The Cinematic Enigma Of The Caligula Rip Off

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I have a weird fascination with this admittedly very limited sub-genre of Italian sexploitation... the Caligula knock off (Caligulaspliotation?)!

I just bought the last copy Diabolik had in stock of D'Amato's Caligula: The Untold Story with Laura Gemser and David Brandon, the fancy two disc uncut edition with extra sleaze, and already have the PAL release of Caligula And Messalina.

Some of these are remarkably sleazy - sex and sadism, violence, taboo busting perversity, bestiality even - but there's generally a good sense of composition and decent production values. Really though, it's the sleaze factor that appeals to me about these movies.

Anyone else intrigued by these rip offs of Tinto Brass' best known film?

I don't think I've seen Caligula Reincarnated As Hitler and there's one called Messalina (aka Caligula II: Messalina) from 1977 I'd like to see...

A few other titles of interest....

Orgies Of Caligula

A Virgin For Caligula

I don't know anything about those last two and some of these get retitled so often that it gets complicated but D'Amato and Mattei turned in some entertaining entries.

[Apronikoff Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Apronikoff]

I don't think I've seen Caligula Reincarnated As Hitler...

That's also known as "Gestapo's Last Orgy." Doesn't really have anything to do with Caligula, other than the name -- just a straight up Naziploitation.

That being said, I quite like it. It's probably my favorite Nazi nasty.

[Richard--W a straight arrow Find all posts View Profile Close Richard--W]

Isn't CALIGULA 2 the same film as CALIGULA THE UNTOLD STORY? I've been thinking about investigating these films but I have no idea which editions to buy. You know -- which editions are uncut, English friendly, anamorphic, with good transfers etc. Did you buy the Greek editions? There is also THE SLAVES OF CALIGULA.

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

I honestly think D'amato's Caligula 2 is better than the original. The performances aren't better but the story and pacing is much clearer and moves at a great pace. Plus it features a scene where a guy gets a spear shoved up his ass.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

I love D'Amato's CALIGULA: THE UNTOLD STORY.

Richard, the best release of this was the X-Rated release from Germany, which is now OOP. However, it's also been released in Italy - but that version apparently features a lesser encode than the German release (although the Italian disc is anamorphic, whereas the German release is not), and it also does not feature subtitles for the portions of the film that were never dubbed into English (about 20 minutes of the film IIRC - again, the German release has English subs for these sequences).

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I have a weird fondness for these films too - and Caligula in general is a fascinating sicko - I always forget about CALIGULA AND MESSALINA when thinking of Mattei's body of work but it's a well done sleazer. I too prefer D'Amato's Caligula film to the Brass one, it really is paced much better and no one outdoes Joe when it comes to sleaze.

Anyone who's into these films would be well served by reading the graphic novel Caligula by David Lapham with gorgeous art from German Nobile. It's outrageously gory and eye poppingly sleazy but it also has a strong story of intrigue and a unique explanation for Caligula's madness. The first issue of the sequel mini-series Caligula Heart Of Rome came out last month.

[Wllm Clys Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wllm Clys]

I have fond memories of discovering films like this. About ten years ago, me and a friend, wanted to rent a film. At first, we didn't really find anything sleazy enough, until we suddenly saw the name 'Joe D'Amato' on one of the covers. There wasn't a lot of info on cult/gore/horror/exploitation on the net back then, but we both knew the director and knew that this was going to be good. We were right! :) That's what I call a good night, seeing your first D'Amato and your first Caligulasploitation.

Shouldn't we call this orgysploitation? hehe

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

That's also known as "Gestapo's Last Orgy." Doesn't really have anything to do with Caligula, other than the name -- just a straight up Naziploitation.

Ah, then I have seen it. Didn't realize it was the same movie, but I guess the whole Hitler angle should have clued me in.

Richard, regarding Caligula 2/Caligula The Untold Story, yes, I believe that the movie went under both titles. I just got the Italian 2 disc release and will post some screen caps later tonight, time permitting. If Paul's right about the missing subs for those scenes, I'll be annoyed but life will go on.

[Robert W Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Robert W]

So which is the best out of this sub-genre?

[Dom D Spoon! Find all posts View Profile Close Dom D]

Coincidentally was watching Caligula 2 just last night. That movie is nuts! Emmanuelle In America is the one with the rep but for sheer excess and depravity The Untold Story leaves it in the dust. Starts off violent as hell and then about 45 minutes in decides it's a hardcore. From then on it's still violent as hell but now we've also got everything from rampant fellatio to graphic midget sex and horsey hand jobs.

If I'm ever a very rich man I'm going to submit this to the local censorship board for classification. They'd blow a fuse.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Some caps from the 'version integrele' off of the Italian Stormovie release of Caligula: The Untold Story (which, to answer Robert's question, is the best of the bunch that I've seen).

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

And from the non-anamorphic shorter version of the movie...

[sukebanboy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sukebanboy]

Yeah...The D'Amato one is definitely the best one I have seen on this subject.....Old Joe was a real pro when he put his heart and mind to something that interested him

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Yeah...The D'Amato one is definitely the best one I have seen on this subject.....Old Joe was a real pro when he put his heart and mind to something that interested him

He also had the right sort of style to tackle a project like that. He made a lot of period style movies and obviously had a thing for costumes and exotic locations and, of course, sex and violence, so a Caligula style movie would have obviously been right up his alley. In hindsight I think it would have been cool to see him to more movies in this vein. As it stands, this is the only one I know of that he made outside of one listed on the IMDB called Virgin For The Roman Empire that maybe something similar? Never seen it, don't know of any easily accessible release - just speculation on my part based on the title.

But then, later in his filmography, there are these movies:

Nero: Orgy Of Fire (1997)



Caligula: The Deviant Emperor (1997)



Messalina: The Virgin Empress (1996)



These all appear to be shot on video hardcore features, but I figure they still count.