weirdest cinema moment

Godzilla fighting Mothra, and right in the middle of the fight, Mothra dies of old age. (!)

Is this unprecedented in the annals of classical mythology? Perhaps I’m overlooking an obvious forerunner, but I don’t think so.

“Godzilla vs. Mothra” is one of those films that one would normally think of watching only in a purposely campy spirit. But a decade or so ago I rented it, watched it for the first time since about age 7, and was shocked at the stangeness of it. Another weird element aside from “death by old age in the midst of combat” is those tiny Japanese fairy girls who say “please return the egg!” to strange music repeatedly. The greedy entrepeneur’s attitude toward the egg is also odd despite its stereotyped character.

There’s a serious point to be made about Mothra and old age, but I’m too tired to write serious aesthetics tonight.

philosophers invade America

Sloterdijk and Latour in Boston, recently: