Der schwarze Leib der Tarantel (1971)

Der schwarze Leib der Tarantel: Directed by Paolo Cavara. With Giancarlo Giannini, Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, Rossella Falk. A series of victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open, much in the same way tarantulas are killed by the black wasp. The victims all seem to have a connection with a spa.

“My God! The opening scene alone is worth the price of admission! Barbara Bouchet being given a nude body massage while Ennio Morriconeu0026#39;s score (hightened by Edda Del Orsou0026#39;s seductive vocals) explores our aural senses is nearly the best opening Iu0026#39;ve ever seen… period! Paolo Cavarau0026#39;s brilliant Giallo u0026quot;The Black Belly Of The Tarantulau0026quot; is definately special. The film contains a beautiful (Euro Babe) cast, that would please James Bond afficianados everywhere. It contains three Bond Girls in one film! The wonderful Claudine Auger (u0026quot;Thunderballu0026quot;), Barbara Bouchet (u0026quot;Casino Royaleu0026quot;), and Barbara Bach (u0026quot;The Spy Who Loved Meu0026quot;), all lending shady perversity to the proceedings. The title refers to the sadistic means in which a killer is performing on his prey. An acupuncture needle is inflamed with a paralysing poison that the killer inserts into the neck of his victim (realistically, this would probably kill someone, but hey… this is an Italian B Movie!!) thus insuring that the victim is paralysed yet concience while the killer tears open their belly with a knife (eehhh…hella creepy!). The story primarily surrounds the investigation by Inspector Tellini (well acted by Giancarlo Giannini) of the murder of Maria Zani (Barbara Bouchet) who was being blackmailed before her death. Other murders follow, as the Inspectoru0026#39;s trail leads to a Fashion Boutique, a Science Laboratory, and then a Health Spa, which are all linked to drug traffiking and sexual deviant politics. Like u0026quot;What Are Those Strange Drops Of Blood Doing On Jenniferu0026#39;s Bodyu0026quot; this film as well could be a kind of prototype Giallo film. If you are familiar with the genre, you can only laugh at the way the victim always says to the Inspector u0026quot;I canu0026#39;t talk right now… but I think I know who the killer is. Come back later (or tomorrow), and Iu0026#39;ll tell you. (another equally laughable sentence is: u0026quot;I just want to check something out, but Iu0026#39;ll meet you later!) This line is usually a recipe to get yourself gutted and tortured in the most painful of ways. Also, like u0026quot;What Are Those…u0026quot; this film again has the theme of moral avenger (quite often this theme is linked with something resembling impotence… cu0026#39;mon you got to laugh at that!) that strikes out on the poor girls with viciousness. Iu0026#39;m still trying to sort out if this is somehow linked to the cynicism surrounding Catholicism in Italy? But the killeru0026#39;s use of fetishistic surgical gloves only insures that this is pure Euro-Trash at itu0026#39;s best.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eGiancarlo Gianniniu0026#39;s Inspector Tellini is a slightly different breed of cop. The film interestingly delves further (then most Gialli) into the relationship of him and his wife Anna (played by the beautiful Stefania Sandrelli), and the moodiness surrounding his job. He neurotically says u0026quot;I just donu0026#39;t think I can do this anymore. I want to quit.u0026quot; (echoing my own displays of verbal discontent in the work world, as my girlfriend pointed out) And in the end when Inspector Tellini loses his cool, as the killer gets closer to getting to his wife!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is a great little Giallo, which unfortunately is a tad hard to find in America. But I nevertheless highly recommend it to those who love weird and twisted little masterpieces that come from a country of machisimo mentality. And the music score is to die for!!!!”