Oguri Shun (Crows Zero, Hana Yori Dango) stars as a mad emperor in acclaimed theater director Ninagawa Yukio's controversial stage production Caligula. Ninagawa's version of Albert Camus's famous play delves into the life, mind, and times of Caligula, the third emperor of the Roman Empire. Records of Caligula generally depict him as a cruel, wasteful, perverse, and insane tyrant who executed many, expended royal coffers, legislated on personal whims, and anointed himself a living god. First staged in 1945, Camus's influential play, however, interprets Caligula's actions not as insanity but as absurdity, deliberate and arbitrary abuse of authoritarian power in reaction to a meaningless world.

Wearing only a loincloth for much of the play, Oguri Shun bares his body and soul to portray the complex role of Caligula, breathing life into the historical anti-hero and the classic Camus production. Oguri Shun also previously appeared in Ninagawa's Shakespeare productions As You Like It, Hamlet, and The Comedy of Errors, but this is his most important and challenging stage role yet.

Shun's acting, you see a you different actor from dramas he has been in prior. Shun's voice was first of all very different. This ia a very difficult role to play, because one minute you have to cry another minute laugh. Since Shun's character Karigura is seen as a mad King after his sister died, the ups and downs of his emotions are very difficult to portray. Shun was very impressive in this... One minute you see him jumping here and there very angry, aggressive, wanting to hit out to others, raping his own royalty's wife with an evil grin on his face. Another minute he turned really quiet, didn't want to look at anyone in the eyes, body all curled up like in pain. His small actions were also interesting. Scenes with him shaking his hands/legs from extreme emotions within him but because his face was buried close to his body (curled up) he used such actions to depict emotions. The now very famous almost nude scenes with Shun just having one piece of cloth covering his vital parts, very erotic. I love one particular scene. Shun's character Karigura was in his room all full of mirrors (you will see this in one photo below) and he suddenly turned to the mirrors and started scolding himself, emotions very highly charged here. From the audience, you see the huge impact with the use of such mirrors. It's almost like you as the audience are mad too and you see a lot of yourselves all over the room because of the mirrors, making you even more mad and crazy. In a stage production, such effects are really essential and important, I feel. Overall, I am totally impressed with Shun's performance. No wonder Ninagawa looked for something to suit Shun, not the other way round. He wants to use Shun in his stage plays a lot because of Shun's ability to standout on stage and make an impact.

Preview:

Διάβαζα τις τελευταίες μέρες για άτομα στην πορεία της ιστορίας, ηγετικές μορφές, οι οποίοι είχανε μια γερή δόση τρέλας. Άλλοι πιο πολύ κι άλλοι πιο λίγο, ο καθένας με το δικό του είδος τρέλας. Ψυχοπαθείς και εγκληματίες, όλοι τους τρελοί και παλαβοί...

Ανθρώποι (εαν μπορεί κανείς να τους θεωρήσει τέτοιους) οι οποίοι εύχομαι να μην είχανε γεννηθεί.

Έκανα μια μικρή λίστα με 3 απ αυτούς, αν και έχω αφήσει έξω κι άλλες περιπτωσάρες για τις οποίες ίσως να γράψω μια άλλη φορά.

Ας πάμε να ρίξουμε μια ματιά στη λίστα...

Νέρωνας

Ο Νέρων Κλαύδιος Καίσαρ Αύγουστος Γερμανικός, είχε υιοθετηθεί απο τον μεγάλο θείο του Κλαυδιο για να τον διαδεχτεί στον αυτοκρατορικό θρόνο. Το 54μ.Χ, με το θάνατο του Κλαυδιου, ο Νέρων έγινε αυτοκράτορας της Ρώμης. Πολλοί ιστορικοί πιστεύουν οτι η 4η γυναίκα του Κλαυδιου, Αγριππίνα, τον δηλητηρίασε ωστε ο θετός της γιός Νέρων, να πάρει τη θέση του.

Τα πρώτα χρόνια κύλησαν ομαλά αφού ο Νέρων στα 16 του, επηρεαζόταν απο τους σύμβουλους του Σενέκα και Βούρο. Οταν ο Νέρων απέκτησε ερωμένη την Κλαυδια Ακτε (πρωην σκλάβα), η Αγριππίνα προσπάθησε να επέμβει στα προσωπικά του και αυτός την απέκοψε εντελώς, διαταζοντας την απομακρυνση της απο το παλάτι. Η Αγριππίνα, στραφηκε στον 3ο γιό του Κλαυδιου, τον Μπριτάνικο (ο οποίος θα τανε ο διάδοχος εαν ο Κλαυδιος δεν υιοθετούσε τον Νέρων)και ήθελε να προωθήσει την ιδέα οτι αυτός έπρεπε να είναι αυτοκράτορας, που ήταν αίμα και πραγματικός γιός του Κλαυδιου. Ο Νέρων, μια μέρα πριν ο Μπριτάνικος ενηληκιωθεί, τον δηλητηρίασε και τον σκότωσε. 

Τα επόμενα χρόνια μάζεψε όλη τη δύναμη της εξουσίας που μπορούσε στο πρόσωπό του, έδιωξε τους συμβουλους του, σκότωσε αυτούς που θεωρούσε εχθρούς μεταξύ αυτών την ερωμενη του Οκταβία, την ίδια του τη μητέρα, την αδερφή του Αντωνία και τη δεύτερη γυναίκα του την Ποππαία. Εξόντωσε ακόμα πολλούς λόγιους της Ρώμης, μεταξύ των οποίων και το δάσκαλό του  Σενέκα, τον οποίο υποχρέωσε να αυτοκτονήσει. Διοργάνωνε οργια, τα έξοδα των οποίων κάλυψε με δήμευση περιουσιών των Ρωμαίων και γενικά δεν δίσταζε να αφαιρέσει ζωές οταν ένιωθε να απειλείται.

Αποκορύφωση της τρέλας του αποτελεί η πυρπόληση της Ρώμης. Στην απόφαση αυτή κατέληξε με σκοπό να δημιουργήσει μία πηγή έμπνευσης στην... καλλιτεχνική του ιδιοφυΐα, που πίστευε ότι είχε. Στην πόλη, που αποτεφρώθηκε κατά το μισό, οι άνθρωποι έτρεχαν για να σωθούν, ενώ εκείνος από τον πύργο του Μαικήνα παρακολουθούσε και έπαιζε στην λύρα του στίχους του  Ομήρου (Ἰλίου πέρσις). Ο λαός τότε στράφηκε εναντίον του με απειλητικές διαθέσεις και ο Νέρων, για να αποφύγει τις συνέπειες, απέδωσε την ενέργεια στους Χριστιανούς.

Έτσι, ξεκίνησε ο πρώτος μεγάλος διωγμός των Χριστιανών (64 μ.Χ.). Πολλοί πιστοί σταυρώθηκαν, ρίχτηκαν στα σκυλιά, βασάνιστηκαν, κάηκαν ζωντανοί. Μεταξύ αυτών και οι απόστολοι Πέτρος και Παύλος.

Το 68μ.Χ ο Νέρων, ανακυρήχθηκε εχθρός της Ρώμης απ τη σύγκλητο και η τιμωρία ήταν θάνατος δια ξυλοδαρμού. Ο Νέρων ακούγοντας τους καβαλάρηδες να πλησιάζουν για να τον πάρουν, με τη βοήθεια του γραμματέα του Επαφρόδιτου, αυτοκτόνησε καρφώνοντας ένα μαχαίρι στο λαιμό του...

Καλιγούλας

Θείος του Νέρωνα (απ οτι φαίνεται η τρέλα ήτανε οικογενειακή υπόθεση), ο οποίος διετέλεσε αυτοκράτορας απ το 37 μέχρι το 41 μ.Χ. Μετά τα πρώτα 2 χρόνια σαν αυτοκράτορας, ο Καλιγουλας, έπεσε βαριά άρρωστος. Ο Φίλωνας ο Αλεξανδρεύς ήταν ο μονος ιστορικός που περιγραψε την αρρώστια του. Είχε γραψει οτι η ασθένεια αυτή, ήτανε αποτέλεσμα απ τα πολλά λουτρά, το σέξ & τα όργια και την υπερβολική κατανάλωση ποτού.

Ο Καλιγουλας ανάρρωσε αλλά ο Φίλων λέει οτι η εμπειρία του που τον έφερε τοσο κοντά στο θάνατο, ήτανε το σημείο που αλλάξανε όλα. Οταν κατάφερε να επανελθει, είχε πλέον τρελαθεί.

Σκότωσε αρκετούς πιστούς ακόλουθους οι οποίοι οταν ήταν άρρωστος, έιχαν πει οτι θα δώσουν τη ζωή τους για να γίνει καλα. Επίσης, έδιωξε τη γυναίκα του και ανάγκασε τον πεθερό και τον ξάδελφο του να αυτοκτονήσουν.

