Screenshot from MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) music video

Story by Annika Forman

Lil Nas X released his music video “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” on March 26th 2021 according to Wikipedia.

The video, starring the Georgia-born rapper, definitely has some sexual content in it. The music video makes reference to the painting by Michelangelo The Creation of Adam according to Genius News. It also shows Lil Nas X in heaven and then sliding down the long poll to hell. 

The song title is a tribute to the 2017 film Call Me By Your Name. The theme of the film is coming of age and the plot is of a gay 17-year-old falling in love with a 24-year-old man. 

Lil Nas X also released Satan Shoes on March 29^th and were limited edition. The shoes, which are red and black and have a drop of human blood in the sole, are sold for $1018. 

Nike released a statement which said it played no role in creating what resembled the Air Max 97 shoe and did not endorse it. 

The shoes are exclusive with only 666 pairs made. Governor Kristi Noem said in a Tweet that it is important to fight for America’s soul as well as U.S. children’s’ souls. The implicit message seems to be it is therefore important to look down on these kinds of products.

Timeline by Dayna Smockum

‘Satanic Panic’ is a fear throughout U.S. culture and society about supernatural, magical, mystical beliefs, practices, and phenomena. 

The music video is part of a slew of other bands that have fed into “Satanic Panic” by referring to occult content including Mercyful Fate’s “Into the Coven” and Venom’s “Possessed,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

The music video, which has 125 million views on YouTube, has received backlash. Rapper Joyner Lucas dislikes the fact Lil Nas X exposed the video onto a fan base of school-aged children that he fostered from his song ‘Old Town Road’.

In response, Lil Nas X said in a Tweet that ‘Old Town Road’ talked about adultery and lean, which is the drug codeine mixed often with soda pop and candy, and that if you let your children listen to the song it is your own fault. 

He also faced criticism from Nick Young, ex-Los Angeles Lakers player, who Tweeted his children would not be listening to Old Town Road anymore. 

The criticism facing the music video was taking an emotional toll on Lil Nas X. He Tweeted: “I spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the [sh—] y’all preached would happen to me because I was gay…So I hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.” 

@kndjayy

#duet with @lilnasx #lilnasx #callmebyyourname #montero #comedy

♬ original sound – lil nas x

Popular TikTok trend showing people’s reaction while Lil Nas X slides down the pole to Hell. (TikTok by kndjayy)

By Julia Paolercio

The MonsterVerse, CGI filled film surpassed other Warner Bros. pandemic-era releases, such as Tenet ($58 million), Wonder Woman: 1984 ($46.2 million), and Tom and Jerry ($40.3 million). This is good news for other films similar to Godzilla vs. Kong, as it has set a new revenue precedent for COVID-19-era releases. The film, that has yet to open in Brazil, Japan and parts of western Europe, has earned most of its sales from China and North America. 

Despite limits on attendance to theatres, the film had the largest opening weekend, shown in over 3,000 North American theatres – more than any other film released during the COVID-19 pandemic. It reflects how eager moviegoers are to head back to the theatre for the newest and latest releases. CNBC says this suggests summer films could be of similar success. 

Josh Grode, CEO of Legendary Entertainment said to Deadline, “The movie represents a way for people to slowly re-introduce themselves into a social environment.” He went onto say that the film was a first step in getting back to the normalcy of life. 

The film was also released on HBO Max the same day it was released in theatres. Warner Bros. announced this model of day-to-date releases in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This model allows access for avid movie watchers to comfortably enjoy new releases from home. Aside from this online release, Godzilla vs. Kong performed surprisingly well in attendance and revenue. 

Although Canadians do not have access to HBO Max, they are still able to stream the film as a premium VOD on iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and the Cineplex Store. 

Zack Snyder and Jason Momoa on the set of Justice League (Source: Vanity Fair)

Story by Dayna Smockum

On March 18, Warner Bros. released the Zach Snyder-led version of their 2017 superhero film, Justice League, on HBO Max. The new cut, totalling over four hours, comes after years of fans petitioning the production company to release the original director’s version.

Trailer for Snyder’s cut of Justice League (Source: Youtube)

Snyder, known for his work on 300 and Man of Steel, was originally tapped to direct the film. But even before filming started in 2016, Snyder found himself battling with Warner Bros., who wanted a shorter, lighter film to rival Marvel’s mega-successful Avengers. “How am I supposed to introduce six characters and an alien with potential for world domination in two hours?” Snyder told Vanity Fair.

Snyder is known for his darker, edgier depiction of well-loved comic book heroes. But after Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was panned by critics and fans, Warner Bros. lost their confidence in the director. They installed two men to “babysit” him on set, Snyder described to Vanity Fair, and denied the director’s more controversial storylines, such as a romance between Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane.

A year into production, Warner Bros. brought in a second director to the film, Joss Whedon, who had worked on Marvel films. Snyder was at first open to working with the director; “I thought [it] would be fun,” he told Vanity Fair. But it quickly became clear to Snyder that Warner Bros. was intent on replacing him with Whedon.

It was in that moment that tragedy struck. In March 2017, Snyder’s 20-year-old daughter lost her battle with Depression and took her own life. At first Snyder and his producing partner and wife Deborah tried to throw themselves into the film to manage their grief. But as disagreements with Warner Bros continued to mount, they instead chose to leave the film. “We just lost the will to fight that fight in a lot of ways,” Snyder told Vanity Fair.

Whedon took hold of the project, rewriting and reshooting three quarters of the film, Snyder estimated. When Justice League finally arrived at the box office in the fall of 2017, it bombed.

Multimedia by Annika Forman

Almost immediately, fans took to social media to demand Snyder’s version be released. They bought billboards and hired planes to fly banners over the Warner Bros studio lot. In the process of their campaign, fans raised half a million dollars  for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in honour of Snyder’s late daughter, Autumn.

In November 2019, Snyder received a phone call from the studio asking if he would come back to finish his cut. Funnelling 70 million extra dollars into editing and reshoots, Warner Bros. gave Snyder full creative control, in exchange for no additional salary.

The Snyder cut of Justice League has been well received by fans. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 72 per cent, compared to the original’s 40 per cent. But more important to Snyder than the film’s reception, was the catharsis finishing the film brought him. His cut of Justice League concludes with a simple message, “for Autumn.” The film is an ode to his daughter, whose creativity and love for all things superpowered inspired Snyder. “Without her, this absolutely would not have happened,” the director told Vanity Fair.

Appearing at the end of the film, Crowe’s version of the song is a tribute to Autumn Snyder (Source: Insider/Youtube)

If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.

Crisis Services Canada’s toll-free helpline provides 24-7 support at 1-833-456-4566.

The toll-free Hope for Wellness helpline provides 24-7 support for Indigenous Peoples at 1-855-242-3310. Online chat services are also available.

Trans Lifeline operates a toll-free peer support hotline for trans and questioning people at 1-877-330-6366.

For a directory of support services in your area, visit the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention.