CALIGULA: THE IMPERIAL EDITION (1980)
Directors: Tinto Brass/Bob Guccione
Penthouse Films/Image

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Edition
Caligula: Imperial Edition Before Rome.Before Gladiator.The most controversial film of all time as you've never experienced it before! Starring Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), Peter O'Toole (Lawrence Of Arabia) and Academy Award winners Helen Mirren (The Queen) and John Gielgud (Arthur), this unflinching look at the decadence of Ancient Rome will startle and amaze you like no other film. Caligula ( 1979) Movies Preview. Caligula ( 1979) Topics subiect istoric. Film artistic Addeddate 2019-05-10 16:55:30 Identifier Caligula1979201905.

In all honesty, CALIGULA has never been one of my favorite movies. As a young cinephile with a penchant for horror and other cult offerings, CALIGULA was one of those “holy grail” films: a movie so disgusting and perverted it demanded to be seen. Even with the inclusion of such distinguished London stage luminaries as Helen Mirren (THE QUEEN) and Sir John Gielgud (ARTHUR), as well as British cinema stalwarts Peter O’Toole (LAWRENCE OF ARABIA) and Malcolm McDowell (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), my young mind envisioned a madhouse of ultra-violent sexual depravity. But with the passage of time and the advent of the VCR giving me easier access to more vile and sadistic works, by the time I’d caught up with CALIGULA, I considered the film an enormous letdown.

Purportedly based on actual events that transpired in Pagan Rome from 37 to 41 A.D., the film encapsulates the rise and eventual assassination of Gaius Julius Caeser Augustus Germanicus, more commonly know by his childhood nickname Caligula (Latin for “little boots”). Atheros ar8121 for mac. Starting with his carefree days as a prince, the story follows Caligula (McDowell) as his thirst for power grows, culminating in the assassination of his syphilitic grandfather, Emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero (O’Toole) at the hands of Praetorian Guard prefect Macro (Guido Mannari, Pasolini’s DECAMERON), which allowed Little Boots to assume the throne. Caligula starts out as a beloved emperor, but following his recovery from an illness, he becomes increasingly unstable and more depraved than usual, engaging in such debauchery as rape and bestiality, as well as wanton murder. In the finale of the film, Caligula meets the same fate as his grandfather and is assassinated for the general good of Rome.

Being the invention of overly pretentious writer/historian Gore Vidal (MYRA BRECKENRIDGE), legendary porn mogul Bob Guccione (founder of Penthouse Magazine) and directed by Italian art trash specialist Tinto Brass (SALON KITTY), CALIGULA focuses primarily on the sexual sadism reported by Rome’s philosophers. Being that this is a Penthouse International Film, I surely didn’t expect a history lesson, but as a sidebar, Caligula did try to accomplish things in his life such as Western expansion and major construction. Since short shrift is given to few actual accomplishments within the film, one may leave the movie thinking Caligula was just an immoral pervert from the word go, whose days consisted of figuring out who to castrate and deciding whether he’d rather forcefully fist the groom at a wedding or make love to his own sister (Teresa Ann Savoy, also of SALON KITTY).

Caligula 1979 The Imperial Edition Uncut Movies

The film itself has always been a lightning rod for controversy. From the staggering budget for what is basically a porno film, the insistence of the name actors that they had no prior knowledge of the hardcore scenes, and the irreconcilable differences between Vidal, Guccione and Brass, the end result foisted onto the public was, and still is, a hell of a mess. Aside from Academy Award-winning art director Danilo Donati’s fascinating production design and the powerful and haunting score by Italian genre conductor and orchestrator Bruno Nicolai (credited on the film as Paul Clemente), CALIGULA is inconsistent in its technical tone, occasionally suffering from poor lighting, sub-par direction, obvious overacting and even a fair share of underacting. Oddly enough, the hardcore scenes Guccione shot after the original production wrapped are well done.

After it’s original video and laserdisc offerings in the 1980s and the 20th Anniversary edition released on DVD in 1999, Image brings to the public what will have to be the definitive release of CALIGULA with its IMPERIAL EDITION. Folks, this three-disc set is jam-packed with more CALIGULA than some could ever want! Disc One contains a high-definition, anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1 transfer of the 1980 Uncut, Unrated Theatrical Version and without a doubt this is the best the movie has ever looked. What struck me upon this viewing was how clear and colorful the film can be at times, giving credence to the brilliance of Donati’s designs. And while there is no major change in my opinion of the film, I admit there is more artistry going on here than I initially gave it credit for, which is due solely to the restoration of the film. That said, it’s still incredibly grainy in parts, much more so due to the latest upgrade. The film is presented in Dolby Digital, sporting a choice of 5.0 or mono. Three trailers, one for the Theatrical Cut, one for the R-rated cut and a teaser trailer are included.