Την ίδια χρονιά, σκότωσε δικαστές και άρχισε να εκτελεί κατηγορουμένους χωρίς να περάσουν απο πλήρη δίκη. Το πιο τρανο παράδειγμα, ήταν η εξόντωση του Μάρκου, ο οποίος τον είχε βοηθήσει να γίνει αυτοκράτορας.

Μετά, αποφάσισε να ανοίξει τα θησαυροφυλάκια και να δώσει στον κόσμο, ώστε να τους βοηθήσει. Έτσι σε κάποιο σημείο, η οικονομία έφτασε σε σημείο κρίσης και ο Καλιγούλας, άρχισε να κατηγορεί ψευδός και να εκτελεί διαφορους για να κατάσχει τις περιουσίες τους. Πολλές επιτροπες και στρατιωτικοί, αναγκάστηκαν να δώσουν λεφτά και περιουσίες στο κράτος. Αυξήθηκαν οι φόροι και μέσα σε όλα τα άλλα, έβγαζε σε δημοπρασία τις ζωές των μονομάχων της Αρένας.

Το 39μ.χ ήρθε σε αντιπαράθεση με τη Σύγκλητο, με αποτέλεσμα να περάσει αρκετά μέλη της απο δίκη. Πολλοί πέθαναν και άλλοι χάθηκαν...

Πολλές φορές έπερνε το άλογο του στολισμενο με πετράδια στη Σύγκλητο και τους έλεγε οτι το άλογο του ήτανε καλύτερο απ αυτούς!

Το 40μ.Χ άρχισε να δείχνει την τρέλα του σε όλο της το μεγαλείο. Άρχισε να θεωρεί τον εαυτό του Θεό και πολλές φορές εμφανιζόταν ντυμένος σαν Ηρακλης, Απόλλωνας, ακόμη και σαν Αφροδίτη! αναφερότανε στον εαυτό του ως Θεός και στα δημόσια έγγραφα, αναφερότανε ως Κρόνος! Διαμόρφωσε μια μικρή περιοχή της Αυτοκρατορίας έτσι ώστε να ναι ο τόπος λατρέιας του και 2 ναοί στη Ρώμη δημιουργήθηκαν για να τον λατρεύουν. Ο ναός του Καστορ και του Πολυδεύκη είχε αφιερωθεί στον Καλιγούλα, ο οποίος εμφανιζότανε κατα καιρούς για να λατρευτεί. Το άλογό του, το διόρισε ιερέα του ναού! Με τον καιρό, είχε αναγκάσει τους πάντες να τον λατρεύουν ως ζωντανό Θεό! 

Πέρα απ τα πιο πάνω, ο Καλιγούλας πήγαινε με γυναίκες άλλων και το καυχιότανε, σκότωνε για διασκέδαση/ψυχαγωγία, έκανε σεξ με τις 3 αδελφές του (Αγριππίνα (θετή μάνα του Νέρων), Ντρουσίλα και Ιούλια Λιβιλα) τις οποίες προωθούσε και σε άλλους άντρες. Πηγές λένε οτι έστελνε τα στρατευματα του σε παράλογες ασκήσεις και είχε σχέσεις και με άντρες. Ενας απ αυτούς, ήτανε ο άντρας της αδερφής του Ντρουσίλας, τον οποίο και σκότωσε αργότερα. Ο Καλιγούλας άφησε την Ντρουσίλα έγκυο και την ανάγκασε να τον παντρευτεί. Δεν μπορούσε να περιμένει να γεννηθει το παιδί του και έτσι έβαλε να την ξεκοιλιάσουν!!!

Τον Ιανουάριο του 41, ο Καλίγουλας δέχτηκε 30 μαχαιριές απο συνομώτες, πολλοί απ αυτούς της φρουράς του και αρκετά μέλη της Συγκλήτου.

Ιβάν ο τρομερός

Ιβάν ΙV Grozny, ένας σκληρός τύρανος. Ήτανε μόλις 3 ετών οταν ο πατέρας του πέθανε. Ο Θείος του Γιούρι, διεκδήκησε το θρόνο αλλά φυλακίστηκε και πέθανε στα μπουντρούμια απ την πείνα. Η μητέρα του Ιβάν Γιελένα πήρε την εξουσία για τα επόμενα 5 χρόνια, ενώ εβαλε να σκοτώσουν και τον άλλο του θείο. Στα 5 χρόνια, η μητέρα του πέθανε απο δηλητηρίαση και ο έμπιστος της πρίγκηπας Ιβαν Ομπολένσκι, φυλακίστηκε και ξυλοκοπήθηκε μέχρι θανάτου.

Η μητέρα του δεν ενδιαφερόταν γι αυτόν και δεν έδειξε ποτέ αγάπη προς τον Ιβάν. Η αδελφή του Ομπολένσκι, Αγκραφένα ήταν η αγαπημένη του νοσοκόμα αλλά κι αυτή είχε σταλεί να κλειστεί σε μοναστήρι.

Χωρίς αυτήν, ο Ιβάν έμεινε μόνος. Στα 8 του χρόνια, ο Ιβάν ήτανε ένα έξυπνο και ευαίσθητο παιδί που αγαπούσε τα βιβλία.

Οι βογιάροι(boyars) στο παλάτι, οι οποίοι τσακωνόνταν για την εξουσία, παραμελούσαν και πολλές φορές κακοποιούσαν ακόμη και σεξουαλικά τον Ιβάν και τον κωφάλαλο αδερφό του Γιούρι. Τους άφηναν πεινασμένους, να φοράνε κουρέλια και πολλές φορές τους βασανίζανε.

Οι οικογένειες Σιουϊσκι και Μπέλσκοι τσακώνοντουσαν συνεχώς για την εξουσία και το παλάτι έγινε μέρος ξυλοδαρμών, φόνων και βιασμών. Ο Ιβάν δεν μπορούσε να κάνει κάτι εναντίων των τυράνων του και έτσι έβγαζε τα αποθημένα του σε ζώα τα οποία βασάνιζε και σκότωνε. Σιγά σιγά ο Ιβάν, άρχισε να τρελαινεται...

Ήτανε Δεκέμβριος του 1543, όταν ο 13χρονος Ιβάν διέταξε την σύλληψη του πρίγκηπα Αντρευ Σιουϊσκι, τον οποίο και έριξε στα σκυλιά να τον φανε. Ο Ιβάν ήτανε ένας διεστραμμένος νέος, γερός πότης και αδίστακτος.

Έριχνε ζώα απ το Κρεμλίνο και τα παρακολουθούσε να πεθαίνουν με αγωνία, ενώ με μια παρέα απο αλήτες γύριζε τους δρόμους πίνοντας, χτυπούσε γέρους, βιαζε γυναίκες. Πολλές φορες τα θύματα των βιασμών, τα  κρέμαζε, τα έθαβε ζωντανά ή τα έριχνε σε άγρια ζώα να τα φάνε. Επίσης απολάμβανε να κάνει επιδρομές και να ξυλοκοπάει τους αγρότες. Εν τω μεταξύ, συνέχιζε να διαβάζει πολλά βιβλία, τα περισσότερα θρησκευτικού (!!!) και ιστορικού περιεχομένου.

Πολλές φορές ριχνόταν μπροστά σε εικόνες, χτυπόντας το κεφάλι του στο έδαφος, ζητώντας συγχώρεση. Απο τα κτυπήματα, απέκτησε πολλά καρούμπαλα και σημάδια στο μέτωπο. Κάποτε, εξομολογήθηκε τις αμαρτίες του δημόσια στη Μόσχα.

Το 1547 στέφθηκε Τσάρος ολόκληρης της Ρωσίας και διέταξε να του φέρουν τις καλύτερες κοπέλες απο τις καλύτερες οικογένειες των ελίτ της Ρωσίας για να διαλέξει γυναίκα. Έτσι, παντρεύτηκε την Αναστασία Ρομανοβνα. Η Αναστασία είχε ένα ηρεμιστικό αποτέλεσμα πάνω στον Ιβάν ο οποίος άρχισε να ηρεμεί μετά το γάμο του. Μαζί της έζησε παντρεμένος για 13 χρόνια και του έκανε 6 παιδία, απο τα οποία μόλις 2 κατάφεραν να ζήσουν μετα τη βρεφική τους ηλικία...

Τα πρώτα χρόνια σαν Τσάρος, ήτανε ήρεμα αφού ο Ιβάν συμβουλευότανε 3 σοφούς και ενάρετους ανθρώπους. Τον Αλεξέϊ Αντάσιεβ, τον ιερέα Σιλβέτρο και τον μητροπολίτη Μακάριο. Αναδιαμόρφωσε την κυβέρνηση, τον στρατό και την εκκλησία, ενώ μείωσε τη διαθφορά και ελαχιστοποίησε την επιρροή που είχαν οι βογιαροι. Έφτιαξε μια επίλεκτη δύναμη, τους Στρέλτσι και έκανε πόλεμο με αποτέλεσμα την επέκταση στις γύρω περιοχές.

