Needlework Pictures Presents Francesco Vezzoli in Gore Vidal's 'Caligula'

I recently watched this trailer on YouTube, which has consequently taken it down... For a trailer of a faux movie, this didn't feel very budget and I'm absolutely amazed they have the cast cameos of Helen Mirren, Benicio Del Toro, Milla Jovovich, Karen Black, Gerard Butler; as well as countless naked extras! From what I understand the costumes were designed by D.Versace as well. Having lived the semi-disappointing original 'Caligula' this was just a joy to watch!

(Though I didn't personally feel Courtney Love's monologue did much to add to it... she would have been better utilized with a single punchline or dramatic entrance)

Should you get your hands on it, sit back and enjoy 3 minutes of campy naked bliss!

This finally showed up on Mr. Butler's list of films. I just wanted to clarify something for fans collecting his films or looking to see all his films.

This is not a full length film or even a prospectus for a film length film. I know it looks like a trailer for a movie being made but it is NOT. I doubt you will be able to find this on any DVD anywhere or even in a festival.

This was an art short done in the form of a movie trailer. A kind of short parody of the original film. the director/writer is known for his short art video's. THERE WILL BE NO FULL LENGTH FILM TO FIND. The Whittney (a museum dedicated to film) selected this as part of the film short collection and it is showcases as art in a collection of art video's.

Mr. Butler has some friends in the Italian film industry and I am sure this was done as just a favor for art's sake.

On a side note, the reason for the parody, the original film that it was based on was a hot of bed of controversy at the time it was made. The author Gore Vidal even had his name removed from the movie tie in book because he was so disappointed in what he called the soft porn

A conceptual film from Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli, first shown at the 2005 Venice Biennale and later traveling to the Whitney Museum of American Art. The work is conceived as a trailer for an imaginary remake of the infamous Tinto Brass/Bob Guccioni sexploitation fiasco that was 'Caligola'. Instead of shooting in the ruins of Rome, however, his location is a tacky Roman-lite villa in Hollywood. Instead of striving for historically accurate costumes, he has Donatella Versace design him some glamorous togas. And like Matthew Barney, he's able to talk a whole host of known (and unknown) actors to star in a an artwork that will rarely, if ever, be seen outside of a gallery (or online). The casual viewer can choose to read it all as a comment on the timeless nature of gluttony and excess or simply laugh out loud at Courtney Love's full-bodied reading of Gore Vidal's overwrought language - "I have existed from the morning of the world and I shall exist until the last star falls from the night" - egomania as fitting for a Hollywood star as it for a Wall Street executive or an insane Emperor. Which, or course, is the point.

I have nothing more to say but it was awful. I cannot imagine why Helen Mirren and others were part of this degrading mess. And if certain actors don't want people to question their sexuality then perhaps they should refrain from making more of these films. There was at least one seen that left me curious. Just my opinion. SHUDDER to think what was going on that was cut from the film. SHUDDER to wonder what went through the minds of the actors who made this film. Shudder to think about the thought process and voyeurism that went on in the directors mind. Like I stated before its a degrading mess. Its not even funny. As Ebert said of the film Caligula with Malcolm McDowell, Its not a good film, not a good story and its not even good porn. YEESHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH............

If you don't realize it before that time, then by the end of having watched this, there should not be any doubt left in your mind; this was a joke. No one should take the reveal near the conclusion seriously. While I have not seen the original Caligula, I do know of the content and controversy. This is available on the internet. It's a spoof, not a "fake", as it was never intended to be a promotion for an actual film, no such thing was ever in production... that's the *point*. Do you really see this getting made? No young stars of dubious talent, rather, the people in this can actually act, and most are middle-aged or older still. Only a few aren't of that age, such as Jovovich(who, I'll be perfectly honest, was the reason I looked for this at all... and yes, she's gorgeous as usual), and we know she has a sense of humor. And then there's the sheer amount of explicit sex and nudity. Violence, gore and blood are fine by the standards, but not *that*. This means to make you question that. Heck, the one thing that's "realistic" here is that it's a remake. This is heavily stylized, from the glossy look, through the costumes and sets to the casting. The performances are appropriate. And yes, this is plot less. Part of the joke. Whether or not you enjoy this depends on your constitution and what you find funny. I recommend this to anyone who thinks they might like it and can handle the direct nature of some of it. 7/10