Movie Review: Joaquin Phoenix’s ‘Joker’ is a Brutal Portrayal of Mental Illness

Hey everyone, Ralph “The Perennial Aesthete” is here and thank you for joining me today. I hope you all had a happy and safe Halloween as well. Now, let’s get down to business. I have to admit that I wasn’t initially crazy about a standalone ‘Joker’ movie. My immediate reaction to the first trailer to the film was, “come on Warner Bros. Just do a damn Batman movie!” I thought it was a desperate attempt to do something different; however, I had a change of heart after the next trailer and the early, positive buzz that was surrounding the movie before it’s official release.

‘Aquaman’ Raises the DCEU From the Depths; Conquers Christmas Box Office

First and foremost, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday. I hope that as you read through my latest post, that you are found in the best of health, peace, prosperity and family fellowship. As many of you know, I’m a voracious movie devotee and avid comic book reader. Some folks are so quick to compare the success of Marvel/ Disney’s Cinematic Universe (MCU) to the DC Comics/ Warner Bros. Extended Universe (DCEU). I think it’s a bit unfair because Marvel was able to get a successful jump on their cinematic universe, and as I explained in an earlier post on the Justice League film, the movies of the DCEU have been overly scrutinized and dissected. Before I dive deeper into this review, I want to warn you of some minor spoilers ahead. As long as the waters are calm for you to navigate, please read on. Just a little Aquaman humor there.

Review: ‘Justice League’ Heroes Rises To the Challenge, But Not Without It’s Flaws

Hey good people!  Your boy Ralph (The Perennial Aesthete) is here!  First and foremost, I hope that everyone who is reading this had a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving holiday.  A movie for Justice League has seemingly been on the horizon forever and finally we get to witness it.  I can’t express enough how lucky I am to be living in these times where comic book characters we loved as a kid, are being brought from the comic books to the big screen.  I had the opportunity to watch the Justice League film twice and I appreciated it even more the second time around.  I found it to be delightful and entertaining, but not without it’s missteps, sort of speak.  By far, the film is not flawless, but I felt that it’s flaws were outweighed by it’s terrific direction, decent dialogue and excellent casting, acting, score, visual effects and editing.  As you read further into the review, I just want to give you a heads up that there are some spoilers.  As long as it’s not an inconvenience to you, continue to read on!

Film Review: Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Was Pure Sci-Fi Bliss

What’s up guys?  Ralph a.k.a. the “Perennial Aesthete” is here.  It’s been awhile, but I hope you’re all in the best of health and happiness.  Speaking of being happy, to describe Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the sequel to Marvel’s 2014 swash-buckling science-fiction adventure, I’d have to say it was pure euphoric bliss.  It brought back memories from my childhood when I used to sit in my room drawing comic book characters and reading my favorite comics such as Iron Man, the Avengers, Spider-Man and the Mighty Thor.

‘Kong: Skull Island’ Review: The Ape King Makes A Gargantuan Return – But Kong Is Not The Only King

If you’ve already watched Kong: Skull Island and you stayed past the end credits, you should be clear on one thing—that Kong is not the only king.  You should also know that the ‘Toho Initiative’ is a go.  That’s just a mere reference to Nick Fury’s (Samuel Jackson) visit to Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in Marvel Studio’s 2008 film, Iron Man, in which Fury informs Stark that he’s putting together a team of superheroes.  In this case, Kong: Skull Island, is the next chapter of Legendary Picture’s “MonsterVerse,” a new cinematic universe that’s highly anticipated to reach a pinnacle in a Godzilla vs. Kong movie in 2020.

‘Logan’ Review: Hugh Jackman’s Final Wolverine Movie Comes To a Brutal, Beautiful and Somber Ending

Hands down, this is the best X-Men or X-men related film that has been made to date and unquestionably, the Wolverine movie, we’ve all been waiting for.  Feeling more like a western rather than a comic book adaptation, film director James Mangold (The Wolverine, 3:10 To Yuma, Copland), brings us a visceral, violent, emotional and arguably, the most ambitious one since Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.

The movie truly elevates the superhero genre to new heights—and along with Deadpool, could set off a chain reaction of R-rated superhero movies being flooded into theaters.  That strategy would probably work with certain comic book characters; however, I think the PG-13 rating should remain the sweet spot for movie studios.  With that being said, let’s get to the good stuff.
Before you venture on, I want to forewarn you that if you haven’t seen the movie yet and wish to see it with a completely fresh perspective, I’d stop here… there are some minor spoilers ahead.

‘Split’ Movie Review: James McAvoy Delivers in M. Night Shyamalan’s Unhinged Return to Form

By now, many of you probably heard about Split, the latest offering from M. Night Shyamalan which had it’s world premiere at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX last year in September 2016.  The festival is the largest genre film showcase in the U.S., specializing in horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and other fantastic movies from all around the world.  With that being said, it’s safe to say that Shyamalan has returned to form in full force in his latest and quite unnerving psychological thriller, Split.

Review: Love it? Hate it? The Maelstrom of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

SPOILER WARNING:  The following post contains minor spoilers for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  If you haven’t seen the film yet, and don’t wish to be denied the thrill of discovering any of the plot points, please click away to another one of my thought-provoking posts.  Still here?  Alright, let’s do this…

‘The Witch’ Perfectly Blends Old-world Horror With Modern Feminist Ideas

Photo Credit:  A24 Films

When horror maestro Stephen King speaks about a movie that “scared the hell” out of him, you have to take notice.  From King’s Twitter: