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.

Artist Spotlight: Remembering Michael Turner, Comic Book Creator (24 Iconic Art Images!)

What’s up everyone! Ralph “The Perennial Aesthete” is here. With Avengers: Endgame being all set to shatter our senses, toy with our emotions and guaranteed to run rampant at the movie box office this weekend. There couldn’t be better time to be a comic book enthusiast or a superhero movie fan. In relation to that, I want to take a moment to pay homage and wish the late great Michael Layne Turner a very happy belated birthday. His birthday was this past Sunday, April 21, 2019.

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!

Superman Honored In New ‘Justice League’ “Heroes” Trailer Unveiled At New York Comic Con 2017

Are you ready for more Justice League awesomeness?  Maybe that’s not the main question that most fans have been chattering about.  When are we going to get a glimpse of Superman, along with his black suit in Warner Bros. movie, based on the DC Comics?  Personally, I think Warner Bros. is doing a masterful job with how Superman is being handled.  I thought the dream sequence in the latest trailer that debuted at NYCC (New York Comic Con) yesterday was simple, but brilliant.

RIP Bernie Wrightson, Celebrated Comic Book Artist and Horror Illustrator 1948 – 2017

The comic book world suffered a huge lost this past weekend.  Acclaimed comic book artist and horror illustrator, Bernard Albert “Bernie” Wrightson, sometimes credited as Bernie Wrightson—has died following a long battle with brain cancer.  Recognized as one of his generation’s greatest art masters of horror illustration and comics, Bernie was known for his iconic Frankenstein illustrations and co-creating DC Comics’ movie-starring creature, Swamp Thing.  He also worked on popular comic book titles such as Spider-Man, Batman, Doctor Strange and The Punisher.

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…