Caligula: The Ultimate Cut

7 reviews for Caligula: The Ultimate Cut

1. 

   Ben30 – September 9, 2024

   THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILM IN FILM HISTORY GETS A BLU-RAY RELEASE
   CALIGULAfilmed over a 2 year period back in the late 70’s and released in cinemas in 1979originally this film was going to be a straight forward sexual Erotic Drama about the Roman empire,actually about the Era of Rome when CALIGULA reigned powerthe original concept was written by Gore Vidal and Directed by Tinto Brass whose known for Erotic Dramasand in between the writer and Director is Producer Bob Guccione who was somehow part of Penthouse magazineBob also Financed the whole filmDuring filming nearly all scenes were played out straight from the script by Gore Vidalthis is mentioned in Tinto brass’s interview on the extrasso the film does have a plot which included some Erotic sex scenes (but soft core sex)also included alot of Nudity, very Graphic killing and violence, lots of blood spurting in some scenes which was very controversial back in 1979During filming Producer Bob Guccione and Director Tinto brass had alot of Argumentscause Bob wanted some more sex scenes in the film but Tinto didn’t want itso During editing, Bob Guccione went behind Tinto Brass’s back and filmed some morevery explicit sex scenes between 2 penthouse models and other extras that were in the filmthe explicit sex scenes are equivelent to today’s contemporary pornso you see everything in this film, even the Orgy scene is full onanyway these extra scenes were inserted back into Tinto brass’s film before it was released to cinemasso you can imagine, there was lots of controversy, scandal and Lawsuits betweenBob Guccione, Tinto Brass and Gore Vidal when this film was released to the publicso there is 2 versions of this film the Unrated X rated cut of the filmthat has explicit sex scenes included, about 1 hour of extra sex and violence etcall the extra scenes that Bob Guccione Directed screwed up the film, screwed up the plot actuallyso the Unrated version does not make sense with the plot of the filmcause the extra scenes are just for showthe Unrated version goes for about 2 hrs 40minsThe 2nd version is the Alternate cut of the filmit’s the version that has all of Bob Guccione’s extra scenes cut out of the filmso the Alt version is Tinto brass’s Theatrical cut i’m assumingcause i’ve never seen Tinto brass’s Theatrical cut i’ve only seen the Unrated X rated versioni prefer the X rated version, it’s about opinion, a person’s perspective on the filmso you either like it, love it, or hate it that’s it.back in 1979 films like Caligula were Unheard ofespecially when you got scenes of explicit sex in a General public filmyou’ve got the X rated or Tinto brass’s Theatrical cut of the film, so you choose which version to watchBoth versions of Caligula are on this IMPERIAL EDITION blu-ray releaseDisc 1 has both versions and both versions have been given beautiful HD widescreen transfersin all new remixed 5.1 master audio surround soundDisc 1 also has has new Audio commentaries by Malcolm McDowall and Helen mirrenabout there experience with making the filmlots and lots of special features on Disc 2there is 2 making of Documentaries about CALIGULA, Vintage making of footage actually from 1977-78the first one is the uncut 2 hours of behind the scenes footage and interviewsthe 2nd is a featurette of the same Doco but shorterso take your pickthere is also brand new interviews with Tinto brass about 1 hour conversationabout the making of the film, He talks about the lawsuits with Bob Guccionehis relationship with writer Gore vidal, he talks about actors Malcolm McDowall, Helen mirrenfantastic interviewthere’s a new 30mins interview with one of the Penthouse models from the film, Lori wagnershe talks about how she got involved in the film and her Lesbian sex scene filmed by Bob Guccione etcthere’s also an interview with one of the Actors in the film John steinerthere’s lots and lots of behind the scenes Photosand the list Goes onfor some reason Malcolm McDowall & Helen Mirren didn’t want to do an interview for this blu-raybut instead they’ve done the Audio commentarythere is Vintage interviews of Malcolm & Helen from the Making of Doco anywayfor fans of this film definitely get this blu-ray version, Definitely worth the cashi gave it 5 stars for sure

2. 

