# Alright. Whats in Caligula that is so bad?!?!? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841 "2001-10-11T18:23:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/21 "2001-10-11T21:07:21Z")
**Mooderator’s Notes:** This is exactly the kind of thing we had in mind when we set up Café Société. That’s where I’m moving it. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/22 "2001-10-11T21:08:51Z")
IMO it sucked because it was bad – bad plot, bad acting, bad music, bad everything. It was disturbing (and very) because the sexual sadism was extremely vicious and extremely explicit. Not the implicit “game” of voluntary S&M, no matter how hardcore, but the use of sex (specifically, rape and sexual torture) to hurt and kill people. So in addition to being badly done and very violent, it featured sex literally as a weapon of evil. A very bad film under any definition of badness. I would not say “don’t watch this film; it’s too disturbing” because some disturbing films nevertheless have redeeming qualities. This had none. It sucked. Really. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/23 "2001-10-11T21:09:46Z")
Mooderator? What the fuck is a mooderator. Who typed that shit? ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/24 "2001-10-11T21:15:01Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by DarkWriter \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bean\_shadow \* > **If they put porn in AFTER the filming was done, and the actors didn’t know about it, how do you explain the fisting scene? Or was a stunt double used?** I’ve never seen it, but I’ve read that there is worse stuff than the what the actors did. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/25 "2001-10-11T21:17:35Z")
Hmmm…Preview is my friend. **DarkWriter** said that quote, not me. ---
**Author:** ![seawitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@seawitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seawitch)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/26 "2001-10-11T21:55:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > Mooderator? What the fuck is a mooderator. Who typed that shit? **Unc** , I’m pretty sure that it means you’ve been spending too much time with livestock. **Moo** derator. Ewe’ve been ba-a-a-ad. At least it’s not goats this time. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/27 "2001-10-11T22:11:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*Mooderator? What the fuck is a mooderator. Who typed that shit? \*\* A mooderator. You know: One who regulates moods. As in: “What’s the matter Ma’am? Feeling depressed? Don’t you worry, **UncleBeer** is here to make you feel all better. I can mooderate all through the night, baby” Worth a try anyway. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/28 "2001-10-11T22:46:13Z")
I saw the unrated Caligula and found it pretty entertaining. It’s really not that bad and is even unexpectedly insightful at times. I think the reason it gets such bad reviews is because (a) the brutal scenes are treated very casually; someone gets castrated and then bang, we’re off to the next scene and the poor guy’s forgotten – and (b), I think critics at the time were scared of endorsing it because it might have started a trend of similar movies. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2001, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/29 "2001-10-11T23:13:50Z")
Haven’t seen it, but for sexual sadism—and **Jodi** ’s explanation of what that means is perfect—I doubt anything could be as disturbing as Pier Paolo Pasolini’s last film, _Salò: i 120 giorni di Sodom_. Do not see it unless you have a very strong stomach, I am serious. One important reason it was so disturbing is that the extremely sadistic scenes were not just gratuitous but made a political statement about Fascism (and all repressive systems by extension). How intimately the political repression is tied up with sexual loathing in human nature. This point was driven home by the Fascists’ forbidding anyone to make love the normal way. Sex was exclusively to be used for dehumanization. When they caught a couple actually making love, they shot them on the spot. Suffice to say that I fast-forwarded through the episode entitled “The Circle of Shit” and gave up watching soon after; didn’t even get to the end. Pasolini was assassinated about the time he finished this film. Imagine a double feature, like in one of those repertory movie houses, with _Caligula_ and _Salò_. Gaaackk! I double dog dare you. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/30 "2001-10-12T00:05:26Z")
Then there was the scene where you see Caligula’s murdered daughter(she was just a little girl) with blood all around her head. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/31 "2001-10-12T00:22:26Z")
There’s also a scene where Caligula has sex with his dead sister’s corpse. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/32 "2001-10-12T00:30:30Z")
I’ve never seen it because I was told it took way too many liberties with history and I don’t want to mess up my mind. I have seen I, Claudius (one of the top five things ever done with a television (unless you are a cat)), and read the Twelve Caesers. Caligula was one sick, twisted, bad, bad dude. He had no morality whatsoever. And yes, the final straw was apparently forcing the Senate to accept his favorite horse as a Senator, upon which they finally assassinated him. (They were pretty mad about forcing the noble wives to become prostitutes for a fund raiser too.) ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/33 "2001-10-12T01:13:10Z")
> [@](#): > > And yes, the final straw was apparently forcing the Senate to accept his favorite horse as a Senator, I thought it was as a Consul. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/34 "2001-10-12T01:41:47Z")
Ah yes, the honorable Incitatus. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/35 "2001-10-12T02:58:47Z")
So the movie portrayed a madman, who was totally f\*\*\*ed in the head… as well as in other places, who brutally killed for no reason, and seemed to enjoy causing others pain. Isn’t that historically accurate, though? I mean, maybe we shouldn’t be making movies about the man, but if we do, they’re going to be full of gross stuff. ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/36 "2001-10-12T03:22:59Z")
My friend tells the following story: She was watching Caligula with a couple of friends, and her roommate, who has a habit of saying the randomest things while drunk. Roommate happened to be both drunk and asleep at the moment when Caligula was boinking his horse, and woke up to him with the horse in bed. (or something. I’ve never seen it, this is all heresay.) Roommate asks what happened. Horrified friend tells her. Roommate says. “Well, that’s cool, I guess. He loves his horse.” Friend leaps up to grab a pen to document the quote, as she is sure Drunk Roommate won’t remember saying it tomorrow. The quote hangs on their refrigerator forever, despite the protests of (the now sober ) Roommate. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/37 "2001-10-12T03:35:29Z")
Aww, dude, there’s like heads gettin’ chopped off and people swimmin’ in their own blood… and people fistin’ and gettin’ semen rubdowns and bonkin’ horses and shit… dudes nailin’ their sisters and makin’ other dudes ho their wives out. It’s cool, man. It’s way, way cool. I need it on DVD. Unedited. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/38 "2001-10-12T03:43:57Z")
There are softcore simulated sex scenes with the ‘real’ actors. The fisting doesn’t actually show the guy’s fist entering the other guy’s ass, and the scenes where McDowell don’t actually show penetration, probably because it was simulated. ---
**Author:** ![DPWhite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DPWhite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPWhite)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/39 "2001-10-12T03:44:04Z")
Consul, senator, what’s the diff. I don’t really remember except part where Mel Brooks rides off with Gregory Hines and Madeline Kahn. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2001, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841/40 "2001-10-12T03:44:54Z")
I thought a Mooderator was someone who made sure everybody treated their cow orkers with courtesy. There probably wasn’t a Mooderator in _Caligula_, but I’ll bet there was some cow orking. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alright-whats-in-caligula-that-is-so-bad/86841.md?page=3)