Caligula: The Untold Story + Caligula & Messalina [Severin Films] - Feb 2022

[dallywhitty]

The films are available both individually and as part of a limited edition box set, complete with a coin and a foto-comic.

Two cuts of Caligula - The Untold Story: US Cut (95 mins) and Italian Extended Cut (121 mins)
The Orgy Of Power: Interview With Actor David Brandon
A False True Story: Interview With Screenwriter Luigi Montefiori
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy: Interview With Actor Mark Shannon
Deleted Scenes
UK Video Trailer
BONUS DISC: CD Soundtrack
Region Free

Two cuts of Caligula & Messalina: Extended X-Rated Cut (101 mins) and Unrated Cut (95 mins)
Caligula: The Life Behind The Legend — Interview With Anthony A. Barrett, Author Of Caligula: The Corruption Of Power
Trailer
BONUS DISC: CD Soundtrack
Region A

SEVERIN SHOP

[gbm82]

how many pants did you have to change today?

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by gbm82

how many pants did you have to change today?

I'm currently on my fifth pair.

No, wait... wait... sixth.

[McCrutchy]

For anyone who wants this in the US, remember that Severin ship free at $80.

The "Caligula Bundle" costs $70 and Severin want $13 to ship that alone.

But, their shop has many low-cost items. I chose an Edwige Fenech pin for $10, to exactly hit $80, get free shipping and save $3 in the process.

Remember to change the shipping to free shipping at checkout, as it is not the default option.

[Member-222782]

I have absolutely zero interest in the Tinto Brass film but I had no problem preordering the D'Amato version. Blind buy but it sounds batsh!t crazy and like something I'd enjoy. Not love but enjoy.

[Chumley]

What, they couldn't get an interview with that horse?

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I have absolutely zero interest in the Tinto Brass film but I had no problem preordering the D'Amato version. Blind buy but it sounds batsh!t crazy and like something I'd enjoy. Not love but enjoy.

Brass' film is long, but actually pretty good, as I recall. It helps that he had a top-rate cast of British actors in vital roles. The production values are astonishingly high for an erotic film and have to be seen to be believed. Admittedly, it's long and some explicit scenes were shoehorned into the film by Bob Guccione (although I would always want them included), but it's still one of the best films to mix narrative cinema with real sex and it's well worth seeing if you haven't seen it before. I hope it gets remastered soon, if not for 4K UHD, then Blu-ray.

I don't expect anything from these two ripoffs other than lots of sex and nudity, which is perfectly fine by me. I'm much less enthusiastic about the gross violence I've seen in Severin's trailer, but I'm trusting the sleaze will beat the violence by a country mile. Plus, it's unlikely that either film will get a better English-friendly release (I don't think either one would be passed uncut in the UK, for example) so it just makes sense to get the Severin bundle.

One thing that bugs me is that Severin's listed run times don't seem to match the longest versions available. For example, Caligula: The Untold Story would seem to be approximately 130 minutes uncut (a PAL DVD claims to run 125 minutes), however, Severin's run time is listed as 121 minutes. Caligula and Messina is even less clear, with a stated full run time of 155 minutes on IMDb, but PAL DVD versions that run to 109 minutes, while Severin's extended cut is said to be only 101 minutes. Can anyone who knows the films better explain what versions are included and what might be missing?

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

I hope it gets remastered soon, if not for 4K UHD, then Blu-ray.

I don't know if you're aware already, but Penthouse have access to the negatives and a radical re-edit of the film is coming to streaming next year. I've no idea if they plan to re-release the unrated theatrical version alongside it (my guess is no), but the folks involved did say at one point that they hoped to release a Blu-ray with multiple cuts of the film, so fingers crossed that happens at some point.

[McCrutchy]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I don't know if you're aware already, but Penthouse have access to the negatives and a radical re-edit of the film is coming to streaming next year. I've no idea if they plan to re-release the unrated theatrical version alongside it (my guess is no), but the folks involved did say at one point that they hoped to release a Blu-ray with multiple cuts of the film, so fingers crossed that happens at some point.

Yes, I have read about that, but I'm not sure Penthouse know what they are doing. If they can do the remaster properly, I'm not worried about a disc release, because there will be plenty of licensing agreements internationally, but Penthouse has to do the remaster properly first, with the uncut version and as many other cuts as they can. With Brass' passing, I'm not sure I care at all for a new edit unless it can be proven to be cut to his desires.