   pekinman – September 9, 2024

   The porn Gone with the Wind
   If you expect to be intellectually edified and historically informed after viewing Bob Guccione’s film Caligula, you will be enraged upon viewing this gargantuan, Preminger-esque porn extravaganza.Caligula (the film) has many things going for it; notably viable dialogue, largely contributed by Gore Vidal who, I believe, disowned this film once he got wind of the direction the film script was going in the hands of the producers, and wildly imaginative set pieces that are probably not too far off the mark in regards to what Rome looked like in 40 A.D. It also boasts an impressive cast of stars who seem to have believed in the project by forcing themselves to pretend they were making a movie for Lindsay Anderson (O Lucky Man) or Stanley Kubrick (Clockwork Orange). In fact, the ever-splendid Peter O’Toole gives a chilling, scary performance as Tiberius Caesar, Caligula’s grandfather. His dying emperor reminds me of Willem Dafoe’s character in David Lynch’s Wild at Heart, very dangerous and very insane. Tiberius, like all the historical individuals in most films about Rome, is completely bogus here, but O’Toole falls into the spirit of the cartoony nature of this flick and has a grand old time going WAY over the top as he would love to have done in every movie he’s made. He is at his best in these kinds of roles, see The Ruling Class and The Lion in Winter.The English are nothing if not mercenary in a very practical sense, so the producers of Caligula were able to entice the great John Gielgud to give them one of his programmed performances for a, no doubt, very high fee for 10 minutes of film time.And I expect he enjoyed all the naked people running around in his scenes on the isle of Capri. Good work if you can get it.The historic person, Gaius Caligula, was a huge man according to the historians, who was hairy, bald and brawny. We have quite a different impression of this man stemming from the really off-base character in I Claudius, played by the otherwise great John Hurt, and this version here, played by a similarly wan and blonde, English, naughty choirboy type. Malcolm MacDowell has stated that he now knew what it was like to be a whore. Well, I expect he had a pretty good idea of that before this project, but having said that, he certainly seems to be enjoying himself enormously as this fantasy anti-hero, Caligula Caesar, who spends his days and nights fornicating with girls and fisting the boys.Helen Mirren seems game for anything and it isn’t all that surprising to see her flailing her enormous breasts about in priapic rituals in old Roma. Mirren was always a superb actress who has shown over the years how versatile and adventurous she is when choosing roles, and she does them all brilliantly. After Caligula was made she went on, years later, to star in Peter Greenaway’s shocking, often disgusting film The Cook, the thief, his wife and her lover, finally making her way to Buckingham Palace as Queen Elizabeth II. An amazing career when you look at her curriculum vitae.These four stars make for engaging viewing between orgies and atrocities, which are, in themselves, interesting to watch, if you have the stomach for it.Caligula is a movie for people who appreciate the beauty of the human body and are not averse to seeing it on display in a wide array of positions and activities. The dialogue is not nauseatingly inane because Guccione opted to concentrate on the sex stuff so few words were needed to add on to Vidal’s work. What a con! The man was a genius.The film is made slightly cheesy, in an appropriate manner for a porn flick, by the use of ‘classical’ music by Aram Khachaturian and Serge Prokofiev, recorded in Mantovani-like ffffFrequency sound; lots of swooning violins in an indoor pool environment, sort of thing, alternating with blaring Ben Hur-like brass fanfares and bombast.The sets, as I stated, are first class, no expense was spared on the production and is in many ways beautiful to behold.Guccione was the Preminger porn kings.You’ve been warned, but for those of you still interested, get it.

3. 

   Ren̩ Cross РSeptember 9, 2024

   Calígula es conocida por ser una versión elaborada del mítico gobernador de Roma con mucho contenido elevado y sin duda lo entrega con honores.El DVD llegó en excelentes condiciones y rápido. Incluye subtítulos en español para poder disfrutar sin censura su adaptación estrella.

4. 

   Os melhores do g̩nero que adquiri at̩ ver! РSeptember 9, 2024

   Ser a versão integral e em bluray!

5. 

   jean pierre viez – September 9, 2024

   tous les commentaires dans les avis me semblent correspondre à mon avis

6. 

   Dr. Rock – September 9, 2024

   Spanische Blu-ray mit ausschließlich englischem Ton in 5.1 und 2.0 Sound. Optionale spanische Untertitel. Achtung: kein deutscher Ton! Laufzeit: 172 Min.Bonus: Trailer und kleine, aber unspektakuläre Bildergalerie. 32 seitiges Booklet mit Informationen zur Entstehung des Ultimate Cut in spanischer Sprache.Besonderheiten gegenüber der Originalfassung: Deutliche Entschärfung bis komplette Entfernung der Sex- und Tabubruch-Szenen, komplett neue Takes, neuer Vorspann, Original Dialogaufnahmen (kein Looping), einige neue Szenen und Szenenverlängerungen, neue Filmmusik.Diese neue Schnittfassung des Films ist für alle, welche die unzensierte Kinofassung von 1979/1980 kennen und nicht nur wegen ihrer “skandalösen” Szenen mögen, eine lohnenswerte Alternativversion von”Caligula”. Man bekommt einen völlig neuen Film zu sehen, der aus gänzlich anderen Takes und einigen bis dahin unbekannten Szenen montiert. Man sieht deutlicher, welch ein irrer Aufwand bei den Studiokulissen betrieben wurde und wie grandios die Leistung der Schauspieler ist. Und hier liegt auch der deutliche Unterschied zur Orginalversion: keine Hardcore Sex-Szenen, weniger provokante Tabubrüche, dafür echte Film- und Schauspielkunst, die sich nicht in der Schmuddelecke zu verstecken braucht. Helen Mirren hat hier übrigens deutlich mehr Screen Time. Freilich sollte man keine modernisierte, auf Hèktik getrimmte Version erwarten. Der Ultimate Cut ist ein dialoglastiges Drama geblieben, das einem Mainstream-Publikum von heute viel zu zähflüssig vorkommen wird. Der Film ist wie ein aufwändig inszeniertes Theaterstück für die große Leinwand zu sehen. Was mir persönlich an der neuen Fassung aber nicht gefällt ist die Musik, die, wie seit Jahren üblich, eher belangloses Synthesizèr-Sounddesign ist. Da ist Bruno Nicolais (Pseudonym: Paul Clemente) orchestrale Arbeit für die alte Version weitaus besser, was deŕ Cue “Isis Pool” für die Untermalung der lesbischen Isis-Orgie in Drusillas Haus beispielhaft zeigt. Auch der neue Main Title-Vorspann, ein CGI-animierter Alptraum Caligulss, wirkt stilistisch einfach deplatziert. Da war das Original mit der Münze doch besser. Ich freue mich jedenfalls, dass es den Ultimate Cut von “Caligula” 44 Jahre nach der Kinopremiere der Originalversion gibt, auch wenn es sich dabei nicht um Tinto Brass’ Version handelt. ,”The Ultimate Cut ” stellt eine lohnenswerte Ergänzung zur alten Fassung dar, auch aufgrund der neuen Szenen. Nicht zuletzt gibt er den Schauspielern, von denen mittlerweile schon viele gestorben sind, ihre Würde zurück. Der Ultimate Cut ersetzt die unzensierte Version jedoch nicht. Um es mit Tiberius’ Worten zu sagen: “One needs both. For health.”

7. 

   Cliente Amazon – September 9, 2024

   Ottimo