| Messalina, Messalina! | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Italian theatrical release poster by Enzo Sciotti | |
| Directed by | Bruno Corbucci |
| Screenplay by | Mario Amendola Bruno Corbucci |
| Story by | Bruno Corbucci Mario Amendola |
| Produced by | Franco Rossellini |
| Starring | Anneka Di Lorenzo Vittorio Caprioli Giancarlo Prete Lino Toffolo Tomas Milian |
| Cinematography | Marcello Masciocchi |
| Edited by | Daniele Alabiso |
| Music by | Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis |
| Production company | Medusa Distribuzione |
| Release date |
|
| Running time | 100 min. |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Messalina, Messalina!, also known as Caligula II: Messalina, Messalina and Caligula: Sins of Rome, is a 1977 Italian sex comedy and sword-and-sandal spoof.
Background
The film is not in fact a sequel nor a prequel to Tinto Brass's 1979 film Caligula. During the time that Caligula spent in post-production, the film's co-producer Franco Rossellini wanted to get usage from the $20,000,000 of sets and costumes used in Caligula, fearing that the film would never be released.
The sets and costumes, as noted in the film's opening credits, were those from Caligula, designed by Danilo Donati and used without his consent. Anneka Di Lorenzo, who plays the title role of Messalina, had played the same role in Caligula. Lori Wagner, who played Agrippina in Tinto Brass's film, also reprises her role.
Synopsis
The film begins with Messalina (Anneka Di Lorenzo), the wife of Claudius (Vittorio Caprioli), who is now Emperor succeeding Caligula.
Most of the film revolves around Messalina's adulterous behavior, while Claudius remains blissfully unaware. Empress Messalina is having sex with every man in Rome except her husband Claudius, a traveler who has come to Rome looking for a good time, and a Roman con-man. It all ends in a comedic and gory bloodbath when Claudius comes home early and finds an orgy taking place in the palace. Claudius and his soldiers kill Messalina and all of the orgy participants.
Cast
- Anneka Di Lorenzo ... Messalina
- Vittorio Caprioli ... Claudius
- Giancarlo Prete ... Gaius Silius
- Lino Toffolo ... Giulio Nelio, the Man from Venice
- Tomas Milian... Baba
- Lori Wagner ... Agrippina (as Lory Kay Wagner)
- Raf Luca ...
- Bombolo ... Zenturio Bisone
- Pino Ferrara ...
- Salvatore Borghese ... Mevius (as Sal Borgese)
- Alessandra Cardini ... Calpurnia
- Luca Sportelli ...
- Ombretta De Carlo ...
- Marco Tulli ... Senofonte (as Primo Marco Tulli)
Release
The film was released in Italy on August 25, 1977.
Notes
- Howard Hughes (30 April 2011). Cinema Italiano: The Complete Guide from Classics to Cult. I.B.Tauris, 2011, p. 288. ISBN 9780857730442.
- "Cinema a Roma - prime visioni - Messalina, Messalina!" (in Italian). www.unita.it. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
External links
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- 1977 films
- 1970s sex comedy films
- 1970s adventure comedy films
- Italian adventure comedy films
- Films set in ancient Rome
- Films set in the Roman Empire
- Films set in the 1st century
- Films shot in Italy
- Commedia sexy all'italiana
- 1970s Italian-language films
- Films directed by Bruno Corbucci
- Films scored by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis
- Italian parody films
- 1970s parody films
- Cultural depictions of Messalina
- Cultural depictions of Claudius
- Cultural depictions of Agrippina the Younger
- 1977 comedy films
- Films with screenplays by Mario Amendola
- 1970s Italian films
- Unofficial sequel films
- 1970s Italian film stubs
- Erotic comedy film stubs