Disc Two is being billed as a 152-minute alternate pre-release cut from 1979 containing footage not seen in the Theatrical Cut. It’s an incredible misfire, resulting in a just-walked-in-what-the-hell-is-going-on sensation throughout its entire running time. I find this version rather amusing in that respect, since according to the information at caligulathemovie.com, this is the closest version to director Brass’ original vision. While the Uncut Edition on the first disc at least has some continuous narrative, it’s largely absent from this pre-release cut. The key selling points of THE IMPERIAL EDITION for both ardent fans of the film and those with even a passing interest in the train-wreck that is CALIGULA are the inclusion of three separate audio commentary tracks, most notably with Malcolm McDowell and Helen Mirren.

On the first feature-length commentary, film historian Nick Redman moderates an incredibly droll and humorous feature-length commentary with McDowell, who still carries with him a wealth of knowledge on the making of the film. Great detail is given on his relationships with the principal talent and behind-the-scenes shenanigans with Vidal, Guccione and Brass and relates he has no regrets in making what may ultimately be his signature role. The second feature-length commentary is with Helen Mirren being moderated by film journalist Alan Jones. The two are joined by James Chaffin, author of the upcoming book 200 DEGREES OF FAILURE: THE UNMAKING OF ‘CALIGULA’. It’s as illuminating and informational as McDowell’s and equally as enjoyable. The third commentary, running almost 95 minutes, is with Ernest Volkman, on-set reporter for Penthouse and moderated by Nathaniel Thompson. Thompson was recorded in studio while Volkman literally phones in his contribution, making for (in my opinion) a rather irritating listen. Volkman does bring an alternate view of the film by providing information from the perspective of Guccione in a detailed, journalistic manner.

Disc Two’s extras commence with almost 50 minutes of deleted and alternate scenes, some in black and white but with most in color; quality does vary. While I found no need to sit through all of them, one doesn’t have to be a CALIGULA devotee to recognize the importance of their release in preserving the history of the picture and the history of film given the cast. Disc Three is strictly extras. A lot of extras. There’s almost 75 minutes more behind the scenes and alternate footage I skimmed through as well. Between all these scenes and the ones on Disc 2, you’ll be spending a lot of time sifting through all these never before seen treasures.

Caligula Uncut Movie Purchase

Ported over from the 20th Anniversary edition is the unintentionally funny THE MAKING OF CALIGULA, an hour-long documentary made while the film was in production. This vanity piece visually illustrates the lofty pretensions of its three principal creators: Gore Vidal is the quintessential annoying academic, Guccione the misunderstood smut peddler searching for artistic validation and Brass…well, he’s just plain frigging nuts. His claim of contacting the spirit of Caligula who tells him Brass’s representation of him is 65% factually correct is a gut-buster, along with Guccione protesting to no one in general that CALIGULA “isn’t pornography, it’s paganography”. Vidal speaks mostly about his screenplay and Roman history, pausing only to lament upon what was done to his script. I don’t think I could stay in a room with the man for more than five minutes much less try and create a collaborative piece of art with him. Also included is a truncated 10-minute version of THE MAKING… which only goes to show even a documentary on CALIGULA suffers the same fate of its subject.

Digital Roadshow Productions turns in two newly created featurettes. The first is the 24-minute long MY ROMAN HOLIDAY WITH JOHN STEINER. British-born Steiner, who plays the role of Loginus in CALIGULA, takes a look back at his long career in the Italian exploitation industry with many amusing anecdotes. The second is CALIGULA’S PET: A CONVERSATION WITH LORI WAGNER, which clocks in at 28 minutes. Both featurettes are welcome editions to the film’s history.

