Caligula: The Imperial Edition 4-Disc UNCUT DVD!! :D
Historical epics have been around since the time of silent cinema, and since then they've taken different shapes and forms over the years, from Medieval epics to Roman epics. The latter has always had a history of mixed fortunes. From the 1925 version of Ben-Hur to it's Oscar-winning remake, and even the likes of Quo Vadis and Spartacus flew the flag of the Roman epic, but the craze of Roman epics was brought crashing down when Cleopatra (1963) went way over budget and ruined a genre. However, by the mid-1970's, screenwriter Gore Vidal had written a screenplay about the Roman emperor Caligula, which intended to bring back the genre once and for all, after the script had been turned down by a few of Hollywood's biggest studios, he foolishly took up advice from someone that Bob Guccione would produce it, the same Bob Guccione who owns Penthouse magazines, he read the script and saw a film in it, and soon got Italian director Tinto Brass, then a hot name with his Nazi sex film Salon Kitty (1976). What followed would be one of the most controversial film shoots of all time, complete with sex orgies and English thespians sharing the same set, recutting and skullduggery going on behind the director's back and the film becoming the only full-length historical porno ever made!! :shock: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the sordid and shocking tale of Caligula (1979), which for the first time EVER is FINALLY being released UNCUT in 3 different versions on DVD!! :D Set in around 37 AD to 41 AD, it follows the reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula, (played by Malcolm McDowell), a womaniser who used violent methods to become Emperor of Rome, he murdered Emperor Tiberius (Peter O'Toole), as well as Tiberius' friend and associate Nerva (John Gielgud). But, as if becoming emperor isn't enough, he also undertakes in some horrendously seedy activity, he sleeps with his sister!! :shock: Plus, apoints his horse as a member of his high council!! :shock: Unable to marry his sister, he marries courtesan Caesonia (Helen Mirren), but only after she becomes pregnant with his child. Caligula had member's of his senate murdered, before he himself was murdered in a conspiracy. It is a grisly and tragic tale, Gore Vidal conceived as a savage morality tale about the absolute corruption of having complete and total power and freedom, and what can happen when it is put in the hands of someone as manipulative and perverse as Caligula was. However good the intentions of the film was, it's remembered more for the amount of sex and nudity on display, rather than the message it's trying to convey. Having said that, it is a visually stunning film, Bob Guccione would mortgage his company to the tune of $17.5 million to get the film made, and they brought in Fellini's usual set designer Danilo Donati, (who later designed Flash Gordon (1980)), his designs are jaw-dropping including a huge "Wall of Death", which would kill and decapitate anything in it's path, and a boat-shaped bordello. Even with such classy talent like McDowell, Mirren, O'Toole and Gielgud on board, it would appear it would bring back the spirit of the old historical epics. Guccione, unfortunately, had other ideas... Filming lasted for 5 months in 1976, based at Dear Studios in Rome, Italy. It was a private production from the word go, and even then, trouble started. What Brass did for Nazi Germany in Salon Kitty, he would do for ancient Rome in Caligula, this worried Gore Vidal, who would later leave the production, and redubbed Brass as 'Tinto Zinc', Vidal would later have his name removed from the film. The set had nude males and females on it nearly every day, which would worry the cast and crew. But, the real trouble started after Brass had wrapped filming and began editing the film. Guccione wasn't happy with Brass' cut of the film, and would then go back onto the set, and shot about 10 minutes of hardcore sex including a few of his prize "Penthouse Pets", the footage included anal fisting, explicit lesbian trysts, orgies and blow jobs!! :shock: Guccione would edit this into Brass' film, much to Brass' disgust and he put and injunction on the film and took his name of it, which delayed the film for 2 years. It finally premiered at Cannes in 1979, in a version which lasted 3 1/2 hours, it was since chopped up for international releases, the Americans got an unrated 156 min version and an 'R'-rated 105 Min version. The UK version removed all of Guccione's work, which lasted 149 Mins, whilst future video versions lasted 102 mins. In 2000, Channel 4 reconstructed a version closer to Brass' vision which lasted about 153 mins. Now, this troubled film may get a new lease of life with an Imperial Edition DVD!! Complete with 3 different versions of the film and a disc of Special Features!! They include... Caligula – The Uncut Version - 2 hours 36 minutes Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options Caligula – The Theatrical Version – 1 hour 45 minutes Trailers: Teaser, trailer & R-rated trailer North American bonus footage Behind the scenes footage Caligula – The Alternative Version – 2 hours 33 minutes Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options Deleted and alternate scenes Audio commentaries by Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and Ernest Volkman (Penthouse magazine's on-set writer and reporter) Extras Disc Making of Caligula documentary Making of Caligula featurette My Roman Holiday with John Steiner Caligula's Pet: A Conversation with Lori Wagner Tinto Brass: The Orgy Of Power Stills galleries Additional DVD-ROM content includes press kit notes; cast and crew biographies; script; novelization.
