The first question someone might ask, when they realize the extent to which the supplements on this disc delve into the scattered history of the production, is ‘why?’ Who on Earth would want to know so much about a film that is almost universally reviled and which has been disowned by some of the people who made it? Essentially, because it seems that the screwed up productions are always the most interesting and there are few films more screwed up than this one. As such, the story behind the film is a genuinely fascinating one. Here’s what Image has brought to the table…

DISC ONE:

Aside from the lengthier hardcore cut of the film, the first disc in the collection contains some slick menus, a chapter selection sub-menu, and a trio of anamorphic widescreen trailers for the film - the 'green band' theatrical trailer (1:50), the teaser trailer (credited to Analysis Films, narrated by Bob Guccione, 1:09), and the R-Rated release trailer (1:01).

DISC TWO:

As stated, disc two contains the never before seen pre-release version of the film but aside from that there are also a trio of exclusive audio commentaries, the first of which comes courtesy of Caligula himself, Malcolm McDowell, who is joined by moderator Nick Redman. Fans of the film or of McDowell should really enjoy this talk as McDowell is quite amicable throughout and has no problem whatsoever being upfront and honest about his thoughts on the film and the people involved in the production. He does go on record and say that because the film was taken from Brass that 'we all paid the price' and he talks about how despite all the flaws it was the most profitable film he's ever been involved in. McDowell discusses working with other prestigious actors, O'Toole in particular, and how he didn't care that Penthouse was financing the film because Gore Vidal was writing it. Obviously circumstances changed once Guccione added the hardcore footage and McDowell refers to the inserts as crass and ridiculous, claiming they 'ruined the intent of what Tinto wanted to do.' McDowell also talks about his personal take on the character that he plays and spends a bit of time talking about some of the good things that the real Caligula did that weren't really covered in the movie.

The second commentary track comes from Helen Mirren, the actress who played Caesonia in the film. She’s joined by writers Alan Jones and James Chaffin. The moderators come out and ask her frankly about Peter O'Toole's drinking and she comes right out and says that he wasn't drinking because he was told it would kill him, and that instead he was smoking a lot of dope. She talks about how intimidated she was by him the first time she met him, but states that he was a bright and smart man. She talks about how impressed she was with some of the sets that the film was shot on and how beautiful they were, and then how shocked she was to walk into one of the sets and find it full of naked people. She goes on record saying she did the film because Guccione offered her more money than she'd ever been offered in her career and talks about how impressive the scope of the production was. 

Last but not least is an audio commentary from Ernest Volkman, the on-set reporter employed on set during the production. Volkman, recorded here via telephone, talks about how Guccione didn't want to listen to voices of reason despite the fact that he had many qualified filmmakers on the set who could have helped him. Volkman talks about the different versions of the film and why/how they exist, he talks about the brothel scene in the truly uncut version and how it 'goes on and on and on - a mini porno film wrapped into another film.' Volkman talks about how Guccione was temperamental and likely to sue people he didn't like, and how he wasn't above pulling publicity stunts and how Guccione would respond to the film's many critics. Volkman was never a proper Penthouse employee but he did continue to work for Guccione off and one for a while after the film was over with and he talks about how he always respected Guccione for what he did for the veterans when no one else was doing anything to help them.

Also included on Disc Two is a selection of deleted and alternate scenes, available to watch individually or by way of a 'play all' feature and presented in 1.85.1 anamorphic widescreen. No sound was recorded so they're all presented here with only the score over top:

Tiberius' Grotto (13:52): random footage of debaucheries set to music from the score. Snakes are molested, bestiality is inferred, poorly lit orgies are held, and we see a very hairy crotch in close up while various background characters have simulated acrobatic sex. 

Satyrs, Nymphs And Little Fishes (6:49): A few bit part players, some nude, sit around the blue-lit grotto while some percussionists and other musicians play their instruments. From there a bunch of them go skinny dipping. 

