Two Theater Chains Ban Masks, Fake Guns from Screenings

AMC Theatres and Krikorian Theaters have announced that masks, fake weapons and costumes that make other moviegoers "uncomfortable" won't be allowed inside its theaters following the shooting in Colorado that claimed the lives of at least 12 people.

AMC Santa Anita showed "The Dark Knight Rises" in a midnight screening Friday and several other showtimes are planned throughout the day and night into the weekend. Monrovia's Krikorian Theater also plans to continue showing the movie as scheduled, from 9 a.m. through 10:40 p.m.

At the Pacific Theatres 18-Plex at The Americana at Brand in Glendale on Saturday, moviegoers to The Dark Knight were asked to queue up in the lawns facing the multiplex before being escorted by watchful security personnel into the theater.

The nation and much of the world has been jolted by the July 20 massacre in the Colorado town of Aurora, which occurred on the same weekend marking the one-year anniversary in Norway of a murder rampage by a single man, Anders Breivik, who killed 69 people. President Barack Obama met with friends and relatives of the victims Sunday, and several television networks pulled weekend ads about the Batman film out of respect for the victims.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the studio that produced the film, Warner Bros. Pictures, asked the News Corp.-owned Fox broadcasting company not to air ads that Warner Bros. had bought for the weekend. At least two other networks—Walt Disney Co.-owned ESPN and Comcast Corp.'s NBC—also stopped airing ads Friday, according to the Journal's weekend report.

Krikorian issued this statement Friday on Facebook:

Krikorian Premiere Theatres would like to convey our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the tragedy that has taken place in Aurora, CO. It is with heavy hearts that we reflect upon this random act and join with the rest of America in grieving for those lost.

The safety of our own patrons and staff mean everything to us and we are making every effort to ensure that our theatres remain sa...fe, secure and enjoyable environments for everyone. We would like to reassure all of our patrons that our theatres are always vigilant about security and we are taking this opportunity to reinforce our security procedures with our staff.

Our full show schedule, including screenings of The Dark Knight Rises will proceed as previously scheduled. However, we do ask that patrons wishing to dress-up for their screening take into consideration that we will not be allowing admittance to those wearing masks or costumes that may make others uncomfortable.

AMC's full statement Friday on Facebook:

AMC Theatres is deeply saddened by the Aurora tragedy. Movie going is part of our social fabric and this senseless act shakes us to our core. We’re reinforcing our security procedures with our theatre teams, which we cannot discuss in detail for obvious, safety reasons. Local law enforcement agencies, our landlords and their and our local security teams are stepping up ...nationwide to ensure we provide the safest environment possible for our guests. We couldn’t be more grateful for their collective support.

At this time, our show schedules circuit-wide will not change. We will not allow any guests into our theatres in costumes that make other guests feel uncomfortable and we will not permit face-covering masks or fake weapons inside our buildings. If guests wish to exchange or refund any tickets, we will honor our existing policy and do as our guests wish. We are taking necessary precautions to ensure our guests who wish to enjoy a movie this weekend can do so with as much peace of mind as possible in these circumstances.