Judging by its plot, atmosphere and absolutely beautiful cinematography, "Black Belly of the Tarantula" to me felt like a sweet amalgamation between Dario Argento's "Bird with the Crystal Plumage" and Mario Bava's "Blood and Black Lace". And, if you know a little something about Italian horror cinema, you'll agree that there are far worse titles out there to get compared with than these two! This is a masterfully staged and creatively scripted murder mystery with bloody-yet-tense massacres and likable characters for once. A gloved psychopath is killing models of fashion house by paralyzing their nerve systems before slicing them open with a knife. This ingenious modus operandi he borrowed from the killing rituals of a wasp species that hunts tarantula spiders. The young police inspector Tellini investigates the crimes but his own life and that of his beloved wife are soon endangered by the culprit as well. This Italian horror gem features one of Ennio Morricone's finest musical scores and director Paolo Cavara professionally stuffs his film with typical giallo-intrigues like drugs, sexual deceit and blackmail. The girls are beautiful (and showing lots of ravishing naked flesh), the suspense is omnipresent and class actor Giancarlo Giannini makes a perfectly credible police hero. "Black Belly of the Tarantula" contains a handful of powerful sequences that fans of horror genre will consider pure craftsmanship, like the rooftop chase and the super-violent climax. It's not easy to come across a (decent) copy but try your best, as this is essential viewing for all giallo-buffs!
Review of Black Belly of the Tarantula