Killing Tiberius - Unfinished Work Print Edit (4:32): A very rough cut of the scene where Tiberius is put to death. Shot in black and white, this version features a few different angles and alternate clips - it's quite interesting to see how it compares to the version seen in the film.

Tiberius' Deathbed - Extended (3:41): A very different alternate take on Tiberius' final moments featuring some elongated shots and alternate footage. 

Caligula's Counsel With Longinus (0:56): Caligula and Longinus have what appears to be a heated discussion, at least on Caligula's part, while a female aide stands aside and watches.

Drusilla Comforts Caligula (1:04): A black and white work print clip wherein Drusilla climbs into Caligula's bed, kisses him, and then makes love to him or at least gets naked and roles around with him a lot.

Proculus Runs The Gauntlet (2:36): Another black and white work print clip featuring the infamous gauntlet scene where the giant lawn mower devices chop off heads and threaten to kill poor Proculus who is pelted with eggs and refuse from the onlookers. 

Marco's Execution - Extended (5:01): This black and white work print segment starts with the lawn mower machine at one side of the stadium where it moves across to the other side and ultimately relieves poor Marco of his noggin. 

Death Of Drusilla - Alternate Angles (2:42): An alternate version of Caligula mourning over Drusilla and dragging her naked corpse up the stairs to hold her before carrying her out of the room. 

Arriving On The Bordello Ship (0:54): An almost slapstick-comedy scene where the prostitutes-to-be and some of the male cohorts arrive on the ship where the prostitution is to take place.

Bordello Ship (2:45): The guards dance around the ship as do some entertainers, before the camera takes us onboard. Caligula wanders in among the participants and starts things off while naked women swing around, dance and gyrate.

Temple Of Jupiter (2:51): A man is killed with a hammer blow to the head, the blunt instrument of death wielded by Caligula himself. The temple goers stand there to watch and then applaud to show their approval.

DISC THREE:

The rest of the extras, and there are a lot of them, are found on the third disc. Here’s a look…

My Roman Holiday with John Steiner (24:21): Now employed as a real estate agent, Steiner talks about how he got his start by acting in a high school play and how the buzz he got from that made him want to act. He covers his early years, his work with The Marat Sade, and how the first time he went to Rome with his girlfriend he found that people in Rome knew who he was because of that work which in turn led to offers in the Italian film industry at the time. He talks about Vidal and Brass's work on Caligula, and he gripes about the costume that he had to wear in the film and how it irritated him. He flatly states that he did not enjoy working on Caligula, that he hated it, but that it and Salon Kitty earned him enough money to buy a house. He also covers his work with Argento, Margheritti and Deodato and the time he spent in the Philippines. He then explains how the quality of the movies was getting poorer and he was getting paid less, hence his exit from the industry. Steiner tells some great stories and does a good job of honestly relaying his time spent in the golden age of the Italian genre film industry.

Caligula's Pet: A Conversation with Lori Wagner (28:18): Lori talks about how fresh out of high school she was when asked to pose for a photographer who finally got her smashed and convinced her to get naked in front of the camera. She says Playboy didn't want her cause her nose was too big and her breasts were too small (she also admits that she 'fixed that') and how Guccione wanted her in Caligula. She talks about her impression of Guccione, and how she didn't even arrive on the set of Caligula until the production had been shooting for six months and she says that McDowell stayed in character the entire time she was on set. She talks about how many of the Pets got bored on set as they didn't have a whole lot to do, and how later Guccione brought them in to sex it up a bit as everything that Brass had shot was 'odd.' Wagner helped cast the male parts for Guccione's footage, and she then explains her reaction to the finished film and how she didn't want to help promote it or go out and pose for photos to help with the publicity. She talks about her work on the film Messalina, and how on that set too she found herself bored with little to do. She explains how she almost wound up in a Fellini film but that he didn't want her in it, having heard she was too wild. From there she cleaned up her act and quit living the wild life, then explains a few parts she took afterwards and how due to never having the right agent she never got the chance to make it in the music industry like she wanted to. From there she shows the cameraman her musical gear and gives a tour of her home. Wagner's music plays over the end credits. 

