Episode 700: Caligula - The Ultimate Cut (2023)

Special Guests: Caroline Kirkendoll, Alexander Tuschinski
Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Rob St. Mary

We're celebrating our 700th episode of The Projection Booth with what may be the first time we've discussed a movie for a third time as we continue to document the troubled history of the 1980 film Caligula.

We first spoke about the film almost 10 years ago where we were joined by Maitland McDonagh to discuss the movie while Ranjit Sandhu gave us the sordid history behind the production and talked about his book 200 Degrees of Failure and filmmaker Alexander Tuschinski discussed the career of Tinto Brass and the original intentions Brass had for the finished film. Listen Now.

We came back together in 2018 to discuss the re-discovery of the original footage of Caligula and the plans Penthouse and Alexander had to restore the film to Tinto Brass's original vision. Listen Now.

Now Rob and Mike are joined by Heather Drain to talk about the version of Caligula that played at Cannes in 2023. Once referred to as Caligula MMXX, it’s now called Caligula: The Ultimate Cut and it was produced by a person named Thomas Negovan.

We'll be discussing The Ultimate Cut as well as what’s happened to this project over the last six years along with President of Penthouse Global Licensing, Caroline Kirkendoll, and director of Mission: Caligula, Alexander Tuschinski

This episode includes clips from episodes of the Century Guild Salon and the Team Human podcast. No rights are implied or given.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 703: Caligula - The Ultimate Cut (2023)" on Spreaker.

McDowell on Caligula on WTF:

The Projection Booth · Malcolm McDowell talks Caligula on WTF

Listen to the Caligula episode:

Listen to "Episode 178: Caligula (1979)" on Spreaker.

Listen to the Mission: Caligula episode:

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

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Subcribe to Maitland McDonagh's substack
Get your Tino Brass fix at Cult Epics
Read Alexander Tuschinski's analysis of Caligula
Buy Caligula: The Ultimate Cut on Blu-Ray -- Features commentary from Heather Drain!

Music:
"Caligula" - Edu Yattah
"Caligula Themed Music" - Lee Bannon
"Caligula Syndrome" - Soft Cell

Watch:

IsTintoBrass from Cult Epics on Vimeo.

Episode 677: Tank Girl (1995)

Special Guest: Rachel Talalay
Guest Co-Hosts: Dahlia Schweitzer, Rahne Alexander

Rahne Alexander and Dahlia Schweitzer join Mike to discuss Rachel Talalay's 1995 comic book adaptation, Tank Girl. The film stars Lori Petty as the titular heroine who takes on the Department of Water & Power in a post-Apocalyptic wasteland populated by scavengers, oppressed citizens, and mutant kangaroo men.

The trio discuss the film's mysterious R-rating, the path to the silver screen, and more. Director Talalay dishes about the behind-the-scenes turmoil she and the film endured.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 677: Tank Girl (1995)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Tank Girl on blu-ray
Buy Tank Girl Book One by Alan C. Martin & Jamie Hewlett
Buy the Tank Girl Soundtrack on CD

Music:
"Rebel Girl" - Bikini Kill

Watch:

Episode 554: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Special Guests: Mike Kaplan, Andrew Biswell
Guest Co-Hosts: Rob St. Mary, Yaniv Eidelstein

We kick off 2022 with a look at Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). Based on the 1962 book by Anthony Burgess, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, a teenager in the squalor of a futuristic London town where there ain’t no law & order. He’s a juvenile delinquent who eventually gets pinched for his crimes. While in prison he undergoes an experimental treatment that removes his free will but puts him on the straight and narrow only to find that all those he stepped on on his path to incarceration remember him... and not too fondly.

Your friend and faithful narrator comes to you with gorgeousness and gorgeousity made digital with my droogs, Rob St. Mary and Yaniv Eidelstein. Meanwhile, our guests include publicist Mike Kaplan and Anthony Burgess biographer Andrew Biswell.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 554: A Clockwork Orange (1971)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy A Clockwork Orange on Blu-Ray
Buy A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Buy The Real Life of Anthony Burgess by Andrew Biswell
Buy Murder in a Blue World on Blu-Ray
Watch Banana Mecannica NSFW!
Watch A Clockwork Orgy NSFW!
Visit the International Anthony Burgeess Foundation

Music:
"La Gazza Ladra" - Wendy Carlos
"Alex Descends Into Hell For A Bottle Of Milk/Korova 1" - U2
"Freedom of Choice" - DEVO
"Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement (Abridged)" - Ludwig Van Beethoven

Watch:

Episode 498: Mick Travis Trilogy (1969-1982)

Special Guest: David Wood
Guest Co-Hosts: Jonathan Owen, Samm Deighan

We're looking at three films by Lindsay Anderson that all star Malcolm McDowell as Michael “Mick” Travis; The Mick Travis Trilogy. In If.... (1968), Mick is the leader of a student revolution. In O Lucky Man (1973), he’s a coffee salesman. And, in Britannia Hospital (1982), he’s an investigative reporter. We’ll be talking about how Mick changes through the three films along with their possible connections and contradictions.

Samm Deighan and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss this unusual "trilogy". Mike also speaks to David Wood about his book Filming If.....

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 498: Mick Travis Trilogy (1969-1982)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy If.... on DVD
Buy O Lucky Man on DVD
Buy Britannia Hospital on Blu-Ray
Buy Going Mad in Hollywood: And Life with Lindsay Anderson by David Sherwin
Buy Never Apologize by Malcolm McDowell on DVD
Buy Filming If.... by David Wood (or get it cheaper via David himself

Music:
"O Lucky Man" - Alan Price

Watch:

Special Report: Mission Caligula (2018)

Special Guests: Kelly Holland, Alexander Tuschinski
Guest Co-Hosts: Maitland McDonagh, Rob St. Mary

On this special episode Maitland McDonagh and Rob St. Mary join Mike to discuss the latest developments to the continuing story of Tinto Brass & Bob Guccione's Caligula (1979) uncovered in the recent documentary Mission: Caligula (2018).

Director Alexander Tuschinski, working with Penthouse CEO Kelly Holland, have made some startling discoveries about the film that promise to thrill film fans.

Links:
Discover Maitland McDonagh's work at Riverdale Ave. Books
Give to Rob St. Mary's Detroit Punk Archive project

Music:
Score by Bruno Nicolai

Listen/Download Now:

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

Listen to the Caligula episode:

Listen to "Episode 178: Caligula (1979)" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Mission: Caligula from Alexander Tuschinski on Vimeo.

Episode 372: Figures in a Landscape (1970)

Guest Co-Hosts: Cullen Gallagher, Heather Drain

Robert Shaw and Malcolm McDowell are two men on the run from mysterious forces in Joseph Losey's Figures in a Landscape (1970). Adapted by Shaw from a novel by Barry England, the film is something of an artsy action movie.

Heather Drain and Cullen Gallagher join Mike to discuss the film... and learn a bit about themselves along the way.

Links:
Buy Figures in a Landscape on Blu-Ray
Buy Figures in a Landscape by Barry England
Learn more about The Ghost of Peter Sellers
Watch Popeye in Goonland

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 372: Figures in a Landscape (1970)" on Spreaker.

Music:
Score by Richard Rodney Bennett

Watch:

Episode 178: Caligula (1979)

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.

Listen / Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 178: Caligula (1979)" on Spreaker.

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.