THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

       From  Denis Villeneuve, the director of Prisoners and Sicario , comes one of the most exceptional science-fiction films of the year with Arrival . I feel like sometimes I am stuck on a merry-go-round when discussing the originality of films these days, stating the lack thereof over and over and over again. There have been some really great and enjoyable movies this year, both good and bad, both original and not; if 2016 had anything to say about it, it would be that originality is only few and far between the mammoth assembly line blockbusters that we've come to expect. It's like double western bacon cheeseburgers from Carl's Jr. I freaking love those things. They have all the ingredients of an extremely tasty burger: beef, cheese, onion rings, bacon, all smothered in barbecue sauce. I could easily eat those all the time. But, every now and then I just want a 12 oz. cut of prime rib. Within a year stocked with double western bacon cheeseburgers, Arrival is in

       Is there a possibility that we as a movie-going society will get superhero fatigue? Between the Goliath production companies at Marvel and DC, the amount of comic book-based superhero movies coming our way is insane. How does one maintain a growing, cinematic universe without falling victim to audience fatigue? I'll tell you (because I have all the answers, right? LOL!) You forgo the working model and make singular movies within the larger narrative that have an individualistic identity within the larger whole. You do this by allowing creativity and art to surpass the machine of committee-made movies. Marvel's latest chapter in their insane cinematic saga Doctor Strange is a mind trip of a movie if ever I've seen one. Though not the greatest Marvel movie to have ever come out, its originality and utter weirdness is such a breath of fresh air.    Benedict Cumberbatch makes his glorious debut into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dr. Stephen Strange, a highly

  Mel Gibson makes his triumphant return to the chair-behind-the-camera with his latest war epic Hacksaw Ridge . Gibson has been a part of so many award-winning titles, a couple of which he's played a role much larger than just actor. In his illustrious career, Hacksaw Ridge is actually his fifth movie that he has directed. All of his directorial outings have either been met with praise or controversy. Not since Braveheart , however, has he delivered such a masterful piece of work worthy of comparison. I haven't been as emotional invested in a film in such a long time; not because it's a war film but because the story, acting, action, every aspect of the movie works to pull you in and engage your senses. I'll admit, amidst the carnage that befalls the screen, there is so much heart to this movie that you would have to be a stone-cold individual not to be moved by it.    War movies in general can be hard to view. Often times the graphic violence of real li