But wait, there’s more! Another new featurette, the highly interesting 34 minute TINTO BRASS: ORGY OF POWER is included. There’s a multitude of stills broken down by category: Color, B/W, Promotional and Behind-The-Scenes. Included in the DVD-ROM supplements are Vidal’s 1975 first draft screenplay, the 1976 version of it, press kit materials, William Howard’s novelization and pictorials from the special Penthouse CALIGULA issue. You also receive a reprint of the collector’s edition magazine Girls Of Caligula featuring Wagner and Anneka Di Lorenzo as well as a Bob Guccione interview. Whew.
There’s so much to say about CALIGULA and its production that I couldn’t possibly accomplish it here. Websites such as caligulathemovie.com and its entry on the IMDB (with an incredibly detailed listing of alternate cuts) are excellent primers for new viewers and a quick refresher course for anyone looking to re-acquaint themselves with the film. I can’t help but feel that THE IMPERIAL EDITION is historic in a sense, much like it’s subject matter (especially with the inclusion of all this related material). CALIGULA will always have a place in cinematic history as being one of the most controversial films ever made. As it stands, this exhaustive release is a testament to the film’s creators and its own twisted legacy, making it a must for any serious film conisseur, whether they’ve enjoyed it or not. (Eric Matthew Harvey)

Caligula 1979 The Imperial Edition Uncut Movie Online

Cast
Up Pompeii It Ain't
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 156min
Retail Price: 24.99
Release Date: 29/9/2008
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
The notorious and ludicrously opulent multi-million dollar 'porn epic' that sees esteemed British acting stars Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren being outrageously upstaged by graphic sequences involving anal fisting, explicit lesbian trysts, orgies and blow jobs (among other things), the uncut CALIGULA finally comes to DVD in September.
CALIGULA: THE IMPERIAL EDITION comes as a four-disc set that features three separate versions of the film including the complete, fully uncut and uncensored version that sealed this demented film's reputation as one of the most controversial in cinema history.
Initially hauled over the coals (and drastically censored) in 1979 on the grounds that it was indecent and potentially obscene, now, almost 30 years later, the uncut version of CALIGULA has finally been granted an 18 Certificate by the BBFC. Notable for being the only major motion picture ever to star esteemed British actors of the calibre of McDowell, Gielgud, O'Toole and Mirren alongside scenes of extreme violence and explicit hardcore sex, CALIGULA is a true 'porn epic', a veritable catalogue of depravity the likes of which have never been seen in one single film before or since.
A ridiculous and bombastic hymn to the decadence of the Roman Empire, this is definitely one movie that that has to be seen, if only to wonder, firstly, how the thing ever got off the ground, and secondly, how it was ever completed. Based on Suetonius's 'Lives Of The Twelve Caesars' and scripted by celebrated author and historian Gore Vidal, the film was produced by 'Penthouse' magazine publisher Bob Guccione, with the list of potential directors including the likes of John Huston and Nicolas Roeg. However, when Guccione chanced upon a preview screening of Tinto Brass's 'Salon Kitty', he knew he had found the right man for the job. Unfortunately, Brass and Guccione's respective visions of what the film should be were worlds apart and no sooner had shooting started than the 'artistic' bickering began with Vidal, Guccione and Brass all falling out with each other. Vidal was barred from the set and once principal photography was complete, Guccione banned Brass from the editing room and, after shooting extra footage of hardcore sex scenes, the 'Penthouse' boss set about editing the film himself.
The result is the stuff of legend - an insane, pornographic orgy of a film that details the rise and fall of the titular Roman Emperor (brilliantly played by McDowell), his sexual passion for his sister, his marriage to Rome's most infamous prostitute (Mirren), and his spectacularly inventive ways of dealing with his enemies, all garnished with the totally inappropriate sexual rompings of a dozen or so Penthouse Pets. If nothing else, CALIGULA truly is cinematic madness on the grandest scale.
Due to many varied censorship issues and legal problems, over the years since its completion CALIGULA has emerged in several different versions. The four-disc CALIGULA: THE IMPERIAL EDITION includes the three most widely known of these - the full, Uncut Version (2 hours 36 minutes), the UK Theatrical Version (1 hour 42 minutes) and the Alternative Version (2 hours 33 minutes), the latter replacing most of the more sexually explicit sequences with alternate scenes and alternate camera angles. The fourth disc of Extras features a variety of materials (documentaries, interviews, press notes, etc.) that provide a comprehensive background on the history and the making of this most remarkable film.
Special Features:
Caligula - The Uncut Version (2 hours 36 minutes)
Special Features: Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround Sound and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio options
Caligula - The Theatrical Version - 1 hour 42 minutes
Special Features: theatrical trailer; teaser trailer; North American R-rated trailer; North American bonus footage; behind the scenes footage.
Caligula - The Alternative Version - 2 hours 33 minutes
Special Features: 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.