Banning masks:

I get why AMC has made this decision. I really do, and I am not criticizing them for it. Well, not exactly.

But I hate, I absolutely hate, that the response to a horrible, horrible event like this is to ban costumes and masks from movie showings. Part of the fun of the Batman movie marathon (and until I got sick, I did have fun) was cheering for everybody that came in costume and people watching and people showing up in Batman T-shirts. And yes, we were at an AMC theatre. Not everybody came in Batman costumes --

I hate that the response is to make things a little worse for others, and remove a bit of the fun from the world. Just hate it. The world sucks enough as it is, and I want to see us having every joyful moment possible, especially when incomprehensible things like this (a movie theatre? Really, dude?) happen. I want to stand up for joy.

Someplace on Twitter I saw someone write that in the U.S., when someone in a mask with a gun kills a lot of people, the U.S. bans the mask. Deep thought, that.

Meanwhile, on a considerably more frivolous note:

1. Who, who, thought it was a good idea to attach Lord of the Rings music to the Man of Steel trailer? (Yes, yes, I know that trailers regularly reuse music from previous movies since their own scores haven't been written yet, but this was a bad choice.)

2. Why, why, why, is anyone remaking Total Recall?

I realize that Hollywood is devoid of ideas these days, but, honestly, last I checked, quite a few people were creating these things called "books" which had things called "new takes on old plots" or "new ideas." They are ALL OVER the place, and you can even get them at Amazon or this amazing place called Barnes and Noble or many other online outlets like Weightless Books and have them gleaming on your little electronic devices. JUST SAYING.

And with that, I go thunk over again. I'll catch up with publishing news tomorrow.