The Case of the Scorpion's Tail

 This week the subject is;

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail (1971).

This Giallo with it's stylishly pulpy name is directed by Sergio Martino, who has appeared here a couple of time with Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972), Torso (1973) and Island of the Fish Men (1979). The Case of the Scorpion's Tail predates them and you can sort of tell.

The story is this:

Lisa Baumer (Evelyn Stewart) finds out that the plane her husband was on has exploded in midair. She also finds out that he had a huge life insurance policy that she can claim in Athens. Hot on her trail is an assortment of shady characters who want to blackmail her as well as insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton). Things soon take a dramatic turn and Lynch finds himself under investigation by the police. At the same time he meets local journalist Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg) and they start investigating together while also starting a passionate relationship. In the middle of all this lurks a savage masked killer with a very sharp knife.

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail like the other Martino movies I've seen is a solid piece of work. Like the others, it isn't brilliant but it keeps your attention nicely, the tense scenes are really tense and the actors all do a good job. As I like to do, I tried to solve the case and failed miserably. The killer wasn't my first or second pick and although I was a bit confused at times, everything is nicely wrapped up by the end and more importantly, it doesn't cheat! I hate stories that cheat on the solution and The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is on the up and up.

This movie was Sergio Martino's sixth movie, and you can tell he was getting into the swing of things. His two following movies mentioned above are more stylish and polished, but that isn't a bad thing. It is worth noting that the movie doesn't really start up properly until about the 20 minute mark, and until then, things are a bit slow. Don't let that deter you, things heat up and the action scenes are really nice.

Having a couple of veterans in the lead like George Hilton and Anita Strindberg doesn't hurt either. Their romance feels very real and adds another layer of tension with the murderer skulking in the shadows. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is not one of the sleazy Giallo movies either. There is some nudity and gore, which is to be expected, but overall it is tastefully done. If you can call getting a broken bottle in the eye tasteful.

So, do I recommend this movie? Yes, absolutely. I'd almost call The Case of the Scorpion's Tail a pure thriller, but there is enough Giallo in it to honestly qualify for the title. Fans of both genres should enjoy it and while it isn't at the top of the heap, it falls into the category of solid and good. Worth the watch in my book any day.

That's that and all that. Join me again next time, and until then, have a great week!