[OgamiittoMcJ]

noice
another Joe D'Amato & Laura Gemser release for me to upgrade

Severin are getting more sleazy with every release recently, keep it up

[Show spoiler]that's what she says lol

[OgamiittoMcJ]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

I don't expect anything from these two ripoffs other than lots of sex and nudity, which is perfectly fine by me. I'm much less enthusiastic about the gross violence I've seen in Severin's trailer, but I'm trusting the sleaze will beat the violence by a country mile. Plus, it's unlikely that either film will get a better English-friendly release (I don't think either one would be passed uncut in the UK, for example) so it just makes sense to get the Severin bundle.

One thing that bugs me is that Severin's listed run times don't seem to match the longest versions available. For example, Caligula: The Untold Story would seem to be approximately 130 minutes uncut (a PAL DVD claims to run 125 minutes), however, Severin's run time is listed as 121 minutes.

yep you've guessed correctly
Untold Story is mostly softcore lot's of nudity with the odd bit of shocking violence/rape (pretty similar to original)
but it also has a fair amount of hardcore scenes in the 125m version, I have
probably from that euro DVD release, you mention

[Show spoiler](one hardcore scene is with a horse (again))

maybe time difference is something to do with PAL/NTSC runtimes, (or credits)
hopefully Severin's 121m is full 125m version I have
bit weird they listed it as Extended Cut too and other one Messalina has X-Rated Cut
anyway hopefully both will be fully Uncut

[DukeTogo84]

I haven't seen it, but read Caligula and Messalina uses a ton of footage from various other films. Seems to have been Bruno Mattei's style.

[brainofj72]

I’m way more excited for this than I probably should be

[gaz2810i]

Originally Posted by brainofj72

I’m way more excited for this than I probably should be

Same

[DukeTogo84]

I wonder if the Malcolm McDowell version will come back print soon.

[bigshot]

Does this version even pretend to be a good film, or is it just a theme for a bunch of sex scenes?

[brainofj72]

Should the box set version have its own database listing? Not sure if I should attempt to add it or not.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by brainofj72

Should the box set version have its own database listing? Not sure if I should attempt to add it or not.

Already added it, baby! Just waiting for it to be approved.

[IdeaOfEvil]

For the uninformed (me, lol), what are these? Are these sequels to the Malcolm Caligula movie? Remakes? Or entirely different narrative movies altogether?

[Someone Weird]

Originally Posted by IdeaOfEvil

For the uninformed (me, lol), what are these? Are these sequels to the Malcolm Caligula movie? Remakes? Or entirely different narrative movies altogether?

Cash-in's/Rip-Off's. There were a few CALIGULA knock offs after the Penthouse flick (one of my favourites, btw). Here's a few off the top of my head:

MESSALINA, MESSALINA - A softcore comedy was shot using the same sets and some of the cast as the Penthouse film and released before Brass' film. Anneka Di Lorenzo is hot in this and there is a orgy massacre reminiscent of Monty Python's SALAD DAYS which is the most memorable scene.

THE HOT NIGHTS OF CALIGULA - Sex comedy romp. Has a funny title song. It has big breasted Patricia Webley who was in a few other Italian sexploitation flicks (eg PLAY MOTEL). Soft-X in most prints though the Greek release inserted some hard-X inserts which is fine by me.

CALIGULA...THE UNTOLD STORY - Joe D'Amato's cheap cash in that tries to outdo the Penthouse film in terms of sleaze/violence. It succeeds in some aspects (the horse!) but isn't nearly as good. I still like it though. He also cranked out 2 porno's with some of the same actors and sets (THE VIRGIN OF IMPERIAL ROME & MESSALINA'S IMPERIAL ORGASM).

CALIGULA AND MESSALINA - Bruno Mattei cheapo. Typical Mattei trashy stuff. I am interested as to how complete this version will be as running times differ for various releases. The YouTube trailer mentions its the XXX version...I have a Laser Paradise DVD that is pretty much soft-X bar some mating donkeys and horses (the latter stolen from THE BEAST).

NERO AND POPPEA (AN ORGY OF POWER) - Made back to back with C&M. More cheesy sex/violence romp. Kind of funny in places but as with the other film, overlong.

CALIGULA'S SLAVES - Arty sexploiter that is pretty dull. Lots of inserts from other movies. Not very violent. Not much sex.


None of them compare to the Brass/Penthouse flick but for some reason I can'r resist these cheapo knock-off's either. I've already put my order in for the box set.