You can’t discuss the union of sex and violence without “Caligula” — one of the most explicit and controversial films of all time.
We continue our look at sex and horror (check out parts one and two) by exploring a heavily touted recut of one of the most infamous films of all time — a shockingly explicit, heavily censored cinematic disaster whose absolute failure is the stuff of legend… but one that still keeps people talking forty-five years later.
Where do we even begin when talking about Caligula?
The stories behind the constantly changing screenplay are interesting. It is ironic that actors refused huge paydays based on moral grounds, considering how fast and loose people are willing to play with their principles in Hollywood. The pornography, aftermath, and critical reevaluation are all important parts of the film’s mythos.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut attempts to release the movie as intended by its original writer, Gore Vidal. It also includes an additional animated opening sequence and gives Helen Mirren’s character more importance.
Almost 100 hours of footage were used to give audiences what was intended. How well does it work?
The first red flag is that Vidal’s vision does not exist.
As soon as director Tinto Brass was brought on, Caligula went through heavy rewrites. Which means the new release is more of the same. It’s just a whole lot longer. Whether this is good or bad will depend on your initial opinion of the movie. In other words, the latest cut adds nothing.
Just because something is pointless, does that mean it is bad?
We once again discuss how even necessary nudity can be superfluous. We also explore sex carnivals in ancient Rome, gorgeous set pieces, and over-the-top performances.
Caligula: The Ultimate Cut is something else, but is it worth watching?
You can currently catch the film in select theaters, followed shortly by a streaming and Blu-ray release.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
Episode 369: ‘Find Your Friends’ (2026)
Aside from Art the Clown, what has Damian Leone contributed to horror? We also come dangerously close to gatekeeping while we discuss what extreme horror is. Plus a discussion on the 28 Years franchise somehow leads to a talk about The Bride.
We spend a good amount of time talking about Find Your Friends. About 98% of it is spent on the film’s writing. It does not take long to realize this is not a good thing. There have been plenty of movies that have led to a discussion about the writing. There has been nothing like this one.
The movie clearly deals with sensitive subjects. But it does it in a way that downplays the circumstances, the victim, and its heady themes. It is so bad that we have to constantly reiterate how we are not shitty men. (Who knows? Maybe we are. But that’s a different matter.)
How bad was the writing for Find Your Friends? So much so that we were constantly filing in story beats to make it make sense to us. And even then, we were still frustrated by what we had seen. This movie had all the ingredients to tell a powerful story about how women are treated. It instead was content to erratically work towards its admittedly wild finale.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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