A newly discovered blog Acephale Magic has a post on a documentary film on Israeli produced pulp. Found via Aftermath of World War II.
Acephale means headless, a popular trope in bataillean thought.
Any friend of Bataille is a friend of mine.
Jahsonic
Aantekeningen uit Dodenstad.
I have not read Bataille, but will do so, not only for its apparent pleasures, but also to try to uncover what Sontag meant with her thanatos-eros biz. Any clues in the meantime for one who does not find the connection obvious? I can understand pornography causing us to regret mortality. I can see why one would find in pornography a sense of our impermanence, and an invitation to contemplate the decay of beauty. I can see in high sexual energy a railing against death. I can see a quest through sex for immortality. I don’t normally see these things, but I can see how one could see them. But being ‘about’ death I cannot see. I look forward to the exploration.
As a matter of interest, reading the plot for Story of the Eye at your Art and Popular Culture Wiki I was reminded in some small ways of the film known to me as Empire of the Senses, but going by lots of other names. Until I understand more of Sontag’s contention I am hesitant to suggest that it may have more profound resonances with Sontag and Bataille. Anyhow it might interest you to see some details at:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074102/plotsummary
Dear Pancime,
Sontag borrowed Bataille’s quote for her piece on pornography. Bataille had not originally used it in this context, but in the context of sexuality at large.
Bataille introduced the phrase in his 1957 Erotism: Death and Sensuality, please read more there.
Hope this helps.