Review: 'Caligula & Messalina' is Sleaze Writ Large

Leave it to the Italian exploitation circuit to capitalize on the very short-lived success of historical dramas with heavy doses of sex and violence after Tinto Brass' "Caligula" was released in 1979. Bruno Mattei, of "Robowar" and "Rats: Night of Terror" fame, was one of the first of the schlock hounds to cash in quick with his nasty, shoddy and egregious 1981 effort, "Caligula & Messalina."

Severin Films brings the film to Blu-ray for the first time ever. With both Export Italian and Unrated U.S. Release versions of the film included – sourced from 2K scans of the original negatives – this new Blu-ray easily climbs over previous releases. Although the overall picture quality is soft, I attribute that more to Mattei's cheap style more than the presentation itself. Colors are true, and both depth and contrast are resolved quite nicely.

As for special features, Severin attaches an interview with Anthony A. Barrett, the author of "Caligula: The Corruption of Power." Although the interview itself isn't directly connected to "Caligula & Messalina," it does provide great context as to why Caligula's story was so ripe for exploitation. If you're unfamiliar with emperor Caligula's reign, I strongly suggest you watch this feature before diving into the film. Severin also pairs the Blu-ray with a copy of the film's soundtrack on CD. The score itself is decent, and probably one of the sturdiest things about the film.

The powerful, brash, and sex-obsessed Messalina (Betty Roland) is a gladiatrix that catches the eye of emperor Caligula (Vladimir Brajovic). The two strike a violent bond immediately, and start spreading sodomy, incest, and sexual torture throughout the land. Caligula's younger sister, Agrippina (Françoise Blanchard), is none too happy about all that.

"Caligula & Messalina" is Bruno Mattei unabashed and unfiltered. Whether that will interest you is another thing entirely. Mattei fills the dull, stretched-out story with more sex than even some regular porn films have, and goes so far as to cut in the infamous horse sex scene from Borowczyk's "The Beast" just to spice up things even more. You can feel that Mattei was adept at putting footage together coherently, and I admit that some of the stock footage inserts work remarkably well. That being said, this is really for the sleaze fans.

This new Blu-ray and CD special edition of "Caligula & Messalina" comes recommended to those who wished Tinto Brass' "Caligula" included more incest, torture, and cheap drapes.

"Caligula & Messalina" is now available on Blu-ray from Severin Films.