A.M. CinematicsHello everyone! In this video, I take a closer look into one of my all time favorite Godzilla films, and how it may or may not feed into some questionable narratives about WW2. As a life long fan of this franchise, this video proved to be a fun dive into the history of Imperial Japan, and the filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki.
This is a re-upload! Trying to hit the algorithm a little better with this one.
My apologies for the obnoxious "FAIR USE" disclaimers. Toho was very stingy about my use of the movie "The Great War of Archemeaies" for whatever reason. (But not with Godzilla Minus One footage? Make it make sense!)
The Part Of Godzilla Minus One We Dont Talk AboutA.M. Cinematics2026-07-25 | Hello everyone! In this video, I take a closer look into one of my all time favorite Godzilla films, and how it may or may not feed into some questionable narratives about WW2. As a life long fan of this franchise, this video proved to be a fun dive into the history of Imperial Japan, and the filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki.
This is a re-upload! Trying to hit the algorithm a little better with this one.
My apologies for the obnoxious "FAIR USE" disclaimers. Toho was very stingy about my use of the movie "The Great War of Archemeaies" for whatever reason. (But not with Godzilla Minus One footage? Make it make sense!)
1. On The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction: (a) For this essay, I used ideas from Benjamin’s text to illustrate my points about Pop art, which only existed as a movement after his essay was published (and after Benjamin’s death). The overall context in which that essay was written – by a Marxist Jewish German writer in 1935, and largely about photography and film – is not touched on in detail for sake of not derailing the topic of this essay, but it is important to the original text. To actually examine the work outside of this very specific context I’m presenting it in, the full text is easily accessible online (and I’m sure in many libraries). Whether or not one agrees with Benjamin, just reading/ listening to a summary of the whole thing wouldn’t do it justice. Not to mention the meta layer of every piece featured in this essay being shown through mechanical reproduction. (b) I’ve personally seen the last line of the essay, “[c]ommunism responds by politicizing art”, which I reference in the “Okay, So, Politics” section, interpreted in a couple different ways. The way I presented it feels the most relevant to Pop art. (c) The edition I’m using was edited by Hannah Arendt, translated by Harry Zohn. New York: Schocken Books, 1969.
2. There were some Pop artists who were women and/or racial minorities, but they unfortunately didn’t have the impact that others had in the 20th century, and are only now beginning to gain recognition, so they are less relevant here. For women Pop artists: Foster points to Pauline Boty, Vija Celmins, Niki de Saint Phalle, Rosalyn Drexler, and Lee Lozano.
3. On Lichtenstein panel sourcing: there are other very famous/ high selling works (e.g. Happy Tears, Nurse) that are allegedly copied from other works, though it is hard to determine where these original panels come from. Finding proper credits for these older comics is also very difficult. Another reason for comic companies to create accessible archives of out-of-print comics. DC putting scans of their older, more niche stories online would surely clear up messier details (the DC site doesn’t appear to even acknowledge their old romance or war series). Who knows if they even have all those comics in the vault.
BBC. (2015). Soup Cans & Superstars: How Pop Art Changed the World.
Benjamin, W. (1969). The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. In H. Arendt (Ed.), H. Zohn (Trans.), Illuminations: Essays and Reflections. essay, Schocken Books.
Foster, H. (2014). The first pop age: Painting and Subjectivity in the Art of Hamilton, Lichtenstein, Warhol, Richter, and Ruscha. Princeton University Press
Sichel, J. (2018). ‘what is pop art?’ A revised transcript of Gene Swenson’s 1963 interview with Andy Warhol. Oxford Art Journal, 41(1), 85–100. doi.org/10.1093/oxartj/kcy001
WARHOL, A. (1975, August). Philosophy of Andy Warhol. HARCOURT.
Music: Ghostfire - Alsever Lake: RRTW7JWQSLLO6WWC Missing World - Tiger Gang: I4D2UNZVSSVEZ1VA Halo Balance - Wayfair: NI2E5YYYWNWJ6CFJ H2O - Lee of the Stone: TV44ROBVIJS9POLF Meet Me At Midnight - Andy Ellison: UPJLQ9YVQZNWOHIT Emerald Bay - Acreage: DWUK4IMGRDWOJFI5Teaser trailer for Breakups Suck!A.M. Cinematics2026-06-13 | Breakups Suck is a horror/comedy that follows the story of Luca as he attempts to break up with his vampire girlfriend. He quickly realized… leaving her may not be as easy as he thought…Verso Was Evil (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Video Essay)A.M. Cinematics2026-04-26 | In this video I talk about the two endings to "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33". Specifically highlighting how Verso is arguably a villain, and much less of a hero than people are led to believe. It's all for fun, so I hope you enjoy and consider subscribing if you liked the video.