Εν μέσω των πολέμων, ο Ιβάν αρρώστησε βαριά και καλεσε τους πρίγκηπες και βογιάρους να ορκιστούν οτι σε περίπτωση που πέθαινε, θα στήριζαν τον γιό του (βρέφος ακόμη) Ντιμίτρι. Οι περισσότεροι αρνήθηκαν και οταν ο Ιβάν έγινε καλά, αποφάσισε να συγκεντρώσει να κυνηγήσει όποιον θεωρούσε εχθρό του. Μερικούς μήνες μετά την ανάρρωση του, επισκέφτηκε ένα μοναστήρι με τη γυναίκα του για να ευχαριστήσουν τον Θεό. Εκεί, ο Ντιμίτρι, έπεσε στον ποταμό και πνίγηκε. Πηγές λενε οτι έπεσε κατα λάθος απ τα χέρια της νοσοκόμας που τον πρόσεχε...

Το 1560, η Αναστασία πέθανε απο αρρώστια και ο Ιβάν υπέστη ένα γερό ψυχολογικό και αισθηματικό σόκ. Έκλαιγε και κτυπούσε το κεφάλι του, σπαζοντας έπιπλα μπροστά στους παρεβρισκόμενους. Η υποψίες του έγιναν παρανοϊκές και ο παλιός κακός εαυτός του, άρχισε να ξαναβγαίνει στην επιφάνεια. Μέσα στην κατάθλιψη και το θυμό του, αποφάσισε οτι οι βογιάροι ίσως να την δηλητηρίασαν και χωρίς να έχει βάσιμες υποψίες ή τεκμήρια έβαλε να βασανίσουν και να εκτελέσουν αρκετούς απο αυτόυς.

Ο Αλεξεϊ Αντάσιεβ πέθανε στη φυλακή, ο Σιλβέστρος εξορίστηκε, ενώ ο Μητροπολίτης Μακάριος πέθανε απο φυσικά αίτια το 1563.

Το 1564, ζήτησε να του δωθεί η απόλυτη δύναμη ώστε να τιμωρήσει όποιον θεωρούσε άπιστο και επικίνδυνο. Ο κόσμος του έδωσε το δικαίωμα αυτό και ο Ιβάν συγκρότησε τους Οπρισνίκι. Τα μέλη ήτανε διαλεγμένα απο τον ίδιο τον Ιβάν και ορκίστηκαν απόλυτη πίστη σε αυτόν. Οι περισσότεροι απ αυτούς, ήτανε εγκληματίες οι οποίοι διέπραξαν τρομερά εγκληματα.

Η παρουσία των Οπρισνίκι και μόνο, έσπερνε τον τρόμο. Ήτανε ντυμένοι με μαύρα και πάντοτε καβαλούσανε κατάμαυρα άλογα. Δεν δίστασε να τους στείλει ακόμη και σε εκκλησίες την ώρα της λειτουργίας για να σκοτώσουν ιερείς μπροστά στον κόσμο...

Επίσης, ίδρυσε μια νέα ψευδο-μοναστική τάξη. Ο Ιβάν ήτανε ο αρχιερέας και τα μέλη της Οπρισνίκι, οι 'μοναχοί' του. Έκαναν μεγάλες 'τελετές' με σφαγμούς, βασανισμούς, όργια και βιασμούς, καθώς μεθούσαν με ποτό. Πολλές φορές κρατουσε ζεματιστά σίδερα και τρυπούσε τα πλευρά των θυμάτων του. Μετά απο όλα αυτά, έπεφτε κτυπόντας το κεφάλι του στον βωμό ζητώντας συγχώρεση. Με το πάθος που κτυπούσε το κεφάλι του, συνήθως γέμιζε άιματα και σημάδια. Μετά, διάβαζε στους υπόλοιπους για τις Χριστιανικές αρετές... (Πολύ άρρωστος μαλάκας ο τύπος)

Απο τις χειρότερες πράξεις του, ήτανε το ότι διέταξε μια φτωχή γυναίκα να γδυθεί και την έκανε στόχο εξάσκησης για τους επιλεκτους του. Κουβαλούσε πάντοτε μαζί του ένα μακρύ ραβδί με μεταλική κοφτερή μύτη, με το οποίο χτυπούσε (συνήθως μέχρι θανάτου) όσους τον αψηφούσαν. Με αυτό το ραβδί, τρύπησε ένα χωριάτη και τον άφησε να πεθάνει ένα φριχτό και αγωνιώδες θάνατο, μπροστά στα έντρομα μάτια της μητέρας του. Όταν πέθανε, έδωσε τη μητέρα του σε 100 στρατιώτες οι οποίοι τη βίασαν και τη σκότωσαν. Σε μια άλλη απίστευτα φριχτή πράξη, διέταξε να πνίξουν εξατοντάδες ζητιάνους στα παγωμένα νερά μιας λίμνης. 

Ο υπεύθυνος του θησαυροφυλακίου, πέθανε μέσα σε ένα καζάνι με ζεστό νερό, ενώ ένας απο τους συμβούλους του κάτέληξε στην αγχόνη.

Το 1570 χωρίς αποδείξεις, (εμμονές είχε) θεώρησε οτι η Πόλη Novgorod, θα τον πρόδιδε και έτσι έσφαξε, ακρωτηρίασε, έκαψε, βασάνισε και παλούκωσε όλους τους κατοίκους, άντρες, γυναίκες και παιδιά. Τον δε αρχιεπίσκοπο της πόλης, τον έβαλε να τον φάνε τα σκυλιά αφού τον έραψε(!!!) μέσα στη γούνα μιας αρκούδας... Όλα αυτά τα έκανε μπροστά στα μάτια του γιού του. Η πολη ποτέ δεν ξαναστάθηκε στα πόδια της. Μετά απο μερικούς μήνες, η πόλη του Pskov, είχε την ίδια τύχη.

Όσο για την έγγαμη του ζωή μετά που έχασε την Αναστασία; Δεν θα μπορούσε παρά να αντανακλά τον άρρωστό, ανασφαλή και ανισόρροπο εσωτερικό του κόσμο. Το 1561 παντρεύτηκε την Μαρία Τεμριοθκόβνα αλλά σύντομα τη βαρέθηκε. Μετά το θάνατο της το 1569, παντρεύτηκε την Μάρθα Σομπάκιν αλλά κι αυτή πέθανε 2 εβδομάδες μετά το γάμο... Η τέταρτη του γυναίκα ήτανε η Άννα Κολτόβσκαγια, την οποία έστιλε να κλειστεί σε μοναστήρι το 1575. Παντρεύτηκε για 5η φορά με την Άννα Βασιλσικούρα, η οποία αντικαταστάθηκε απο την Βασίλλισα Μελεντιεβνα η οποία απέκτησε βλακωδώς εραστή. Ο εραστής κατέληξε καρφωμένος σε ένα παλούκι έξω απ το παράθυρό της και η ίδια επίσης σε μοναστήρι. Η έβδομμη του γυναίκα κατέληξε στραγγαλισμένη αφού μετά την 7η μέρα του γάμου του ανακάλυψε οτι δεν ήτανε παρθένα. Η 8η και τελευταία του γυναίκα ήτανε η Μαρία Ναγκαγια με την οποία παντρεύτηκε το 1581.

Ο μεγάλος γιός του Ιβάν, ο Ιβάν ο νεότερος είχε πολύ καλή σχέση με τον πατέρα του. Μέχρι που τον έφαγε και αυτόν! Πως; Ο Ιβάν ο νεότερος άφησε έγκυο την γυναίκα του, η οποία προκάλεσε το θυμό του Ιβάν-πατέρα επειδή τα ρούχα που φορούσε ήταν απρεπή κατα την γνώμη του! Έτσι ο Ιβάν ο τρομερός  χτύπησε με το ραβδί του άγρια την κοπέλα, σε σημείο που έριξε το παιδί! Ο Ιβάν νεότερος διαφωνησε έντονα με τον πατέρα του επι του θέματος. Ο Ιβαν ο τρομερός, σε μια απο τις πολλές στιγμές οργής του, κάρφωσε το ραβδί στο μέτωπο του γιού, ο οποίος έπεσε σε κόμμα για αρκετές μέρες πριν πεθάνει. Ο Ιβάν ο τρομερός, αντιλήφθηκε το τι έκανε μόνο όταν αντίκρυσε το φέρετρο του γιού του...

