lie ;). Including my name. My name is not Adam Orion. But for the purposes of Internet communications, you can refer to me as such. Most of the people who initially read this blog (if any), I would assume would be people from Facebook. I'm not writing this blog specifically for other people to read it. I'm writing this blog as a form of therapy. As a way to vent, as a way to share and a way to learn.


Over the course of the last two years my life as taken unexpected turns. I fell in love with a beautiful girl, who gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. I went from being single -- a bachelor -- to being, a "husband" and father.


Needless to say, it hasn't been easy. I think women have a much easier time finding their place when it comes to having a baby. They are the mom. The baby immediately knows it and the connection is usually instant. For the dad, a lot of times its harder. I've struggled to find a way to form a good relationship with my daughter. She is the most beautiful baby and so easy to love. So that's not a problem. The problem is...my confidence. I struggle to find the confidence that my wife seems to have so naturally. It just seems so easy for her. And she keeps herself fairly stress free. Her biggest stress is probably me. I know second guessing yourself is not healthy, but when I look at my little girl and I see my wife taking care of her so perfectly, I feel like lucky to know that Kaylee has such a good mom, while her dad is still struggling to become a good one.


So, I guess that's my first post for the new blog. I don't expect many people to read it, however I will share through Facebook. Not Twitter though. Twitter can #fuckitself.