Tinto Brass: The Orgy of Power (34:23): Brass starts off by saying that many of the stories about the film are grossly inflated. From there he covers how after he finished Salon Kitty he was offered Caligula and how he didn't really see eye to eye with Vidal on how the story of Caligula should be told. Cigar in hand, Brass talks about how his vision really should have demonstrated how Caligula's madness ensured that Rome was really ruled by an anarchist and how he equated Caligula's rule with a child who enjoys smashing his toy. He explains how his contract for the film only allowed him to have first cut, not final cut, and he then explains the difficulties in his relationship with Gore Vidal and with Bob Guccione. He describes Vidal's original script as too talky and too focused on Tiberius, and how writing for text is different than writing for the screen. He explains how Guccione wanted to be the real father of the project and Brass explains how he wound up closing the set to certain individuals for fear of interference. He expresses his admiration for Donalli's set design, and he covers working with some of the actors and actresses featured in the film and some of the issues he ran into with some of the actresses specifically. He says that the flaws of the film are more to do with the ego problems between Vidal, Guccione and Rossalini, and how the editing of the film, which was taken out of his hands, was cruel and decisive and how because it was taken out of his hands it prevented him from giving the film a style. He does state for the record that he liked Guccione and got along with him well but that the sycophants he surrounded himself with were very problematic. Brass sums up the film saying that it was no longer about an orgy of power, but about the power of the orgy. Directed by David Gregory, this is an excellent and very honest discussion with Brass and it's great to see him finally say his piece on the film.

The Making of Caligula-Documentary (1:01:27): This vintage documentary starts off by reading a memo explaining how no one outside of those involved with the production were allowed on set. From there the cameras take us on set where we hear McDowell complain about how cold it is on set in Rome. Guccione shows up on camera and explains why he's making the film the way that he is, stating that it needed to be shot in Rome where Caligula lived, loved and died. Every prop was manufactured and the whole film was started from scratch, no prop house was used. He explains how craftsmen were brought in to provide authenticity for the picture, and he sums it up by saying 'Italy is... the best.' Vidal shows up and explains his reasons for writing the script, expressing his admiration for the cast and why he hoped that the audience would find sympathy for Caligula. McDowell talks about how the film is meant to give a reason for Caligula's madness. Guccione talks about how people tried to break into the set during the production, and how no one collection of photographs or stories from the press can tell exactly what happened on set as that has remained an absolute secret. Guccione calls the film sexually explicit and makes no apologies for it, and we see some full on hardcore blowjob footage, Guccione explaining that the film represents the morality of Rome. Lori Wagner talks about the sexuality of the film and her part in it, the graphic lesbian scene specifically. Brass wanders around on set and smokes cigars, Guccione discusses the adult film industry, and we're treated to a wealth of excellent behind the scenes footage. Directed by Giancarlo Lui, it's quite a lavish documentary and it's great to see it included here as if nothing else it does an interesting job of letting Vidal and Guccione speak about the production.

The Making of Caligula-Featurette (9:55): Though this uses some of the same footage that we see in the documentary, the narration for this much shorter look at the making of the film is very different. Again we see a lot of behind the scenes footage here and we're treated to some great clips of the cast and crew on set. This featurette puts a fair bit of emphasis on Caligula's incestuous relationship with his sister before going on to explain Caligula's madness and the effects that it had on the people around him. This piece isn't nearly as thorough as the documentary is but it's interesting to see the footage and clips presented in a fairly different manner. 

