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.

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!

New York Comic Con 2017: Amazing Photo Gallery and Video Highlights From NYCC

I hope everyone’s experience at New York Comic Con 2017 was as awesome as mine was! It gets bigger and better each and every year.  Being a creative, I couldn’t help but feel enormously inspired to keep pushing myself forward as an artist, writer, graphic designer, entrepreneur and simply an aesthetically-driven individual who wants to make his mark and hopefully, make the world a little more pleasant.  Events such as these, makes you want to do more and BE MORE than what you already are.  My enthusiasm to create is flying high and despite some of the issues that we are dealing with in society right now, I remain optimistic that somehow we’ll find a way to make a little more beautiful, and a little less chaotic.I took some time to post some photos and put together a video, capturing some amazing cosplay, artwork, geek stuff and random moments from NYCC 2017, in which I hope that many of you will appreciate.  Just check them out below.  Special thanks to the staff, security and crew who made sure the event was organized, lines were orderly and that fans were moved through the lines with respect, care and safety for each other.  Thank you for bringing the incredible to the show at the Javits Center.  Enjoy the video and the photos, and don’t forget to let me know what you think.  Stay #WERKSpired!

Reflecting On Hip Hop Legend Tupac Shakur On the 21st Anniversary of His Death

“I am not a gangster and never have been.  I’m not the thief who grabs your purse.  I’m not the guy who jacks your car.  I’m not down with people who steal and hurt others.  I’m just a brother who fights back.  I’m not some violent closet psycho.  I’ve got a job.  I’m an artist.” — Tupac Shakur

Prophet.  Poet.  Gangster.  Thug.  Hip hop icon.  During the life and times of Tupac Shakur, he was labeled many things, but after his death, the polarizing, legendary rap artist was universally accepted as an extraordinary and influential talent.  Personally, whenever someone asks me about Tupac Shakur, the immediate thought that comes to mind is “tortured soul.”

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.

‘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…

Marvel’s Final Trailer To ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Featuring Spider-Man!

So Marvel gave us the second trailer to ‘Captain America: Civil War’ and a first look at the newest variant of Spider-Man, the version that will connect to a solo Spider-Man film co-produced by Sony’s Amy Pascal and Marvel Studio head Kevin Feige. With Civil War being the biggest Marvel movie to date, the brand new trailer looks absolutely fantastic!  Black Panther in action is amazing and long overdue, the tension between Cap and Tony is intensely, self-evident and last but not least, we got Spider-Man swinging into the MCU!  But of course–as if with all superhero movies, you’re going to get a broad range of reactions from ordinary movie-goers, sacrificial geeks and die-hard fanboys.  To some, the suit looks like someone in the design department had a bit too much funny with the CGI effects.  While others instantly recognized and welcomed the Silver Age-inspired design.  As far as Spidey’s suit is concerned, I’m just hoping that it’s not the finished product.  I mean he does look a little weird… but hopefully, the suit will be a bit more polished by the time the movie rolls around this coming May.

‘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: