Caligula: The Ultimate Cut 4K UHD (1979/2023) [Potemkine]

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by jordanjabroni

What is the best Region B-friendly way of getting the uncut original on physical media? One of the older Arrow releases?

Someone's selling the standard Arrow release on eBay for cheap. Bidding ends in four days. Just know that the picture quality's nothing to write home about. It's an old, soft, drab-looking master. The original was quietly remastered at one point and it made its way to France, Germany, and Australia. You could always pick up the recent German mediabook which has The Ultimate Cut (on both UHD and BD) and the uncut original on BD. I think it was going for about £30 last I checked.

[jordanjabroni]

Thanks both!

[dallywhitty]

Bonus material:

Making of the film (1981, 57')
Unpublished interviews with Tinto Brass, Teresa Ann Savoy, John Steiner
"Istintobrass," unpublished documentary on the career of Tinto Brass by Massimiliano Zanin (2013, 94')
Interviews with Tinto Brass, John Steiner and Lori Wagner
Sequence comparison by Olivier Rossignot and Julien Sévéon

Not bad. The inclusion of Istintobrass is particularly welcome, I've only ever seen bits of it.

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Bonus material:

Not bad. The inclusion of Istintobrass is particularly welcome, I've only ever seen bits of it.

I find the previously unpublished interviews with Tinto Brass, John Steiner and Teresa Ann Savoy interesting. I'm not aware of any interviews with Savoy about Caligula in particular. I already know the complete documentary "Istintobrass" from a Blu-ray that was only available in Italy and is well worth seeing. Also noteworthy is the 132-page book that is supposed to be included with the Collectors Edition. It may have different content to the book in the Umbrella box set.

[monks19]

Does anyone knows more about this edition ? Will it be a steelbook or be contained in a special box set (from Potemkine, like they did in the past for their edition of Nosferatu, Haxan, Metropolis, War and Peace, stc) ?

Sorry to ask, but I couldn't find the information at all (not even on Potemline's website). Thanks in advance if you have the information.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by monks19

Does anyone knows more about this edition ? Will it be a steelbook or be contained in a special box set (from Potemkine, like they did in the past for their edition of Nosferatu, Haxan, Metropolis, War and Peace, stc) ?

Sorry to ask, but I couldn't find the information at all (not even on Potemline's website). Thanks in advance if you have the information.

I think both editions have the steelcase, but the more expensive edition is housed in a box alongside the book.

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

I think both editions have the steelcase, but the more expensive edition is housed in a box alongside the book.

Given the relatively high price of the Collector's Edition, I would actually expect a somewhat higher quality finish, as Potemkine has already done with Metropolis.

[Streetlight]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

Yeah, it's a censored version of the original film. The film was cut by 10-15 minutes when it was first submitted to the BBFC. The reason there's not a bigger runtime discrepancy is because Penthouse smoothed over some of the cuts with alternate, softer footage.

I'm pretty sure Drafthouse didn't realise it was censored when they scanned it, lol. It's also a rough-looking theatrical print, despite Unobstructed View promoting it as having been fully restored.

Is there any screenshot comparison between the French BD and the Unobstructed View 4K BD?

[Ron242]

On Blu-ray.com, this French 4K set contains the note "1 movie, 2 cuts". I assume that this reference is incorrect. Neither Potemkine's nor Fnac's website gives any direct indication that the original version will be included.

[Mariah007]

Originally Posted by jordanjabroni

For what it's worth,

For what it's worth, you are a jabroni!

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Streetlight

Is there any screenshot comparison between the French BD and the Unobstructed View 4K BD?

Not that I'm aware of.

Originally Posted by Ron242

On Blu-ray.com, this French 4K set contains the note "1 movie, 2 cuts". I assume that this reference is incorrect. Neither Potemkine's nor Fnac's website gives any direct indication that the original version will be included.

I submitted that info to the database myself. Last time I spoke to Potemkine, they said their intention was to include the original version on Blu-ray. It's possible they changed their minds, the specs are ambiguous about what's on the Blu-ray.

EDIT: The original version will be included.

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

EDIT: The original version will be included.

Did Potemkine confirm this to you today? But I assume on Blu-ray and not in 4K, correct?

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Ron242

Did Potemkine confirm this to you today? But I assume on Blu-ray and not in 4K, correct?

They messaged me about it yesterday. And yeah, just Blu-ray. No promises, but they may be substituting the (botched) digitally recreated opening titles for the original one.

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

They messaged me about it yesterday. And yeah, just Blu-ray. No promises, but they may be substituting the (botched) digitally recreated opening titles for the original one.

Incidentally, I received a message from Amazon today that the release of Thomas Negovan's book on the official story of the film has been postponed until June 2026 (!). I'm just wondering what this means for the Mario Tursi photo book.

[dallywhitty]

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by dallywhitty

That looks pretty good. Judging by the format of the box set, it does indeed appear to be a coffee table book. I'm wondering whether it might even be the book that Thomas Negovan has promised us for next fall. Who knows?

EDIT: I'm not really sure, but somehow the whole thing doesn't look like a classic slipcase, but more like a wooden frame in which the book is inserted. Or am I wrong?

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Ron242

I'm not really sure, but somehow the whole thing doesn't look like a classic slipcase, but more like a wooden frame in which the book is inserted. Or am I wrong?

Pretty sure Bill Sienkiewicz's artwork is part of the wooden box. I don't think the book is pictured there.

[Hedrox]

So is this confirmed to have English subtitles? I'm asking because Potemkine are also releasing Napoleon, and it seems like making their releases more friendly towards international buyers might be a thing they're aiming for moving forward.

[Ron242]

Originally Posted by Hedrox

So is this confirmed to have English subtitles? I'm asking because Potemkine are also releasing Napoleon, and it seems like making their releases more friendly towards international buyers might be a thing they're aiming for moving forward.

According to the information from Fnac, it looks like the Ultimate Cut is in the original English language and has French subtitles. The original version will probably use the old French master, which also contained the original English language track with French subtitles.

[dallywhitty]

Potemkine's site only lists French subs. I asked in my last e-mail if the subs are forced, just waiting for a reply.