COMING TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU

In 1990, before PC had a strangle-hold on Hollywood, Rutger Hauer and Gene Simmons did a movie called WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE. In the movie, Simmons played the role of a middle eastern terrorist who blows up a packed movie theatre here in America. A chilling thought, but it was just a movie.

Fast forward to today.

NEWSMAX is reporting that TIME magazine is doing a story about this very threat. A captured al-Zarqawi official is talking about attack plans considered for here on US soil. Soft targets. They include malls, schools and movie theatres.

Of the three, movie theatres would produce the maximum effect from a terrorist's point of view. Not only would many be killed, it would effectively shutter the theatre business indefinetly. Maybe permanently. Every mail box in America would be stuffed with Netflix orders.

Theatres are so "soft" as a target, just discussing this threat in the media could cause a down turn in business. There is nothing the theatre chains can do about it, except wait. If they took a pro-active stance and began security procedures at their outlets, movie goers would freak and stay home with their DVDs. In addition, security costs would skyrocket ticket prices beyond what the market would tolerate.

It's a lose-lose proposition for the movies.