Αφού ο Ιβάν είχε σεξουαλικές επαφές και με τα 2 φύλα, ερευνητές ανακάλυψαν οτι πολύ πιθανόν να είχε σίφυλη, την οποία και προσπαθούσε να θεραπεύσει βράζοντας υδράργυρο και εισπνεοντάς τον στο δωμάτιό του. Σιγά σιγά εθίστηκε στον υδραργυρο και το αποτέλεσμα ήταν να δηλητηριαστεί απο αυτόν (υδραργυρία). Το δέρμα του έβγαζε φουσκάλες και βρωμούσε και στα τελευταία του χρόνια έπρεπε να τον κουβαλάνε.

Ο Ιβάν, πεθανε το 1584 καθώς ετοιμαζόταν να παίξει σκάκι. Μέχρι και τα τελευταία του έδειχνε τη σχιζοφρένεια του σε όλο της το μεγαλείο αφού συχνά, άφριζε σα λυσασμένο σκυλί και η διάθεση του άλλαζε κάθε δευτερόλεπτο...

Las vidas de los doce césares es una obra escrita por Suetonio que narra las biografías de los doce césares romanos.

Probablemente se publicó entre el año 119 y 122 de nuestra era.

Son biografías de doce césares, desde Julio César hasta Domiciano. La obra de Suetonio es la primera biografía, a la que la seguirán las demás. Este es el libro que más en cuenta se ha tenido para interpretar la moral romana, en esta época de degradación. El estilo es peculiar porque a Suetonio no le preocupa tanto la verdad como las historias, ya que no sigue un orden cronológico. Suetonio llena la estructura de anécdotas, no preocupándose de crear una personalidad para cada césar a la hora de recopilar estas anécdotas. Lo que ocurre es que no lo hace en orden a un carácter, sino que lo que intenta es unir los diferentes episodios.

Todas las vidas empiezan con un primer apartado que habla de sus padres y de sus primeros años. El segundo apartado, se ocupa de los años de poder; el tercero, de sus características personales y el cuarto, de la muerte del emperador. Como vemos, no sigue ninguna cronología. Las anécdotas se caracterizan por lo escandaloso y lo escabroso, pero él no se preocupa de investigar si lo que dice de los césares es verdad o es mentira.

La crítica posterior ha señalado que Suetonio perjudicó a aquellos emperadores que no eran favorables a su partido.

Los doce césares, cuya vida se describe en esta obra son:

1. Julio César
2. César Augusto
3. Tiberio
4. Calígula
5. Claudio
6. Nerón
7. Galba
8. Otón
9. Vitelio
10. Vespasiano
11. Tito
12. Domiciano

Su autor:

Suetonio. En latín Caius Suetonius Tranquillus (h. 69 - 140), historiador y biógrafo romano de la época del emperador romano Trajano. Estuvo en el círculo de amistades del propio Plinio el Joven y al final del mismo emperador, hasta que cae en desgracia por enemistarse con él.

Pincha AQUÍ para descargar el libro "La vida de los 12 Césares".

And now there's this regurgitated, reheated guff about Obama's vestigial connections with Bill Ayers, a former member of the Weathermen, an American homebrew terrorist group from the 60s/early 70s. While Ayers was infrequently associated with Obama in his early Chicago days, it should be noted that during the years of peak Weathermen activity Obama was the ripe old age of 9 (while Sarah was about 5). So what are we to make of this? That Obama was somehow osmotically or otherwise influenced by Weatherman activities before he hit his teens? If that's possible, then why isn't Sureshot Sarah also under the influence of gun-toting crazies? (heh heh....)

But this is dumb, box-of-rocks-wise. And hypocritical, since most folks know that John McCain's Vietnam activities involved (cough) bombing of residential areas in Hanoi and elsewhere. Oh yeah! So Obama is tarred by association with someone never convicted of killing anyone, yet McCain, civilian-bomber-extraordinaire, is a war hero. You betcha.

Where could this approach take us, eh? How about...

Shock Election News: Expert air analysts in the McCain camp confirm that Senator Obama has deliberately breathed air molecules once by inhaled by Adolf Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Saddam! Next up - water molecule analysis shows connections to Emperor Caligula, Pol Pot, and Noam Chomsky!!

Y`know, if all this were happening in a world without the internet, I think I'd probably go completely nuts, insane, bugf*ck as hell and getting in line for the rubber room. But knowing that this BIG DAMN noticeboard has little corners devoted to such wonders of focussed rage as Get Your War On, or the Daily Mash, is essential to resisting the isolation inherent in the international commodity carnival we have to confront day in day out. For enlightenment-through-anger see the following:

http://www.236.com/video/2008/get_your_war_on_news_cycle_1_9305.php

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/obama-defends-'creationist-psycho-bitch'-remark-200809111247/

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/international/obama-means-to-make-you-his-beeatch%2c-palin-tells-white-women-200810061302/

One is always free at someone else's expense. Absurd, perhaps, but that’s just the way it is.

- Caligula, Act II

In his retelling of the life of the Roman emperor Caligula, Albert Camus paints a portrait of a man who is confronted by the absurdity of life following the death of his sister and lover Drusilla. Caligula realises from this personal tragedy that men die and they are not happy, i.e. that life has no meaning nor purpose to it. Furthermore, to realise this, he decides, is to therefore become a truly free man. What makes Caligula so dangerous now, though, is that he decides to use the absolute power that he wields as Caeser to set his people free in a similar manner through suffering and death. His callous logic is chilling.

Caligula's first decree is to have the citizens of Rome disinherit their children in favour of the State. To speed up the process of such monies reaching the State's coffers, arbitrary executions are then ordered. Breezily Caligula explains how politicians have always robbed the general populace anyway and how his policy is simply to be upfront about it. Too afraid to stand up to him, Caligula's orders are carried out to the letter and, for the next three years, more and more people die as he inflicts humiliation, pain, and suffering on all around him.

Not that Caligula stops there. Having bloodied the earth, as Scipio thus accuses him, he spits on heaven by proclaiming himself Venus and calling upon the assembled senators to worship him. They do so without protest, such is their continued fear of him. Caligula, though, is calm and clear in the justification of his actions - the lives of men are a divine comedy for cruel gods and man can become a god by being as cruel as they are.

Ultimately, though, Caligula's reign of terror unites men against him. Cherea, the wisest of those who oppose him, outlines in simple terms why Caligula must be toppled:

Caligula is frightening because he's putting his power at the service of a deadlier passion. Losing my life is no small matter, but seeing it drained of meaning - that is unbearable! No one can live without justification.

The battlelines that will lead to the denouement are so drawn.

This production is directed by Conor Hanratty and uses a contemporary translation by David Greig. It is set on a sparsely arranged stage, surrounded on three sides by the audience, with limited use of colour - typically black, white, and grey. With physical acting also relatively limited, most of the focus is therefore on the dialogue. This, in turn, is well delivered by a young cast, with the central characters of Caligula, Cherea, Scipio, Helicon, and Caesonia all impressing.

Written by Camus at a time when totalitarian politics held sway across Europe, Caligula is a grim warning about the dangers of power and ideology, especially those that easily demand blood sacrifices in order to be enforced. Faced once more, as we are, with similar uncertainties and the temptation to listen more intently to extremeist opinion, it comes as no surprise that the play has enjoyed a recent revival.

This week's new film are somewhat overshadowed by both the re-releases and the TV box-sets but there is still plenty of good stuff about (discounting Made Of Honour of course) with the head of the pack being Woody Allen's much maligned but excellent Cassandra's Dream (reviewed here).  Elsewhere there is Neil Young's concert documentary CSNY Deja Vu and the pretty good Ghengis Khan biopic Mongol.

Moving onto the re-releases, this week sees two notoriously censor-baiting films getting full on special edition treatments.  First up, is the tour de force of cinematic uncomfort that is Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom.  Pasolini's 1975 reworking of the Marquis De Sade's book sees a group of Italian fascists humiliate and torture a group of young men and women and is grim stuff indeed but, if you can sit through it, there is a method to the madness.  Not one for repeat viewing (once is enough) but the release is crammed with enough info and insight about the film (including a very good Mark Kermode documentary) it is still worth space on your shelf.

Then we have Caligula.  Just as notorious for it's violence and sexual content (again packaged with enough extra / background material to warrant a purchase) this is a film that veers between the striking and the inane with a decent dollop of the insane thrown in - this adds up to a wildly uneven must see mess.

The final re-release (ish) this week is Zodiac: The Director's Cut.  To be honest with you the extra four minutes are pretty much negligible but it is a masterful film (Fincher's best in my view) and instead of the last vanilla disc this version is packaged with a feature length documentary about the real life case and plenty to get your teeth into regarding the production itself.

Plenty of good stuff on the TV front as well this week with Jericho: Series 2 bringing the nuclear bomb drama to a satisfying (if not as good as hoped) ending but the real gem is ITV's Lost In Austen.  After years of Austen adaptations and BBC's success with Life On Mars, it must have seemed like a bit of a commissioning no-brainer ("we've already got the costumes!") to send a modern girl into the near sacred Pride and Prejudice and wait for hilarity to ensue.  Of course this sounds positively awful but in a stroke of content over concept it was actually a very entertaining series crammed full of interesting plot twists, insightful humour and a willingness to upset some (if not all) of our expectations.