True, it is not the best film ever made, and for all the sex and nudity on display, it's more of a turn-off rather than a turn-on. But, visually it is stunning, and the principal actors, who have hated the film ever since, try their best with Vidal's dialogue, despite what's going on around them in the film. It's had a troubled history, and even called one of the worst films ever. But, for all the trouble during production and controversy during it's release, alot of people forget that the film was actually a box-office success. It's coming out on DVD in the UK on September 29th 2008, maybe then it could be reclaimed as a savage, morality tale rather than a mainstream porn film. Any thoughts?? ;)
Historical epics have been around since the time of silent cinema, and since then they've taken different shapes and forms over the years, from Medieval epics to Roman epics. The latter has always had a history of mixed fortunes. From the 1925 version of Ben-Hur to it's Oscar-winning remake, and even the likes of Quo Vadis and Spartacus flew the flag of the Roman epic, but the craze of Roman epics was brought crashing down when Cleopatra (1963) went way over budget and ruined a genre. However, by the mid-1970's, screenwriter Gore Vidal had written a screenplay about the Roman emperor Caligula, which intended to bring back the genre once and for all, after the script had been turned down by a few of Hollywood's biggest studios, he foolishly took up advice from someone that Bob Guccione would produce it, the same Bob Guccione who owns Penthouse magazines, he read the script and saw a film in it, and soon got Italian director Tinto Brass, then a hot name with his Nazi sex film Salon Kitty (1976). What followed would be one of the most controversial film shoots of all time, complete with sex orgies and English thespians sharing the same set, recutting and skullduggery going on behind the director's back and the film becoming the only full-length historical porno ever made!! :shock: Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the sordid and shocking tale of Caligula (1979), which for the first time EVER is FINALLY being released UNCUT in 3 different versions on DVD!! :D Set in around 37 AD to 41 AD, it follows the reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known as Caligula, (played by Malcolm McDowell), a womaniser who used violent methods to become Emperor of Rome, he murdered Emperor Tiberius (Peter O'Toole), as well as Tiberius' friend and associate Nerva (John Gielgud). But, as if becoming emperor isn't enough, he also undertakes in some horrendously seedy activity, he sleeps with his sister!! :shock: Plus, apoints his horse as a member of his high council!! :shock: Unable to marry his sister, he marries courtesan Caesonia (Helen Mirren), but only after she becomes pregnant with his child. Caligula had member's of his senate murdered, before he himself was murdered in a conspiracy. It is a grisly and tragic tale, Gore Vidal conceived as a savage morality tale about the absolute corruption of having complete and total power and freedom, and what can happen when it is put in the hands of someone as manipulative and perverse as Caligula was. However good the intentions of the film was, it's remembered more for the amount of sex and nudity on display, rather than the message it's trying to convey. Having said that, it is a visually stunning film, Bob Guccione would mortgage his company to the tune of $17.5 million to get the film made, and they brought in Fellini's usual set designer Danilo Donati, (who later designed Flash Gordon (1980)), his designs are jaw-dropping including a huge "Wall of Death", which would kill and decapitate anything in it's path, and a boat-shaped bordello. Even with such classy talent like McDowell, Mirren, O'Toole and Gielgud on board, it would appear it would bring back the spirit of the old historical epics. Guccione, unfortunately, had other ideas... Filming lasted for 5 months in 1976, based at Dear Studios in Rome, Italy. It was a private production from the word go, and even then, trouble started. What Brass did for Nazi Germany in Salon Kitty, he would do for ancient Rome in Caligula, this worried Gore Vidal, who would later leave the production, and redubbed Brass as 'Tinto Zinc', Vidal would later have his name removed from the film. The set had nude males and females on it nearly every day, which would worry the cast and crew. But, the real trouble started after Brass had wrapped filming and began editing the film. Guccione wasn't happy with Brass' cut of the film, and would then go back onto the set, and shot about 10 minutes of hardcore sex including a few of his prize "Penthouse Pets", the footage included anal fisting, explicit lesbian trysts, orgies and blow jobs!! :shock: Guccione would edit this into Brass' film, much to Brass' disgust and he put and injunction on the film and took his name of it, which delayed the film for 2 years. It finally premiered at Cannes in 1979, in a version which lasted 3 1/2 hours, it was since chopped up for international releases, the Americans got an unrated 156 min version and an 'R'-rated 105 Min version. The UK version removed all of Guccione's work, which lasted 149 Mins, whilst future video versions lasted 102 mins. In 2000, Channel 4 reconstructed a version closer to Brass' vision which lasted about 153 mins. Now, this troubled film may get a new lease of life with an Imperial Edition DVD!! Complete with 3 different versions of the film and a disc of Special Features!! They include... Caligula – The Uncut Version - 2 hours 36 minutes Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options Caligula – The Theatrical Version – 1 hour 45 minutes Trailers: Teaser, trailer & R-rated trailer North American bonus footage Behind the scenes footage Caligula – The Alternative Version – 2 hours 33 minutes Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options Deleted and alternate scenes Audio commentaries by Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren and Ernest Volkman (Penthouse magazine's on-set writer and reporter) Extras Disc Making of Caligula documentary Making of Caligula featurette My Roman Holiday with John Steiner Caligula's Pet: A Conversation with Lori Wagner Tinto Brass: The Orgy Of Power Stills galleries Additional DVD-ROM content includes press kit notes; cast and crew biographies; script; novelization.
True, it is not the best film ever made, and for all the sex and nudity on display, it's more of a turn-off rather than a turn-on. But, visually it is stunning, and the principal actors, who have hated the film ever since, try their best with Vidal's dialogue, despite what's going on around them in the film. It's had a troubled history, and even called one of the worst films ever. But, for all the trouble during production and controversy during it's release, alot of people forget that the film was actually a box-office success. It's coming out on DVD in the UK on September 29th 2008, maybe then it could be reclaimed as a savage, morality tale rather than a mainstream porn film. Any thoughts?? ;)