Episode 181: Titus (1999)

Special Guests: Julie Taymor & Harry Lennix
Guest Co-Host: Edward Pettit

As Roman month comes to a close we look at the 1999 film Titus, directed by Julie Taymor and based on the bloody tragedy by William Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus. The film tells to the story of a Roman general (Anthony Hopkins) who returns home following a battle to find a Rome in transition. It's about traditions, vengeance, race, and more.

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Links:
Buy Titus on DVD
Buy The Tempest on DVD/Blu-Ray
Buy The Blacklist on DVD/Blu-Ray
Visit the official Harry Lennix website
Learn more about Theatre for a New Audience - the company that helped to birth this version of Titus
Why are we still talking about Shakespeare 450 years later?
Watch the South Park Scott Tenorman Must Die episode

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Episode 180: Fellini Satyricon

Special Guest: John Baxter
Guest Co-Host: Jim Tushinski

Roman Month continues with the 1969 film, Fellini Satyricon. Based loosely on the remaining fragments of Petronius's voluminous work, the film is a series of vignettes about Encolpio (Martin Potter) and his friend Ascilto (Hiram Keller). The film mixes sex, philosophy, and death in the era of Nero.

Satyricon is one of the more fantastic and surreal of Fellini's films and one that definitely lives up to the term "Fellini-esque."

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Links:
Buy Fellini by John Baxter
Buy Fellini Satyricon on DVD
Buy On the Set of Fellini Satyricon : A Behind-the-Scenes Diary by Eileen Lanouette Hughes
Buy the paperback of Fellini's Satyricon
Hear John Baxter on our Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie episode
Hear Jim Tushinski on our Boys in the Sand episode

Music:
Satyricon Soundtrack - Nino Rota
"Satyricon" - Carlo Rustichelli
"Satyricon" - Stormwind

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Episode 179: Life of Brian

Special Guest: Roger Christian, Will Yapp & Owen Harris
Guest Co-Host: Ken Stanley

(Bloody) Roman Month continues with the 1979 film Life of Brian – the second feature film from the legendary British comedy troupe - Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The film finds the lads in Roman occupied Judea circa 33 AD – a time when the Jews are being oppressed and a messiah is wanted. No, it’s not Brian. He was born in the manger down the alley from Jesus. Life of Brian tells the tale of Brian of Nazareth, a regular chap, who through a few twists and turns, ends up as sort of a fun house mirror version of the messiah.

Causing a scandal upon its initial release, Life of Brian is considered one of the finest comedies to come out of U.K.

Music:
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – Monty Python
“Jesus” – Ken Stanley
“Pretentious” – Ken’s Loud Band

Links:
Buy Life of Brian on DVD
Buy Holy Flying Circus on DVD
Buy Not the Messiah on DVD
Get your own Brian action figure
Buy Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday - My Life with Brian by Kim Howard Johnson & the Pythons
See the Pythons on tour
Listen to tracks from Ken Stanley and Ken's Loud Band
Listen to our Last Temptation of Christ episode

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Watch:

The Secret Life Of Brian from WILL YAPP on Vimeo.

Episode 178: Caligula

Special Guest: Ranjit Sandhu & Alexander Tuschinski
Guest Co-Host: Maitland McDonagh

We begin "Roman Month" with the 1979 film Caligula is a biopic about one of the most-wicked rulers of Rome. It was directed by Tinto Brass until he took his name off it. It was written by Gore Vidal until he took his name of it. And, it was proudly produced by Bob Guccione of Penthouse magazine who didn't take his name off it. Caligula tells the tale of “Little Boots” and his anarchistic rule over Rome between 37-41 AD. Malcolm McDowell plays the title role and the film features well-known and respected British actors Sir John Gielgud, Sir Peter O'Toole and Helen Mirren... to name a few… along with a swath of Penthouse Pets.

Over 35 years later, Caligula is still as notorious for what's on screen as what went on behind the scenes.

Correction: Victor Mature was not in Nightmare Alley.

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Bonus: Mission Caligula:

Listen to "Special Report: Mission Caligula (2018)" on Spreaker.

Music:
"I Am a God" by Paul Elstak
"Bring Me The Robe" by Doc Waffles
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by The Smiths

Links:
Buy Caligula on DVD
Watch The Robe on Netflix
Buy The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas
Buy The Robe on DVD
Buy Demetrius and the Gladiators on DVD
Buy I, Claudius on DVD
Buy Dirty, Dirty, Dirty by Mike Edison
Visit the official Tinto Brass web site
Visit Ranjit Sandhu's Caligula web site
Read Alexander Tuschinski's analysis of Caligula
Read the Vice story about the Bob Guccione Archives & Filthy Gorgeous
Play the Viva Caligula video game
Visit Maitland McDonagh's 120 Days Books facebook page
Visit the official 120 Days Books web site
Hear more about Gore Vidal on our Myra Breckinridge episode
Hear Maitland McDonagh on our Deep Red and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage episodes
Listen to our Equinox episode

Watch:

Mission: Caligula from Alexander Tuschinski on Vimeo.