Behind The Scenes Footage: Up next is a massive selection of behind the scenes clips shot on the set of the production. No sound accompanies these clips so music from the film's score (or in some places some odd disco music) is placed over top. They're all presented in anamorphic widescreen and are available to watch individually or by way of a 'play all' feature. The titles more or less explain what we see: 

Pets Arrive in Rome (0:54, Penthouse Pets show up at the airport), Set Construction, Painting & Props (12:57, various carpenters and construction workers building, painting and detailing the sets - watch for Brass walking by the camera towards the end), Extras Make-Up (7:58, clips of various extras both male and female getting their make up done on set), John Gielgud In Make-Up (2:00, Gielgud having his hair and make up done in a dressing room), Caligula's Arrival In Capri (3:38, the crew prepares the set for the scene while McDowell wanders around in costume and takes direction), Creating Tiberius' Grotto (6:33, crew members prepare the set while Brass directs and extras prepare to fill in the background of this fairly infamous scene), Too Much Wine (3:35, we see the cast prepare for the gore scene then watch O'Toole and McDowell arrive for the blood drenched finale), Preparing Marco's Execution (5:49, the cast and crew and a massive array of extras prepare for the epic scene where Marco loses his head), Tinto Brass Directing (4:11, clips of Brass interacting with his cast and crew on set and dealing with cameras), Isis Pool Rehearsals (4:16, clothed female extras block their scenes and practice on the set for the pool scene), Isis Pool Filming (4:16, raw footage of the female extras, mostly nude, frolicking in the pool and engaging in some Sapphic love making), Preparing The Wedding Banquet (3:30, cast and crew on set preparing for the aforementioned scene. Look for McDowell in his bathrobe!), The Wedding Rape (7:27, test footage of McDowell and the female co-star blocking the scene trying out a few different options before we see McDowell and his male co-star try out the fisting scene!), Caesonia's Dance Instructor (3:58, a dance choreographer gives his direction from behind the camera), Filming the Bordello Ship (4:58, cast and extras wander the set as the cameras show off the design work. Look for Guccione towards the end of this clip!).

Last but not least, there are also four extensive Still Galleries included, all presented without sound: Color Film Stills (approximately 18 images over 2:03), Black And White Film Stills (approximately 38 images over 3:08), Behind The Scenes (divided into sections: Main Cast, Tinto Brass Directs, Tiberius' Grotto, Nerva's Suicide, Isis Pool, Marco's Execution, Wedding Banquet, Death Of Proculus, Bordello Ship, Assassination, Proculus' Audition, Deleted Scene: The Treasury, Deleted Scene: The Temple Of Jupiter, Extras, Sets & Props, Costumes & Make Up) and Promotional (approximately 13 images over 1:03).

Those with a DVD-ROM might like to know that if they pop the disc into their computer they’ll have access to press kit notes on The Real Caligula and Caligula Press Materials, biographies for the principal cast and crew members, two versions of Gore Vidal’s original script, four Penthouse articles related to the film as well as a seventy-four page movie tie-in novelization. All of these DVD-ROM features are provided in Adobe Acrobat PDF format.

If that weren’t enough, there’s also a booklet of liner notes containing the following essays: Why Caligula by Thomas A. Ryerson; The Strange Case Of The Mutilated Caligula, Making The Movie, Unmaking The Movie, Releasing The Movie, Repairing The Movie, When You Least Expect It, How You - Yes You! - Can Help, and But Why? by RJ Buffalo. These liner notes do a great job of explaining the convoluted release, its various edits, and the restoration and alternate version contained in this set.

So why doesn’t this set receive 5/5 for supplements? Simply because it was originally to come with the soundtrack, which would have been a very welcome addition to the set, and for whatever reason between the original press release and street date something changed that stopped that from happening (likely legal reasons or a rights issue of some sort). Thankfully, that’s really the only disappointment with this set in terms of supplements. Rights issues prevent the alternate footage from Italian and British variants from being included here, Image can’t be faulted for that and what we have here is pretty damn extensive and the bulk of it is quite fascinating.