| Messalina, Messalina! | |
| Director: | Bruno Corbucci |
| Producer: | Franco Rossellini |
| Screenplay: | Mario Amendola Bruno Corbucci |
| Story: | Bruno Corbucci Mario Amendola |
| Starring: | Anneka Di Lorenzo Vittorio Caprioli Giancarlo Prete Lino Toffolo Tomas Milian |
| Music: | Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis |
| Cinematography: | Marcello Masciocchi |
| Editing: | Daniele Alabiso |
| Studio: | Medusa Distribuzione |
| Runtime: | 100 min. |
| Country: | Italy |
| Language: | Italian |
Messalina, Messalina!, also known as Caligula II: Messalina, Messalina and Caligula: Sins of Rome, is a 1977 Italian sex comedy and sword-and-sandal spoof.
The film is not in fact a sequel nor a prequel to Tinto Brass's 1979 film Caligula. During the time that Caligula spent in post-production, the film's co-producer Franco Rossellini wanted to get usage from the $20,000,000 of sets and costumes used in Caligula, fearing that the film would never be released.
The sets and costumes, as noted in the film's opening credits, were those from Caligula, designed by Danilo Donati and used without his consent. Anneka Di Lorenzo, who plays the title role of Messalina, had played the same role in Caligula. Lori Wagner, who played Agrippina in Tinto Brass's film, also reprises her role.[1]
The film begins with Messalina (Anneka Di Lorenzo), the wife of Claudius (Vittorio Caprioli), who is now Emperor succeeding Caligula.
Most of the film revolves around Messalina's adulterous behavior, while Claudius remains blissfully unaware. Empress Messalina is having sex with every man in Rome except her husband Claudius, a traveler who has come to Rome looking for a good time, and a Roman con-man. It all ends in a comedic and gory bloodbath when Claudius comes home early and finds an orgy taking place in the palace. Claudius and his soldiers kill Messalina and all of the orgy participants.
The film was released in Italy on August 25, 1977.[2]