Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) French Petite

Now enjoying a well-deserved comeback, Paolo Cavara’s giallo was one of a slew of films inspired by the success of Argento’s Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1970). Cavara burst onto the scene with 1962’s Mondo Cane, and his plot here – a masked killer injects female victims with a paralyzing drug, then rips their bellies open while they’re still conscious and able to feel pain – has a certain Mondo influence… The film is full of characters saying the equivalent of ‘I’ll be right back’, but it’s no less fun for that. A glorious, sensuous score from Morricone and sun-drenched photography by Marcello Gatti (The Battle of Algiers 1966) make this a newly discovered treat.

Condition: VERY FINE

Cast: Giancarlo Giannini, Claudine Auger, Barbara Bouchet, Barbara Bach (who all appeared in Bond films), Rosella Falk (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, The Killer is on the Phone both 1972), Stefania Sandrelli and Annabella Incontrera (So Sweet, So Dead 1972)