Shout out: youtube.com/watch?v=rN2VSkBJs70&t=1sIs Welcome To Derry Actually THAT Good?A.M. Cinematics2026-03-09 | So there's an HBO Max show about that one movie based on that one book, from that one director who did that other movie we all like to not think about.
In this video Anna and I dive into Welcome To Derry, and try to figure out if it is really as good as all of the reviews have been saying...
As there is little consensus between the disabled community and official sources on the proper vocabulary around disability, author used the most appropriate seeming phrasing, despite some phrases/words being contentious.
Music: East London - Nu Alkemi$t, Matthew Wigton. Good Enough Pizza - Sam Barsh. Uplift Me - Eazy, Andre Calloway. Hirakata Rain - Ghost Beatz, Dean Palya.
Donnelly, C., (2016) “Re-visioning Negative Archetypes of Disability and Deformity in Fantasy: Wicked, Maleficent, and Game of Thrones”, Disability Studies Quarterly 36(4). doi: doi.org/10.18061/dsq.v36i4.5313
Escobar, R. (2020). REPRESENTING THE FUTURE OF DISABILITY: THE PAST AND PRESENT OF BARBARA GORDON AS BATGIRL (thesis).
https://libguides.pratt.edu/c.php?g=1278195&p=9399990The Box at the End of the World | Short Film TrailerA.M. Cinematics2025-10-27 | No one asks where you were when the world ended.
Two men wander a post apocalyptic desert while transporting a box that is believed to have ended the world.
The Box at the End of the World is a student work that was shot in 2024, and will see its release later this year.
Written, Directed, & Edited by Ben Arndt
Starring: Emiliano Aguilar as Theo Peter Jaramillo as Lucas Willow Glenn as Lex Ryu Morgan as The StrangerOne Punch Man Season 3 is...InterestingA.M. Cinematics2025-10-22 | Nearly 6 years after season 2, Ben returns to the world of One Punch Man to see what all the commotion is about with this new season.
Parasite theme Live Orchestral Cover youtube.com/watch?v=5M7YD2jHCNIWas Andor Season 2 Actually THAT Good?A.M. Cinematics2025-06-24 | Almost 2 years later, I decided to follow up my Andor review, and answer the question, "Was it Actually THAT Good"? (Spoilers, yes!)
It's taken me a hot minute to finish this review so apologies if I am very late to the Star Wars Theory drama.
As always thank you for watching and continuing to support this channel. Casper and I want to try and make this channel into something bigger than what it is now, so please stick around! Be sure to like and subscribe for more reviews, short films, and other A.M. Cinematics content. - Ben
All content belongs to its respective owners. Video Edited and written by Ben Arndt Additional footage shot and colored by Noah Tucker
A villain destroying the world in rage after seeing his lover dead: youtube.com/watch?v=wO034mn9emk&ab_channel=chillinstationOne Piece Video Essay | Namis Story Broke MeA.M. Cinematics2025-04-20 | Wealth, fame, power, and..... 1,000 episodes?? In this video Casper dives headfirst into the world of One Piece! Be sure to like and subscribe if you enjoyed this video!
Written by Casper Montoya Edited by Ben Arndt & Casper Montoya
Breakups Suck follows the story of a young man named Luca who fears for his life when attempting to dump his girlfriend Ruby, who may or may not be a vampire.
Written and directed by Ben Arndt and was produced as a UNM Film graduate capstone project.
This project will screen May 17th at UNM Popejoy along with the other UNM Film graduate capstones.
This teaser is a parody of Marvel's Thunderbolts "This is cinema" teaser. Be sure to go show the original trailer some love!PATS #1 Hater | A Short FilmA.M. Cinematics2024-04-26 | PATS: Parking and Transportation Services
When an anonymous account named "The PATS #1 Hater" starts boasting about getting no tickets, PATS officer William makes it his life goal to catch him, uncovering hidden truths that may just break him. Starring Jaime Alvorado, Ben Arndt, and Gary Shaw.
