RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Caligula
Caligula

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Caligula (1979)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
22 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:27

Fresh:6

Rotten:21

Average Rating:3/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 36 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: A reputedly faithful cinematic depiction of the historical events of Caligula's Rome, including the decadence and debauchery that marked his reign. This notorious release has faced rather... A reputedly faithful cinematic depiction of the historical events of Caligula's Rome, including the decadence and debauchery that marked his reign. This notorious release has faced rather hysterical hostility from would-be censors. Financed by Penthouse Magazine magnate Bob Guccione, who was accused of inserting hardcore sex scenes after completing photography with the impressive and esteemed cast of British actors. Contains graphic sex and violence. The R-rated version is shorter by 53 minutes! [More]

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole, Helen Mirren

Director: Tinto Brass

Director: Tinto Brass

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Caligula

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Sublimely ridiculous thesp-filled porno-togarama.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/10/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

All in all it's a dreary shambles.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

More infamous for its widespread ineptitude than for its artistic innovation... [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
01/30/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

A classic in the coolest sense of the word

comment 1 Comment
09/05/08
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

Such established names as John Gielgud and Peter O'Toole will have to be seen to be believed.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
12/08/07
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unpleasantly violent, often dull, and only intermittently sexy.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/08/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Caligula is sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash. If it is not the worst film I have ever seen, that makes it all the more shameful: People with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 1 Comment
12/08/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I suppose certain college fraternities could make screening it part of their hazing rituals.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
10/24/07
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Simply a curiosity, a laughable relic of a failed effort to bring explicit sex movies to the masses.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
10/23/07
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

Despite the movie, the highlight of this three-disc set is the often hilarious commentary.

Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com | comment Comment
10/22/07
Kent Turner
Kent Turner
Film-Forward.com

Excess for excess sake, or just bad taste: Caligula is a messy, bloody film that fails on any level, even as porn and camp.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
10/15/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/09/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
10/01/05
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Direção de arte e figurinos corretos; atuações intensas e uma direção corajosa. Pena que o roteiro pouco coeso comprometa estes esforços.

comment Comment
03/28/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Caligula turns the Julian dynasty's most violent chapter into a sleazy snoozefest. Even the Penthouse Pets look pained to be decorating this historic bomb.

comment Comment
11/25/04
Martin Scribbs
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian

No review available.

comment Comment
03/26/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Kinda dumb and tacky, but at least it's a real movie.

comment 3 Comments
03/24/04
Gregory Weinkauf
Gregory Weinkauf
New Times

professes to be an honest depiction of ancient Roman excesses, but it succeeds only in being alternately boring and offensive

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
09/15/02
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

No review available.

comment Comment
07/31/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Caligula boasts a sort of notoriety known to few films. It was a lavish accident: the marriage of legitimate film and smut.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
04/03/02
Rumsey Taylor
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
66% 66% The Merry Gentleman

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
102
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
162
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
29
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
20
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
3
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
121
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
38
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
102
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
91
  • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
77
  • Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
42
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
34
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
34
  • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee
29
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
28
  • Friday Harvest: Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, and more!
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • RT's Holiday Movie Preview -- Find Out What's Hot This Season!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Caligula at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.