This review contains spoilers.

Lately, anyone would be forgiven for thinking that the BBFC were on drugs. The notoriously strict film classification board have, in the past year, passed uncut not only the one-time video nasty The Last House on the Left (Wes Craven, 1972), but also Tinto Brass's infamous Caligula.

Originally intended by its director to be a "sarcastic film" on the "orgy of power" in ancient Rome, Caligula became instead an explicitly pornographic film about the "power of orgy" in the hands of its producer, Bob Guccione, publisher of Penthouse magazine. Brass was banished from the edit suite by Guccione during post-production and Guccione edited the film himself, putting scenes in the wrong order and inserting hardcore porn sequences starring "Penthouse Pets" which he had shot himself. Brass sued Guccione and was allowed to have his director credit removed from the film. Instead he is credited as "Director of Principal Photography". Unsurprisingly, the film has met with controversy over the years in terms of its classification and censorship.

Caligula was originally granted an X certificate by the BBFC for its UK cinema release in 1980. All subsequent home video releases were pre-cut by the distributors with over 55 minutes of cuts made. This year, however, the BBFC - to the annoyance of Daily Mail readers everywhere - have decided that Caligula is of "historical interest" and so has been passed completely uncut. It is to be released in the UK on an Imperial Edition DVD on 29th September. The set will include the uncut version, the alternative version (as close as you can get to Brass's original vision) and the (very short) theatrical version. As it is the uncut version that has already been causing controversy, it is this version that I shall review here.

Uncut, Caligula is a highly uneven film. While aspects such as performances and design are outstanding, other aspects such as editing are - thanks to Bob Guccione - little more than amateurish. To top it off, the hardcore porn sequences are completely out of place and upset the tone of the entire film.

It may be surprising for people reading this review knowing nothing about Caligula that it stars such respected thespians as Malcolm McDowell, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole and Sir John Gielgud. All are fantastic but it is McDowell as the titular Emperor Caligula who delivers a tour de force performance. He perfectly encapsulates director Brass's vision of Caligula as an anarchist in power, a child given the most powerful Empire in the world to play with. He is both funny and psychotic, charming and frightening, childlike and sexually violent. Despite playing such a convincing maniac, McDowell manages to move the viewer with the more human aspects of Caligula's nature. When Caligula's sister Drusilla (Teresa Ann Savoy) - with whom he has an incestuous love affair - dies from a fever, his grief is actually touching. As Caligula's behaviour becomes more and more erratic, one cannot help feel for his desperate situation. He attempts to push his Senate into defying him, giving them increasingly crazy commands and becomes more and more frustrated when even whoring their wives and daughters does not force them into stopping him. That McDowell can make this character believable is astounding.

Unfortunately, in the uncut version, McDowell's performance is somewhat wasted and feels secondary to all of the onscreen sex and it is for this reason that one wishes Brass were allowed to complete the film himself. Bob Guccione's incompetence as a filmmaker comes to stark light in this version. His editing is atrocious. The graphic orgy scenes lensed by Brass are cold and clinical, filmed in a way to detach the viewer. The sex is far from sexy. It highlights the corruption and depravity of ancient Rome by constantly presenting sex without feeling, sex without eroticism, sex for sex's sake. The hardcore scenes lensed by Guccione are, by contrast, exploitative and, quite simply, don't belong in this film. His editing does not help matters. Scenes are in the wrong place and shots make no sense. It is the ultimate example of producer interference destroying a film.

If you want to watch a good (if sexually and violently explicit) film then I would recommend the alternative version of Caligula. It's the closest there will ever be to a director's cut. It removes most of the hardcore scenes and makes the most of the fantastic performances and sumptuous design. The uncut version is not a particularly entertaining film - I, for one, found it very difficult to watch. However, if you have any interest in British film censorship then it is definitely worth getting hold of, if only to see what can pass uncut with an 18 certificate today.

Rating: 6.1

Varför är det så att folk tror att jag skulle göra något jag inte vill göra?

Jag lever mitt liv så att jag aldrig gör något jag inte vill. Vill jag inte så går jag inte ens till jobbet men eftersom att arbete får mig att må bra så tycker jag om att jobba.

I helgen har det konstaterats att Jan Björklund är en blandning av Caligula & Hitler & att han snart kommer att försöka återinföra barnagan i skolan samt om han skulle bli justitieminister, införa dödsstraff i Sverige.

AIK Terror Stockholm har tydligen klivit upp ett steg. Från bus streck med träkors till att bete sig som tjejer & spotta på folk.
Kanske det blir en "Bitch my man ain't the father of your baby" lagom till Djurgårdsderbyt?

Jag ska köpa mig en ny mössa då jag hade tänkt att ha min orange mössa på jobbet.
Den jag har spanat in är minst lika ful & jag har kommit på att jag har en förkärlek för fula saker & vackra kvinnor.

En ful blivande vintermössa.

Apropå vackra kvinnor så kan jag rekommendera en blogg jag läser som är skriven av en tjej som heter DianaPeeee. Jag är inte alls mycket för att läsa om mode eller veckotidningsämnen men vad jag verkligen gillar att läsa om är när folk skriver om sig själva med självdistans & jag tycker att följande meningar vittnar om att hon har det;

När jag bodde hos mamma och pappa brukade jag ställa min cykel vid tunnelbanan då jag skulle till jobbet.
Och ofta då ja kom tillbaka hade någon förstört något på min cykel igen.
Haters? Hehe...
En gång låg det även en lapp vid cykeln.
"Var så god bimbo, här har du din söndertrasade cykel"...och då hade denne person klippt av kablarna (heter det så?) till bromsarna. Haha som jag skrattade.

Dessutom så har jag kommit på att hon & jag har någonting gemensamt.

Så här ser Diana ut ibland men oftast inte.

It's a pity Gingrich was not around when the Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by his nickname Caligula, reputedly named Incitatus as a consul and a priest. Incitatus was his horse.

Zing!

I'll have more to say about Palin's science gap later today, so for now, consider this a bit of entertainment to have with your mid-afternoon coffee and cookies.

(What?  You don't break for coffee and cookies around 3.  You should.)

And no doubt the Emperor had his sophistic apologists at the ready to defend his wise choice to outsiders. (And which, no doubt, shored up his populist and maverick standing, and the support of rural constituencies everywhere, and all those who love horses).

Analogously, Richard Cohen sees the sophistic surrogates of the McCain campaign rising to defend the indefensible today: John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as VP.

Money quote:

One of the great sights of American political life -- a YouTube moment if ever there was one -- was to see the doughboy face of Newt Gingrich as he extolled the virtues of Sarah Palin, a sitcom of a vice presidential choice and a disaster movie if she moves up to the presidency: "She's the first journalist ever to be nominated, I think, for the president or vice president, and she was a sportscaster on local television," Gingrich said on the "Today" show. "So she has a lot of interesting background. And she has a lot of experience. Remember that, when people worry about how inexperienced she is, for two years she's been in charge of the Alaska National Guard."

It's a pity Gingrich was not around when the Roman Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, better known by his nickname Caligula, reputedly named Incitatus as a consul and a priest. Incitatus was his horse.

John McCain's selection of Palin, which I first viewed with horror, could now be seen in a different light. Based on various television interviews over the Labor Day weekend -- and a careful reading of the transcripts -- it is possible that this is McCain's attempt to make fools of his fellow Republicans. He has succeeded beyond all expectations.

Gingrich's point about Palin being commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard has been echoed throughout the GOP. In fact, even Cindy McCain pointed out -- rightly enough -- that Alaska is across the Bering Strait from Russia and so Palin, by deduction, has been on the front lines of the Cold War . . . had it not ended in 1989.

Still, you have to admit that in all that time, especially since Palin became governor about two years ago, no Russian invasion force has come across the strait, maybe because she was in charge of the Guard, maybe because she herself is a hunter and an athlete. The record is unclear because no high-ranking Russian appeared on any of the weekend talk shows to say how they had considered an invasion of Alaska and then backed off when Sarah Palin became commander in chief of the Alaska National Guard. Who could blame them?

Just to show that he would not ask of others what he would not do himself, McCain came before Chris Wallace to sing Palin's praises. He said that he had "watched her record . . . for many, many years" which is, a prudent man might say, more years than she's had a record. McCain, as a fellow military man, did not mention Palin's tenure as the supreme commander of the entire Alaska National Guard, maybe because he thought it speaks for itself. If that's the case, he's right.

