«One Major Inaccuracy»

You are probably tired of comments on this movie. It is basically a Penthouse porno hiding behind an older version of the same movie. Since I am used to hard core, I didn't flinch during most of the sex scenes.

However, I was not happy with on major historical inaccuracy of the flick. Claudius, the successor to Caligual was portrayed and a slobbering idiot with an almost mentally retarded character. This was a tremendous injustice. Claudius was, according to the historians, a very timid soul with a severe speech impediment. He was embarassed to speak in public and held most of his council with (I think) one of his female cousins). Ironically, Claudius was quite intelligent and, over the period of his reign, turned out to be one of the most effective of the Caesars. Two of his most deirable traits were an incorruptable nature, a sense of fairness and beneath it all, a kind and generous disposition. It might be challenged as a historical fact, but I think he suffered from epilepsy.

If you are interested in an accurate portrayal of Claudius, check out the PBS/BBC series "I Claudius" which aired many years ago. I think it's available on Netflix, and, used to be listed in the Acorn catalog. There are several hours of programming, and sometimes it drags. If my memory serves me correctly, Patrick Stewart played the commander of the Guards and did (as usual) a fantastic job of acting.

[Monday, January 05, 2009]

«Fellini is better»

The only thing worth seeing in this crappy ,booooooring! porn movie are the costumes designed by the great Danilo Donati. And even he was sleep walking thru this dreck as he had already done Fellini's "Satyricon" and just fell back on that concept.
So get "Satyricon" instead. It's really about the same thing (Is "Caligula" about anything really?), is more historically convincing (tho' hardly accurate), in Italian (a great help in creating a cultural reference), and just a better ride into the Ancient Western World. "Satyricon" too has no discernable plot, but then it comes from fragments of an ancient story....part of its charm.

Yep...forget this mess, and buy "Satyricon".

[Sunday, January 04, 2009]

«Before "Rome", before "Gladiator", there was "Caligula"...»

This has to be one of the most unusual films ever made. From Penthouse magazine's Bob Guccione and Director Tinto Brass, "Caligula" is basically a high production porn film... with lasvish sets and costumes, this film is somewhat shocking and even a little disturbing. With nearly two and a half hours of male and female nudity, and serveral hardcore sex scenes thrown in, this is a somewhat creepy film. This is not a bad films, it just is not a great films. "Caligula" is the kind of movie you need see at least once...

It is kind of hard for me to understand how such great actors such as, Peter O'Toole, Sir John Gielgud and the ever so sexy and desirable Helen Mirren, along with Malcolm McDowell ever said yes to being in this film. They do however give good performances...

A couple lessons of history: 1. Tiberius (Peter O'Toole) "fishes" were in reality little boys he called "his minnows", not the men and women in the swim scene.

2. Caligula committed incest with three of his sisters, not just Drusilla (Teresa Ann Savoy).

But, hey... it's only a movie right?

[Friday, January 02, 2009]

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