Caligula (1979)

Bada0Bing

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Caligula (Italian: Caligola) is a 1979 Italian-American erotic historical drama film focusing on the rise and fall of the Roman Emperor Caligula. It stars Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole, John Steiner and John Gielgud. It is the only feature film produced by the men's magazine Penthouse. Producer Bob Guccione, the magazine's founder, intended to produce an explicit pornographic film with a feature film narrative and high production values. He also cast Penthouse Pets as extras in unsimulated sex scenes filmed during post-production by himself and Giancarlo Lui.

Guccione hired screenwriter Gore Vidal to draft the film's script and Tinto Brass to direct the film. Brass extensively altered Vidal's original screenplay, leading Vidal to disavow the film. The final screenplay focuses on the idea that "absolute power corrupts absolutely". However, both Brass and Vidal disagreed over Guccione's use of unsimulated sexual content, which Brass refused to film. Because the producers did not allow Brass to edit the film, they changed its tone and style significantly and added hardcore sex scenes not filmed by Brass, thus turning Caligula into a pornographic drama that disregarded the director's intentions to present the film as a political satire. As a result, Brass also disavowed the film.

Caligula's release was controversial; it was met with legal issues and controversies over its violent and sexual content. Its uncut form remains banned in several countries.[12] Although reviews were overwhelmingly negative (though McDowell's performance as the title character and O'Toole's performance as Tiberius were praised), Caligula is now considered to be a cult classic in retrospect, and its political content is considered to have significant merit.

The script was later adapted into a novelization written by William Johnston, working under the pseudonym William Howard.[13]

In 2018, Penthouse announced that a new cut of the film was being edited by Alexander Tuschinski, with the approval of Brass' family. [14]




This film was crazy and boring. I'm surprised someone hasn't made a better film about Caligula, he was such a crazy emperor.

The making of this film is one of the most interesting I've read about in a while. Lots of crazy stories out there on the web.

Malcolm McDowell was perfect for his role and it was cool to see Helen Mirren so young!
 

BillsCarnage

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One of my all time faves. Malcom Mcdowell will be remembered for two movies, imo, this and Clockwork Orange.

There was also the 1400 Days of Caligula on History channel recently - good show.
 

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I hated everything about this movie (except for the nudity of course). The script is stupid, the sets look horrible, the acting is stiff (McDowell is the only savior but alas nothing special). There is nobody or anything at all in this movie to care about, and the film just meanders along like a boat drifting on the open sea. For such interesting subject matter and the inclusion of bold explicit footage, this movie is just..... boring as hell. A complete cinematic failure IMO.
 

AzStevenCal

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I hated everything about this movie (except for the nudity of course). The script is stupid, the sets look horrible, the acting is stiff (McDowell is the only savior but alas nothing special). There is nobody or anything at all in this movie to care about, and the film just meanders along like a boat drifting on the open sea. For such interesting subject matter and the inclusion of bold explicit footage, this movie is just..... boring as hell. A complete cinematic failure IMO.


Yeah, this. And as much as I love nudity, not even that could make this worth another viewing for me.
 
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Bada0Bing

Bada0Bing

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One of my all time faves. Malcom Mcdowell will be remembered for two movies, imo, this and Clockwork Orange.

There was also the 1400 Days of Caligula on History channel recently - good show.

Yep, that was a good show on History. I believe that's what triggered my interest in searching for and watching this film.
 
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