Probably the most depressing thing about Palin is not her selection but the defense of it. It has produced a parade of GOP spokesmen intent on spiking the needle on a polygraph. Looking right into the camera, they offer statement after statement that they hope the voters will swallow but that history will forget. The sum effect on the diligent news consumer is a feeling of consummate contempt for the intelligence of the American people -- a contempt that will be justified should Palin be the factor that makes McCain a winner in November.

One of the more heroic efforts at Palin worship came from the commentator-columnist William Kristol, the former chief of staff for Vice President Dan Quayle. He had to use the code word "traditional" three times in a single sentence to make his point: "It's a pretty amazing story of personal success, being at once a traditional woman who broke all of these traditional barriers, kind of the best of both worlds, if you believe in traditional values."

For the full article see here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090101715_pf.html

Bloomberg News reports:

The video that will introduce Obama was made by Oscar award-winning documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, director of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' which chronicled Vice President Al Gore's campaign against climate change.

Very fitting, because the "inconvenient truth" about Barack Obama is that while he is long on wind, he is low on substance and American voters aren't as stupid as he'd like to believe. --SUGAR

So, who is actually in charge in New Zealand? Helen [Caligula] Clark's rotten govt., or her brothers in crime, Chinese 14K Triad gang?

Here's how the story of the five-year-old Cina Ma (aka, Xin Xin), a recent kidnap victim fleeing New Zealand, first broke out:

Family of kidnapped girl flees country in fear

(Source: Stuff New Zealand/ NZPA)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4659119a11.html
Monday, 18 August 2008

"The family of kidnapped schoolgirl five-year-old Cina Ma has fled the country after fears of retaliation action by Triad gang members.

"Cina's aunt Hong Zhou confirmed yesterday Cina, her mother and other family members had returned to China after allegations members of the 14K Triad gang had been involved in the abduction.

"The family felt they had no choice but to return to China, Ms Zhou told The Herald on Sunday.

"They were in genuine fear for their lives and thought it best to go back to their homeland.

"'They just don't feel safe any more,' she said."

Xin Xin was kidnapped outside her home in Auckland's North Shore on July 14, bundled into a car and driven away. She was found five days later in a walk-in wardrobe in an unoccupied house near her home.

Deqiong Deng, 25, a real estate agent was charged with kidnapping and holding her for ransom.

"Last night police told the Herald ... that given what had occurred, they were not surprised."

Well now, that's really food for thought! Why should police have anything to do with ensuring the safety of the citizens [Ok, they were Chinese and therefore regarded as "half people" among the elite circles. But, surely, two of them, Xin Xin and her Ma should make a full person!]

Then the halfwit morons in the government finally discovered their own bloomer!

What good is a government if it cannot protect its citizens, albeit the Chinese "half-people?" How can they continue keeping up the false pretense that NZ is a safe country AND persuade more wealthy "half-people" to come over, if Xin Xin has already left?

Back to the drawing board: Deny, deny, deny everything!

The police sisterhood immediately denied that Xin Xin had left the country. And Xin Xin's plane was ordered to return to Auckland [Ouch!]

The new "news" report cited a North Shore police spokesman saying, "the reports were not correct." "The family are still in Auckland."

Stuff NZ/NZPA reported:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4660418a11.html
Cina Ma family fleeing reports denied
Monday, 18 August 2008

"Police say the family of kidnapped five-year-old schoolgirl Cina Ma is still in the country, despite reports they had fled amid fears of retaliation action by Triad gang members."

And if you don't believe the incompetent, perfidious New Zealand police force, or the corrupt government of Helen [Caligula] Clark, pick up the phone and call Xin Xin's aunt, Hong Zhou, for a confirmation!

Tapi rasanya cuma penasaran saja sama hal-hal yang berbau seksual, jadi kalo masuk kategori pervert sebenarnya yah setengah-setengah kali yah...ngomong-ngomong pervert, mungkin sebenarnya rasa penasaran saja kali sebenarnya, dan sejak SD-SMP dahulu, yah benar SD dan SMP dahulu!, ada beberapa film yang kategorinya sangat dewasa yang membuat saya penasaran untuk menontonya...

Sebentar...sebentar...kok bisa anak SD-SMP tahu soal film dewasa?, er mungkin karena informasi yang saya dapat ketika saya mencuri-curi baca, kalau nggak bisa di bilang mengintip "koleksi" majalah dewasa import punya oom-oom saya, walaupun mereka simpan rapih tetapi toh saya yang nakal ini berhasil menemukannya. Sebagian lagi mungkin dari majalah Time dan Newsweek yang ada di rumah kakek saya. Dan karena saya suka membaca jadi banyak informasi tentang film-film tersebut yang saya terima, tanpa mereka sadari huahahahahaha...tertawa iblis!

sebenarnya ada tiga film "besar" yang membuat saya penasaran, dan akhirnya baru belakangan ini saya bisa memenuhi rasa penasaran saya terhadap mereka. Ketiganya adalah Caligula, Deep Throat dan Emmanuelle...

Caligula (1979), adalah film pertama dan terpenting yang membuat saya penasaran mengejarnya...Seingat saya pertama kali saya mengenal film ini dari majalah dewasa Amerika, Penthouse, yang saya temukan di antara koleksi majalah dan kliping gambar “orang dewasa” milik sahabat-sahabat saya, yang entah mengapa akhirnya semua dikumpulkan didalam tas saya, dan disimpan di bawah tempat tidur saya, ketika saya tinggal di Menteng dahulu…

Tapi saya tidak mau cerita soal legenda tas itu, tapi balik lagi ke Caligula…

Caligula sendiri hanya saya kenal dari iklan VHSnya, di halaman belakang salah satu majalah Penthouse itu. Dan kalau saya tertarik karena konten pornografinya, wah salah besar…Posternya hanya mengambarkan sebuah mata uang bergambar sang kaisar Caligula dengan mata berdarah…

Tapi mungkin kalimat bombastis yang menyertainya membuat saya tertarik memburu film ini, embel-embel bahwa film ini sangat kontroversial hahahahaha…

Caligula sendiri film yang memang kontroversial, baik dari isinya sendiri, kisah hidup sang kaisar Romawi, para pemainnya yang bukan pemain film kacangan, paling tidak saat ini mereka bukan pemain film kacangan, hingga proses produksinya yang penuh liku…

Sebenarnya film yang berdasarkan novel karya Gore Vidal ini pada awalnya tidak dimaksudkan untuk mengumbar hanya pornografi dalam film belaka, walaupun sutradara awalnya Tinto Brass, yang dikenal sebagai sutradara yang gemar membuat film genre soft porn. Tetapi penuhnya beragam adegan dewasa dalam film ini lebih banyak diakibatkan campur tangan Bob Guccione, pemilik majalah Penthouse, yang merupakan penyadang dana dari pembuatan film ini, yang memakai film ini sebagai alat promosi majalahnya, dengan menambah banyak porsi adegan porno dalam film ini.

Caligula, yang diperankan dengan baik oleh Malcom McDowell, bercerita tentang kisah kebangkitan dan kejatuhan kekuasaan kaisar Gaius Caesar Germanicus, dari Romawi. Film Caligula ini menitik beratkan pada kisah “kegilaan” sang kaisar beserta kebejatan bangsa Romawi kala itu.

Sejujurnya saya tidak tahu, bagaimana cerita dan sebagaimana brutal pornografinya…hingga akhirnya saya berhasil menonton film ini…ketika saya baru mulai bekerja, sembilan tahun yang lampau…Dan reaksi pertama kali saya nonton ini “Ya ampun! gila banget film ini!” bagaimana tidak? Semua perilaku seks yang ada dalam kamus seks, kalau ada, semuanya ada disini!, dan penggambarannya sama sekali tidak erotis, layaknya film-film porno yang pernah saya lihat. Sehingga sangat terasa sekali kebejatan bangsa Romawi masa itu.

Dan bukan hanya itu, tetapi juga digambarkan secara gamblang kesadisan bangsa Romawi, terutama sang kaisar, Caligula. Bagaimana cara sang kaisar membantai lawan-lawanya, dengan mengunakan mesin penggal layaknya mesin pemotong rumput. Pokoknya saya terkesima sekaligus terpana dan miris menonton film ini. Terkadang sangat menjijikan tapi dilain sisi sangat membuat penasaran untuk menontonya sampai habis…Tapi saya tidak mau membahas banyak tentang film ini, nantilah dibagian review, kalau sempat. Soalnya saya rada terganggu sama dua anak mahasiswa yang pacaran di depan saya ini…di food court PIM 2…

Film kedua yang menjadi incaran saya karena saya penasaran dengan review dan pemainnya adalah Deep Throat (1972), yang memakai aktris Linda Lovelace sebagai aktris utamanya.

Bagaimana tidak?, Deep Throat mungkin adalah film porno hardcore pertama yang ditayangkan di bioskop-bioskop Amerika Serikat, bukan bioskop khusus film dewasa, dan film ini juga bisa dibilang benih berseminya film-film berbau pornografi di Amerika Serikat di era 70an.

