{"product_id":"caligula-the-official-story-of-the-film-9781835413869","title":"Caligula: The Official Story of the Film","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe official retrospective for controversial erotic historical drama Caligula, written by Gore Vidal and directed by Tinto Brass. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTracing Caligula's difficult production and the various cuts released, from the 1979 cut distributed by producer and Penthouse Publisher Bob Guccione to the Ultimate Cut screened at Cannes 2023. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eConceived by screenwriter Gore Vidal as a depiction of absolute power corrupting absolutely, \u003ci\u003eCaligula\u003c\/i\u003e depicts the ascent to emperor and subsequent reign of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, nicknamed Caligula, one of the most notorious rulers of ancient Rome, in 37 A.D. Shot as an erotic historical drama by director Tinto Brass, the version released theatrically in 1980 was notoriously altered in post-production editing by producer - and \u003ci\u003ePenthouse\u003c\/i\u003e magazine publisher - Bob Guccione, who added hardcore sex scenes featuring \u003ci\u003ePenthouse\u003c\/i\u003e Pets that had been filmed separately. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWritten by Thomas Negovan, producer of the 2023 \u003ci\u003eUltimate Cut\u003c\/i\u003e of the film, \u003ci\u003eCaligula: The Official Story of the Film\u003c\/i\u003e traces the film's history, from the original concept drafted by Roberto Rossellini, through the difficult production, cinematic release and resulting legal battles to have the film declared not obscene so it could be screened in mainstream cinemas. The story comes right up to date, covering the different international cuts of the film released over the subsequent decades, and concluding with the 2023 Cannes screening and release of the \u003ci\u003eUltimate Cut\u003c\/i\u003e. Illustrated with stills from the original and 2023 cuts of the film, the book also includes previously unpublished behind-the-scenes photos of the shoot from the \u003ci\u003ePenthouse\u003c\/i\u003e archives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Titan Books (UK)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/30\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781835413869\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 192","brand":"Thomas Negovan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51474283102389,"sku":"9781835413869","price":42.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_ef7adeb8-c9fd-4ef7-8a43-dca8b4f4e7ae.jpg?v=1754405563","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/caligula-the-official-story-of-the-film-9781835413869","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}