"What would you have done," asks the sleeve, "if you had been given absolute power of life and death over the whole world?" Penthouse patriarch Bob Guccione answers the question with a $25-million orgy about the Roman Emperor only outdone by Nero in his cruelty and excesses. The resulting mess is gratuitous and risible, yet oddly compelling.
DVD Extras:
Nada. Niente. Rien. Nowt. It's no big surprise that the stars (Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren, Malcolm McDowell) weren't queuing up to do commentaries for Caligula's DVD release. But it's a bit poor that there's not even production notes. As a movie, Guccione's bloated 'epic' hasn't stood the test of time, and really doesn't even qualify for cult classic. And be warned that, if it's titillation you're after, you won't find it here - not least because some of the more risqué scenes have been axed. If you're into Roman history, go buy Ben-Hur.
