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Simply A Masterpiece

Pretty Good

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

BLACK BELLY OF THE TARANTULA is very much a typical example of the Italian giallo film. Expect style to spare, an intricate plot that draws in adultery, blackmail, and psycho killings, and a cast populated by sleazy and suspicious male characters contrasted with exceptionally beautiful Italian women. This one has a series of brutal and bizarre murders taking place around a health spa, with the killer donning rubber gloves and using an acupuncture needle to paralyse his victims before killing them - similar to the method used by a tarantula-killing spider. This isn't one of the nastiest of its type, but there's the usual nudity and character conflict; the lead is sympathetic and the stylish direction makes it an engaging watch, with a high-rise foot chase that takes place mid-way through particularly enjoyable. 3/5 or 6/10

When the nymphomaniac Maria Zani (Barbara Bouchet) is murdered, her ex- husband and insurance broker Paolo Zani (Silvano Tranquilli) becomes the prime-suspect of Inspector Tellini (Giancarlo Giannini). Then the saleswoman Mirta Ricci (Annabella Incontrera) is murdered in the same modus operandi – both victims had been paralyzed by acupuncture needles with poison introduced in their necks and their bellies had been ripped open with a knife with the victims still alive, in the same way that tarantulas are killed by tarantula hawks. The police find that she was also a drug dealer, Paolo meets Inspector Tellini to tell him that he is innocent. Further, he hires the private eyes La Catapulta that finds the last man that had met Maria, the photographer Mario (Giancarlo Prete). Paolo pursues Mario but they both die and Inspector Tellini finds an envelope addressed to Franca Valentino with Mario. Inspector Tellini discovers that he was a blackmailer and meanwhile Franca becomes the third victim of the serial killer. When the masseuse Jenny (Barbara Bach) is found dead wrapped in plastic bag, Inspector Tellini goes to the massage parlor to meet the manager Laura (Claudine Auger) and he believes that an employee may be the serial-killer."La Tarantola dal Ventre Nero" is a great "giallo" with the typical structure – a serial-killer that wears gloves and the identity is only discovered in the end; the victims are beautiful semi-naked women; gore deaths; a persistent detective pursues the killer; and wonderful music score. The story is well developed, with many plot points. The very young Giancarlo Giannini works with very beautiful women, three of them future Bond girls (Claudine Auger and the Barbaras Bouchet and Bach). The great music score of Ennio Morricone completes the work of the director Paolo Cavara. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Ventre Negro da Tarântula" ("The Black Belly of the Tarantula")

The film opens with beautiful actress Barbara Bouchet lying on her stomach, naked, getting a massage. The camera is up close and personal, and we hear soft, lustful music in the background. This opening sets the tone for a film whose plot involves nymphomaniacs and blackmail, and eventually murder.I can tell you that somewhere in the film's first thirty minutes the scriptwriter has set a trap for the viewer. Getting caught in this trap makes solving the whodunit puzzle very hard. "Black Belly Of The Tarantula" is a wonderfully creepy Italian Giallo with effective plot misdirection and several red herrings. Gore is mercifully minimal.In a couple of re-watches up to the final fifteen minutes I vacillated between two or three characters as being the killer. My final guess was dead wrong. The surprise ending thus made the overall plot that much more effective.Cinematography is well done. The visuals look good. When combined with the evocative Morricone score, the film conveys a lush, erotic 1970s look and feel.Though dubbing of the dialogue track is a bit of a nuisance, the main problems relate to the film's script. One important character does not show up until the second half. Also, some characters are not well identified by name. And the ending is a bit too clichéd for my taste.A few imperfections aside, this is a fine Giallo, one worth watching. Its appeal lies mostly in its visuals, including sexy women, and the film's stylish 1970s European ambiance.

On the box of my (Blue Underground) DVD the quote "The best giallo ever made" shouts out from the back. Is it? No, not by a long shot, but still a very enticing little film - if a little over long in parts.As many others have touched on, I think the flaw in the lagging running time is down to one too many scenes focusing on the detective's domestic life, frankly these scenes are boring. The ending, as with many gialli, also falls somewhat flat - but then this does tend to be a typically style over substance genre.Bad bits, aside, what is good? There is plenty to love about this film; the brilliant cinematography, the menacing scene with a spider dangled over the detective, the horribly perverse gloves and menacing acupuncture needle of the killer. The music score is also one of Ennio Morricone's finest, and it certainly adds a decidedly chilling air to the film.Oddly, or not so, I was reminded of Aldo Lado's "Short Night of the Glass Dolls", also from 1971, also featuring Barbara Bach...and also with a strong theme of paralysis and murder. I'd say Lado's film carries the theme off with more aplomb - with it's truly horrific ending, so I'd advised all who've seen this to give that a go.