Ceritanya sendiri, yah sebagaimana lazimnya film porno, tidak ada plot yang cerdas, dungu malah, dan membuat saya terbahak-bahak. Jangan harap Linda Lovelace cantik, dahsyat sehingga membuat birahi ketika menontonya, buat saya jauh kalau dibandingkan dengan Teresa Ann Savoy, pemeran Drusilla, dalam film Caligula.

Deep Throat sendiri menceritakan permasalahan yang dialami Linda, yang tidak pernah merasa terpuaskan nafsu seksnya hingga mencapai orgasme, walaupun melakukan hubungan seksual secara intes dengan beberapa orang partner. Dan setelah melawati serangkai eksperimen dan konsultasi, akhirnya diketahui bahwa masalahnya terletak pada posisi klitoris Linda yang tidak sebagaimana lazimnya wanita normal, yang berada pada alat kelaminnya, tetapi terletak di nun jauh di dalam tenggorokan Linda. Solusinya? Linda baru dapat terpuaskan jika melakukan fellatio kepada partnernya.

Absurd? Oh ya sangat! Saya sampai terpingkal-pingkal menontonnya. Belum lagi menonton akting kacangan semua pemainnya, jauh lebih meyakinkan akting tolol ala Peter North, Ron Jeremy, Savannah, dan lainnya. Belum lagi illustrasi musik dalam film ini, oh Tuhan ku betapa bahagianya saya tertawa menonton film ini…Nggak heran kalau Trey Parker dan Matt Stone, pencipta serial kartun South Park, sangat tergila-gila pada absurditas film ini, sehingga suka memakai film ini sebagai referensi dalam adegan beberapa episodenya.

Oh ya saya akhirnya berhasil menonton film ini beberapa hari yang lalu, berkat Torrent. Walaupun lumayan lama menunggunya, tapi rasanya puas akhirnya saya bisa nonton film ajaib ini…Dan bukan cuma Deep Throat ini yang berhasil saya unduh lewat Torrent, tapi juga film ketiga yang saya incar dari dulu ini, Emmanuelle (1974).

Emmanuelle merupakan film pertama dari tujuh film yang mengambil Emmanuelle sebagai tokoh utamanya. Emmanuelle sendiri berkisah tentang perjalanan hidup Emmanuelle, seorang model foto yang naïf yang mengikuti suaminya yang berkerja di Bangkok, lebih tepatnya perjalanan eksplorasi seksual yang dialaminya di Bangkok, lengkap dengan scen go-go bar Bangkok dengan segala aksi ajaibnya, termasuk akrobat seorang perempuan, merokok melalui alat kelamin, oh wow! Segala penasaran saya ke Pathpong kemarin, ketika saya ke sana, terbayarkan sudah.

Emmanuelle-pun dibandingkan dengan Deep Throat memang sangat berbeda, genrenya pun softcore, dan memiliki plot cerita serta akting para pemainnya yang tidak seburuk akting sembarangan Deep Throat, yang nggak jauh berbeda dengan akting aktor-aktris pemain sinetron di TV kita kini...

Emmanuelle sendiri merupakan salah satu film buatan Perancis bergenre softcore yang laris dalam pemutarannya. Ini terbukti dengan lama tayangnya film ini di bioskop-bioskop di Paris, Perancis. Dan karena itulah saya tertarik untuk tahu tentang apa sih sebenarnya film ini…

Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi film-film bergenre softcore/hardcore yang membuat saya penasaran, salah satunya seperti “Story of O”, “Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Porno”, dan lain-lain, tetapi tiga film diatas ini lah yang wajib saya buru dahulu…

Dan sebenarnya kalau mau jujur sih, lebih menyenangkan nonton film softcore-softcore begini, kecuali Deep Throat yang hardcore, ketimbang nonton film-film jebolan Vivid dan Private yang total hardcore, yang sangat membosankan sehingga harus tetap menekan tombol fast forward pada remote control DVD saya…

Penasaran? Selamat menorrent!

Title

I had seen mum when she got worreid but I never saw her like this, this was worse. I said "mum, its time to get up, don't you want your breakfast" but she just talked really quietly so I could hardly hear, it was like she was yawning, she said "I think I'll just stay here, Lawrence, I'm a bit tired." I said "but you can't mum, we've got to go to Rome, remember" but she didn't say anything, she just lay in her bed looking up at the cieling with her eyes. I could feel my breathing going fast and Jemimas lips were going all wobbly like she would cry, she said "whats gone wrong with mummy" and I didn't know what to do, I thought "what about our breakfast?" I thought "I don't know where we get it, we can't go without mum" and suddenly I wanted to cry too. But then I thought of something, it was like I just notised it, I thought "I cant get upset too actually or there will be nobody left."

When We Were Romans is a story of a family in crisis, fleeing from their home to escape the children's stalking father as told by nine-year-old Lawrence. Through Lawrence's eyes we witness and feel the life of a child who has no choice or control in his life and must go with and take care of his mentally ill mother. In this, Lawrence is both a helpless child desperate for his mother's affection and care giver who must watch her carefully, always ready to do or say whatever he must to keep her from slipping into a deep depressive state.  (I kept wondering if she was a bipolar, borderline personality, or had paranoid schitzophrenia.)

It is heartbreaking to watch Lawrence struggle with being a typical older sibling who feels his baby sister is favored (and sometimes he's right, as Jemima screams and bites until their mother gives in), and with being the man of the family, responsible for Jemima's care and his mother's safety. Several times his mother loses herself and Lawrence feels panicked about what he could do as a child.

As the book progresses, Hannah (mum) descends deeper into her delusions. When her friends disagree with her and try to get her to see that what she says is not possible, she tells Lawrence their father has turned them against her. She finally comes unhinged as she is certain their father has taken up residence in the building next door, sneaks in their house and poisons the food, and at one point she tells Lawrence he's poisoned their tap, too. When Lawrence expresses his doubts about what his mother says, Hannah withholds love and affection until he finally gives in and agrees to everything she tells him.

A bit later the door opened and mum looked in, she was still cross, I could see it. She said "hurry up Lawrence, we're going out to get some breakfast at a cafe." I thought "that's strange, why does she want to go outside to a cafe when shes worried dads out there?" But then when I got up I saw there were two garbage bags by the door and I understood, I thought "oh yes of course, mum has thrown away all our food in case its poissoned, so we have to go out." I thought "I hope it really is poissoned or thats a big waste of food"

For me, this was a hard read. Not in the sense of densness or poor writing, Kneale is an amazing writer, never jumping out of Lawrence's voice, and the language was so simple, just like a nine-year-old would write. What made it hard was that I've had a past where I was a mom and struggled with mental illness at the same time. It's amazing how much children see and understand that, years later, I'm still shocked and embarrassed by the things they remember. To understand what young Lawrence is feeling, both dependant and caretaker, always tiptoeing around to see how mum's feeling at this minute, which could turn 180 degrees the next. To hear his frustration, hurt, anger, and devotion breaks my heart for him... and for my kids, as well.

Also sprinkled throughout the book are scientific stories about space, Emperors and Popes. These are different tidbits from the books Lawrence was reading and at first seemed non-sequiter, but as I began to try to figure out how they fit within the text (I was certain an author of Kneale's talent would just throw them in for filler) I began to see how they reflected what was going on for Lawrence. As he talks of "The Great Attractor" and the sun expanding out and burning up the earth before imploding on itself, I can see this references the pull his mother had on him. The stories of Popes and Emperors displayed madness and murder at it's nth degree. The story of Nero trying to kill his mother Agrippina is was particularly interesting as I couldn't help but wonder if this was Lawrence's subconscious wish.

Amazingly simplistic and deeply intuitive, When We Were Romans is a prize worthy work. However, if you are put off by spelling and grammatical errors, I do not recommend it. As I said, it is written from Lawrence's point of view and is full of the type of mispelling and grammar trouble typical of a child. But if you are able to look past that and enjoy books of family drama and suspense, then I definitely suggest adding When We Were Romansto your own Mt. TBR.   4.5 stars out of 5   This story will be with me for a while.

From the top down this was only three years before the execution of the Christian Messiah – Jesus Christ.  But this must be put into perspective.  The death of Jesus at the time had no impact upon the world outside of his family, very small band of followers and agitated opponents in Jerusalem – an unimportant distant outpost in the Roman Empire.  Think of some local in modern Croatia, Bulgaria or Outer Mongolia being killed by a small mob of angry townsfolk – it would not even appear as a blip on the radar screen of modern media.

Therefore if ages regurgitated events along a similar timescale as previous ages, anyone in the world today fulfilling the role of Jesus would be unknown, out of the public eye, and their death would go as unnoticed as did the death of Jesus in the year 30.  Nevertheless at the time of Jesus’ death, akin to our year 2011, a very specific astrological signature was present.  This signature is based on the signs Scorpio and Pisces. 

