Messalina, Messalina (1977)

The story of Messalina's rise to power amid her relationship with Emperor Claudius.

Director:

Bruno Corbucci

Writers:

Mario Amendola (screenplay), Bruno Corbucci (screenplay)

Stars:

Anneka Di Lorenzo, Vittorio Caprioli, Giancarlo Prete

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anneka Di Lorenzo	...	Messalina
Vittorio Caprioli	...	Claudius
Giancarlo Prete	...	Gaius Silius
Lori Wagner	...	Agrippina (as Lory Kay Wagner)
Raf Luca
Bombolo	...	Zenturio Bisone
Pino Ferrara
Sal Borgese	...	Mevius
Alessandra Cardini	...	Calpurnia
Luca Sportelli
Ombretta De Carlo
Marco Tulli	...	Senofonte (as Primo Marco Tulli)
Viviana Larice
Lino Toffolo	...	Giulio Nelio, the Man from Venice
Tomas Milian	...	Baba

Storyline

The story of Messalina's rise to power amid her relationship with Emperor Claudius.

---

Plot Keywords:

unofficial sequel | sex comedy | italian sex comedy | spoof | sex | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy

---

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

11 August 1977 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Caligula II: Messalina, Messalina

Filming Locations:

Dear Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Medusa Distribuzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Telecolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Even though this film came out two years earlier, Caligula (1979) was in fact completed first.

---

Goofs

When the fly is buzzing around in front of the Roman guard's face (just before he eats it), if you look carefully, as it flies in front of his face, you can barely see the string holding up the fake fly being dangled in front of the actor's face.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Mommie Dearest (2014)

User Reviews

An Italian version of the „Carry On"-slapstick … with a bit more nudity and gore.

Italian comedies from the 1970s can best be compared as a hotchpotch of the „Carry On"-films and slapstick ala „Naked Gun": fast talking, grimacing, physical comedy – basically, it's the old "man steps on a rake"-joke, over and over again. "Messalina, Messalina" is not exception from the norm, with the exception, that the film contains more nudity. Lots and lots of nudity and, the film being all about the Empress Messalina cheating on her husband, Emperor Claudius (the successor of Emperor Caligula, so don't be fooled by the alternative title "Caligula 2"), some of the sex-scenes, depending on the copy you own, trespassing from soft- to hardcore.

Among the most popular spaghetti-comedies, were those featuring Bud Spencer and Terence Hill – the Italian version of Laurel and Hardy, if you so want. There's no Spencer and no Hill in this film (both, presumably, having fought tooth and nail against appearing in a film like "Messalina, Messalina"). Instead, we get Thomas Milan and Bombolo. Both go through the routine, but it's never more than that: routine.

In addition to the gratious nudity, the film features a battle-scene, which has enough gore and limb-hacking to rival the violence of "Gladiator". Interesting trivia: much of the set and costumes (not to mention some of the actors like Lori Wagner and Anneka Di Lorenzo) have been borrowed from the set of Bob Guccione's "Caligula", so for fans of this notorious epic, the film remains worthwhile curiosity with an eerie sense of Deja-Vu.

In essence, the film has very few qualities worth mentioning … unless, of course, you're a fan of flat Italian comedy or came here for the nekkid girls.

3/10