Caligula (1979)

[Olivia Bauer]

This movie seems to have been through development hell.

The screenplay was written by Gore Vidal and was intended to be a small budget picture. But when Vidal called Bob Guccione to direct good 'ol Bob turned it into hard core porn.

Is there anything anyone could tell me about how this film tanked?

[Trevor]

Well, if you have stars like Sir John Gielgud and Malcolm McDowell in it and you don't tell them it's hardcore porn that they're going to be in: in the immortal words of the Mythbusters - "There's your problem!" 

[Conf]

Actually, the original director was Tinto Brass, the  italian master of soft-but-almost-hardcore movies, then the movie actually went thru hell and he was replaced with Guccione. There was a deep analysis of the history of the movie in an old issue of Italy's Nocturno Cinema magazine years ago.

[The Burgomaster]

I saw this at the drive-in when I was in high school.  It was a cut R-rated version and was putrid and boring.  Finally, when it was released on DVD I bought the uncut version, which is also putrid, but slightly less boring than the cut version.

[bob]

I tried watching the uncut version on Netflix a few years back out of morbid curiosity. I tapped out after the title character starting porking his sister less than a half hour in if I recall correctly. 

[Olivia Bauer]

I tried watching the uncut version on Netflix a few years back out of morbid curiosity. I tapped out after the title character starting porking his sister less than a half hour in if I recall correctly. 

Welcome to ancient Rome.

[lester1/2jr]

all time best president

[Trevor]

I tapped out after the title character starting porking his sister less than a half hour in if I recall correctly. 

 

[major jay]

Took my then girlfriend to this hoping it would get her all hot and bothered, and it backfired on me horribly. We ended up walking out. The only cool thing I remember about this flick was the Killing Machine.
Wall of Death

[FatFreddysCat]

To this day I have never seen this movie. I think my parents may have gone to see it (!) when I was a kid, though. I know my Dad used to have some kind of deluxe-edition Penthouse Special "Movie Photo Book" of stills from this film, including most, if not all, of the explicit stuff...needless to say I used to frequently, ahem, "borrow" this book out of his desk drawer for extended periods of time. :D

[daveblackeye15]

I actually started watching this just a few days ago and the X rated version too. Up to about 1 hour and 45 minutes now and I honestly think it takes away future senses of carnal pleasure than produce it, the film is just so damn slimy and mean spirited.

If there was one scene I kind of liked it was Caligula dancing because it was so out there instead of just 'out there and disgusting.'