Black Belly of the Tarantula

La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero, to give it it's Italian name, is much more than just another piece of trashy European cinema. It is an exquisite example of how wonderful cinema was in the late '60s / early '70s and an excellent reminder as to why I seldom bother going to movies these days.

Essentially, it's a whodunnit and we could debate the strength and weaknesses of the plot (and there are plenty of weaknesses) but the key to this film is it's cinematic style, a kind of garish Pop-Art vision of '70s Rome that mesmerises with each frame. It's loaded with '60s accoutrements - retro-futuristic furniture, glamorous women's fashions, old-school Alfa Romeo's (was there ever a cooler vehicle?). And the acting is stellar together with yet another legendary Morricone soundtrack.

As for the DVD itself, this is the first Blue Underground disk that I have bought and I can say without equivocation that it's the best looking picture that I've ever seen in this format. Really vibrant colors that are a joy to watch even at moments when the plot begins to sag. And full marks to BU for including the original Italian mono soundtrack with English subtitles. In all, it's a great product that really captures how good DVD can be when someone takes care with these things. I will certainly be buying many more Blue Underground films in the future.

So, you get '70s Rome, funky decor, brash colors, a reasonable plot and if that ain't enough, there are not one, not two but THREE Bond girls in this film (and one of them gets nude and all).

No excuses for not owning this one.

"The Black Belly of the Tarantula" is a superb giallo in the tradition of Dario Argento's "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage." Both are very similar in that someone is viciously knifing beautiful women to death.

"The Black Belly of the Tarantula" was produced with a high budget and was well received throughout the world. Everything about this movie is beautiful and extravagant: the photography, the settings, and the actors/actresses themselves. Three gorgeous women who starred in James Bond movies are in this giallo. Barbara Bouchet, a giallo regular, is the first victim. (She gave great performances in Lucio Fulci's "Don't Torture a Duckling" and Emilio P. Miraglia's "The Red Queen Kills 7 Times). There is plenty of action and suspense in a plot that involves blackmail, drug smuggling, revenge, and creepy crawlers.

Dressed all in black, the killer looks like a wasp as he injects wasp venom into his female victims. As they lay on their beds paralyzed, the killer disembowels them while they watch helplessly. The killer's motive is mundane but doesn't detract from the overall chilling effect of the film. A great lounge score is provided by Ennio Morricone who provided the music for many Spaghetti Westerns and Italian gialli.

"The Black Belly of the Tarantula" is a must see for all fans of Italian gialli and fans of the lead actors/actresses, such as Giancarlo Giannini, Barbara Bouchet, Claudine Auger, and Barbara Bach. It is definitely a keeper in my collection.

To those of you who are expecting the buckets of blood and gore found in some other Italian Horror movies (DEEP RED, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY and SUSPIRIA just to name a few), might I suggest renting or buying one of those listed titles instead. If you're hoping for the visceral carnage and grisly violence that makes this genre so notorious, prepare to be disappointed. THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA relys more on mood and classically paced atmosphere, rather than shocking death and explicit gore. In a lot of ways, this is a much smarter and methodical Horror movie than the rest.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love "slasher" movies too! There's something to be said about a guy wearing a hockey mask, chopping and hacking his way through a Summer camp full of idiotic teenagers! I also enjoy the more well known "masters" of the Italian Horror Giallo scene as well. Directors such as Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento have made some of the best Horror movies of all time! Films such as INFERNO and THE BEYOND have a good reputation for a reason. They're classics, plain and simple. In terms of directors from that inparticular scene, they're the best of the best!

Yet, as a Horror fan, sometimes we feel the need to hunt down the more obscure movies to add into our collection. That's where films like THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA come in. I had never heard of this movie until a couple of years ago and I still hadn't seen it until recently this year. After watching it, I can safely say it's one of the best Italian "giallo" Horror films I've ever seen. Yet, it's not perfect. Let's get into the details here.

The movie is basically about this killer who uses a potent type of wasp poison that paralyzes it's victims (mainly women), while keeping them alive and aware of what's happening to them the whole time. After the victims have been properly subdued, the killer then uses a large knife to cut open the stomachs of these women! There seems to be no evidence at each crime scene outside of the disemboweled bodies of the girls and the fact the killer used some type of paralyzing serum. The rest of the movie plays out like a typical "who done it", leading up to a rather intense conclusion.

All of this sounds horrifying (and for the most part, it is) but like I said earlier in my review, this movie 'aint no blood bath! All of the death scenes have the punch of an explicit "giallo" Horror movie, yet none of the bite. There is genuine suspense in this movie, but none of the shocking pay offs we've come to expect from this genre. Whenever the time comes to show the killer disemboweling a girl, all the audience see's is the knife making the cut (bloody as it is) and then nothing more.

Really though, these are small problems considering the movie on the whole is so well done! THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA is more about style, sex appeal, atmosphere and mood. The music also has this rather sleazy and slow quality to it, giving the viewer a good sense of the intended vibe here. Some how, this is more of a "classy" Horror movie than the rest. It's sleazy, it's horrifying and it's definitely "giallo." Oh', did I forget to mention that three of the leading ladies in this movie are BOND (007) girls!?! This movie seems to have something for everyone.

Gore Hounds, better luck next time! Despite it's not all that gory, there's enough menace, nudity and Horror to keep even the most hardened "cult" movie fan glued to the TV set! This is also the perfect "giallo" Horror film to show people who aren't that accustomed to the rather bloody and shocking genre. Start with BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA and then move on to DEEP RED. After that, you'll have a pretty good idea if this type of Horror is for you or not. I personally think this is a great movie!

I also recommended this film to passing fans of Horror in general. If you're the type that only watches Horror movies every now and again, this movie is perfect for you! You could do a "double feature" showing of this movie and HALLOWEEN (an example of a general Horror film) at your next party, and I'm sure everyone would be satisfied with both movies. THE BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA is intense and scary, without all the blood and guts of something like DEAD ALIVE or HELLRAISER. In that retrospect, this movie is perfect!

Over and out.

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