Since the late 1960s, Scorpio has been the key sign within the Age of Aquarius, and will remain in this powerful position until midway through the next century when Libra takes over.  Whenever a smaller Scorpio period arrives within this major Scorpio period the results are magnified.  At the same period in the last age, the most powerful time for Scorpio was 29 – 34 AD while in this age a similar status exists from 2010 to 2015. 

How is Scorpio related to Jesus?  Most astrologers relate the sign Pisces to Christianity and Jesus due to the symbol of fish used by early Christians and various analogies to fish in the stories, parables and life of Jesus.  However very little in astrology is the preserve of only one zodiacal sign despite the confidence trick played onto the general public by sun-sign astrological columns in newspapers and magazines.  Scorpio takes rulership of death, rebirth, regeneration and inner experiences.  All these Scorpio trademarks are closely associated with Jesus.  Jesus and Christianity at the early stage was an amalgam of Pisces and Scorpio.

The critical issue at the death of Jesus from a predictive astrological context is the conflict and discord that was created in this small Jewish settlement by the new Christian/Jewish cult.  One of the key signs associated with Jews is the sign Taurus.  Coincidentally the signs Taurus and Scorpio are opposite.  What this means for Jews is that a Scorpio period created dissension within and without.  Enemies are at their throats (i.e. the Roman Empire) and dissension exists within with new cults (i.e. Christianity amongst others).

Taking a leaf out of the Scorpio period 29 – 34 AD the same stress and pressures should be expected by Jews and Israel in the period 2010 to 2015 (even 2009).  Jewish interests around the world and Israel in particular can expect to have to deal with the enemy without, and possibly dissension within.  The last time Israel encountered a powerful Scorpio time was from 1962 to 1978 - the peak of Scorpio power from the end of the Scorpio sub-age.  During this time Israel had to deal with the 1967 Six-Day War, the 1972 Munich Olympic Games hostages and deaths, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War amongst a medley of attacks by the PLO and related groups.  Another potent Scorpio time is on the way for Israel.

Will Israel attack Iran, or will Iran attack Israel?  Will Hamas deal a mighty blow against Israel or will Israel drive Hamas out of Gaza?  The details are uncertain, but what is sure from the astrological age’s standpoint, the aggressor is not favoured (see Will There be Peace in the Age of Aquarius?).  Alternatively or additionally it is possible that the hawks and doves within Israel may be at odds with each other and that internal dissension is the order of the day.

Another interesting development occurred in Rome in the former Scorpio period when in the year 33 the Roman Emperor Tiberius founded a credit bank offering interest-free loans to offset a severe financial crisis. Real estate values plummeted, and interest rates increased leading to a crisis of confidence severely affecting the upper classes and wealthy.  Many wealthy Roman families were ruined by this credit crunch.  Sounds familiar? 

The year 33 is akin to our 2014.  Scorpio is rarely a good sign for banks, money, wealth and the wealthy as they are ruled by Taurus – Scorpio’s opposite sign.

The recent sub-prime and banking crisis originating in the USA may be the preview for a more serious banking and financial crises that may hit between 2010 and 2015.  The Roman experience supports this.

One final note on this time last age.  The current Cancer micro-age affects 2000 – 2019 while the former Cancer micro-age one age ago affected the years 19 to 49 AD.  This period covered the Roman Emperors Tiberius (reign 14-37) and Caligula (reign 37-41).  Tiberius was depressed, reserved and “the gloomiest of men”.   Caligula was considered an insane tyrant who was cruel, extravagant and sexually perverse.  The next insane Roman emperor was Nero but he came later.  The relationship between these mentally troubled Roman emperors and Cancer is that Cancer is one of the key signs that indicate insanity, lunacy and depression.

It is extremely possible and probable that in our modern Cancer period covering 2000 - 2019 that some significant world leader or leaders will also be insane or severely depressed.  Time magazine recently reported that huge numbers of US soldiers in Iraq are being given anti-depressants – the seeds of Cancer are being sown!  This reflects the massive number of people in Western societies taking anti-depressants.    Certainly there has been a spate of shootings by mentally troubled people in recent times.  However the world has not even arrived at the strong point for Cancer yet.

The likelihood of adverse mental health issues affecting the world today is far greater than in the last age because Aquarius is another sign that indicates mental problems.  Aquarius plus Cancer equals a double whammy.  The worst time in the period 2000 -29 for mental health issues to negatively affect the world is the period 2015 – 20 but the tempo is quickening every year from 2007 to 2015.  Hopefully one of these depressed or mentally deranged people will not have their finger on the big button.  The mad Roman Emperors could murder and create havoc but they did not have access to atomic weapons that can create so much misery.

This less than flattering picture of my old mucker Aidan Smith appeared in Scotland on Sunday's Spectrum magazine at the weekend.

Now Aidan is a chiselled and handsome sort and I have posted before  (click here) about the many times in his illustrious newspaper career he's been on the wrong end of a camera. Aidan's been photographed as a transpotting geek, a Klingon on a Glesgae cooncil bus and as a full frontal nudist.

However, this see-you-jimmy-bunnettedhorrorshow tops the lot. Not an attractive image.

Still, at least this time Aidan has the best possible reason for agreeing to be done up like a dug's dinner for photographic purposes. He was helping promote his latest book, Union Jock, published by Random House.

It charts Aidan's time during the 2006 World Cup campaign when he defied every fibre of his passionate, football-mad Scotsman's being to support the Auld Enemy. And it is a natural progression from his first published book, when the lifelong Hibs fanatic spent a year supporting arch-rivals, Hearts.

That first book, Heartfelt, was magic and I hope his latest work gets his crafted writing to an even bigger audience. Certainly it has already had winning reviews in both The Scotsman (click here) and The Metro (click here).

But Aidan isn't alone amongst my old journalistic acquaintances who have got brand new books out right now.

I don't know what the collective noun is for journalists-turned-novelists, so I'm going to call it a rash. Must be something in the water, because there is definitely a rash of hack-to-paperback publishing events right now.

Last month marked the book launch of Caligula, by Douglas Jackson. Reviews suggest it is a compelling historical thriller, starkly bringing to life the sights, sounds and smells of ancient Rome during the reign of its most notorious, mad emperor.

Mild mannered Dougie got his inspiration after hearing a chance account of how a live, Roman-era elephant was transported to ancient Britain and must surely have put the wind up the barbarian natives. Intrigued, he put in a bit of historical detective work, established the story was, indeed, based in fact and soon had the idea for his novel.

Then he got down to the tricky job of writing it - on the train as he travelled to and from his home in Bridge of Allan to his job as an assistant editor on The Scotsman. But you can read a lot more about all that here, in an excellent article by one of Dougie's colleagues at The Scotsman.

I was lucky enough to work with Dougie on the back bench of the Daily Record for a brief period a the end of the 90s. He was a top operator and, to his eternal credit, retained his deft nice-guy touch when it would have been much easier to advance his career by being, well, not such a nice guy.

For the first time in half a dozen years I caught up with him recently and he tells me he already has several follow-up Roman novels in the bag, as well as another book project with a grittier, contemporary, crime theme. All of which, I suspect, are likely to be every bit as successful as Caligula.

He has even charted his career from aspiring writer to successfully published novelist on his blog, here 

Last, but not least, a pal in Newcastle dropped me an email to advise me of yet another former journalistic colleague who has secured a publishing deal for an intriguing work of fiction.

This time it is Nick Brownlee, with whom I worked at the Newcastle Chronicle in the early 1990s. At that time he was an idle-but-talented features writer, who got away with murder because he was a born charmer and wrote hilarious columns. Most notable at the time was his weekly diary of fictional Geordie slacker, Bob Brush.

Later his career took him to Fleet Street, though these days he runs the Hadrian News and Featurespress agency in Cumbria and provides a regular diet of exclusives to the Scottish Mail on Sunday, where his good pal Jamie Macaskill is the long-standing news editor.

Crikey - did I say "idler"? I take that back, because even a perfunctory Google search shows that Nick has penned loads of books. Everything from trivia about Britain, to books about addiction, cannabis the Tour de France and cricket.

Despite carving a successful media career, being a dutiful husband and dad and being a prodigious producer of non-fiction, he's somehow found the time and energy to write a crime novel. Set in Mombassa, Kenya. The book is called Bait .

It's already earned a rave review from Mark Billingham, who is up there with Ian Rankin as Britain's most successful crime writer (read the review here). And what's more the follow-up, Burn, is already completed and due for publication next year.

Congratulations to all three lads for achieving what so many dream about and best of luck to each of them with the sales and ongoing success.

By the way, did I mention a rash? Never mind, I've got the perfect prescription. I've been ordered to relax by curling up with a good book. Or three.