Written, Directed, and Edited by Ben Arndt
An A.M. Cinematics Production
Thank you so much to the phenomenal cast and crew that made this project possible!A Reminder of the Monster.A.M. Cinematics2023-11-29 | With Godzilla Minus One right around the corner, I thought I’d take the time to talk about my favorite movie and franchise of all time. I’ve been obsessed with this series since I could form conscious sentences, so this vid comes with a lot of heart. I’ll try and get a quick review of Minus One up after it comes out. As per usual thank you to you all, and I hope to see you guys in the next video! This video is written, edited, and shot by Ben Arndt. All content belongs to its respective owners.
nytimes.com/1945/09/13/archives/no-radioactivity-in-hiroshima-ruin-what-our-superfortresses-did-to.htmlHouse of the Dragon: One Perfect SceneA.M. Cinematics2023-02-04 | Hello Everyone! Hope the new year is treating you well:) In this video I wanted to go over my favorite scene in the first season of house of the dragon, and why it's representative of what I love about this show so far. 0:00-1:48 Intro 1:48-6:44 The Setup 6:44-9:56 The moment 9:56-15:01 Why this Moment Works
All footage belongs to its respective owners.Arcane Video Essay - Silco Was InnocentA.M. Cinematics2022-12-31 | Hello everyone! In this video I wanted to explore the concept of animation as a medium for teaching about complex issues, what I think Arcane's core theme is, and how the main villain of the show, isn't quite as villanous as you'd think. This is casper's first solo vid so show him some love! Written by: Casper Edited by: Casper / Ben
Samuel Kim - youtube.com/watch?v=iV0EHtrYlY8Is Andor Actually THAT Good? (Yes, and heres why)A.M. Cinematics2022-11-28 | So Andor was better than I expected, I'd even say it's some of my favorite Star Wars period. In this video I break down why I love this show, what sets in apart from the other Disney+ Shows, and why YOU should watch it if you haven't already.
did you just say classical music is boring?!-youtube.com/watch?v=o2gGD4ewTNA&t=1218sHe Saw Aliens | A Found Footage FilmA.M. Cinematics2022-08-22 | In this recently leaked governmental footage, we see the story of two young film students as they interview their friend Kyle Addair, an alien fanatic. 0:00-2:13 _ 12:01-12:44 CLASSIFIED FOOTAGE PROP OF US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 12:44-16:53 _ 16:53-17:17 Credits
This short film was an absolute blast to make, big thank you to Peter Jaramillo and Gabriel Wagner for helping make it happen. Written, Edited and directed by Ben Arndt.
Music Used: youtube.com/watch?v=wotZBJgxqB0How The Dark Knight Rises Got Batman RightA.M. Cinematics2022-03-12 | In this video we break down what we think the best Batman movie is, and why it may not be the one you expect... We had planned to release this video WAAAYY before the release of The Batman, but continuous issues with copyright delayed this video. So if some clips or bits of audio seem oddly edited it is because we are trying to avoid getting the video taken down by Warner Bros. We hope you guys enjoy!
Written and edited by Ben Arndt
Chapters: 0:00 I Love Batman! 2:05 The Batman 2022 8:15 The best Batman movie is... 12:26 Bruce Wayne 18:55 Bane 23:12 Why do we fall?
The Last Bastion - Sad Song (Overwatch Soundtrack): youtube.com/watch?v=7HhtSaVT9BIRick vs Saitama: A Character AnalysisA.M. Cinematics2021-08-03 | In today's video, Casper and I break down what makes these two characters surprisingly similar! Is there more to these two than meets the eye? Are we grasping at straws(probably)? Watch the video to find out!
Follow us at: Twitter: a_cinematicsWhy Kong Skull Islands World-Building is PERFECTA.M. Cinematics2021-03-15 | With Godzilla Vs Kong just beyond the horizon, I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about one of my favorite kaiju films! Kong Skull Island has does a lot of things right, one of those being its world-building. In this video we delve into why we think it works so well.
Written and edited by Ben Arndt
00:00 - Intro 01:52 - The Island & Inhabitants 06:50 - Kong 10:30 - Outro
Twitter: @a_cinematicsHow Attack On Titan Uses DespairA.M. Cinematics2021-01-02 | Every wonder why Attack on Titan feels so depressing? No? Well we talk about it anyways in this video, as well as why despair can actually make a show even more hopeful!
All content belongs to its respective owners!Bly Manor vs Hill House: Which is better?A.M. Cinematics2020-11-23 | Does Bly Manor live up to its legendary predecessor, The Haunting of Hill House?? In this video we'll try our best to answer that question, and decide which of the two shows is the best!
Edited By Ben and Casper Written By Ben and Casper