Strictly average movie

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

It was competently directed by Paolo Cavara and the movie had a solid script. The movie progressed smoothly without ever really having any parts that dragged on. The drama between the characters was interesting and immersing, embracing its viewer into its world pretty well. I felt like I was delicately spun into the movie by a spider. Which was kind of scary. The movie had atmosphere as well and a gripping tension. The movie's atmosphere wasn't as outrageous as Argento's "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage", but that is a good thing. Not all movie's have to feel the same way. But it made the movie less disturbing to watch since I did not feel any kind of dread or paranoia watching it as I did with Argento's movie. But the movie had a gripping tension nevertheless, which is pretty important in a thriller. Giancarlo Giannini did a solid performance as inspector Tellini. I felt empathy for his character, I could relate to him. It seems to be a hard job being an inspector, investigating murders without knowing whether you'll catch the murderer or not.The murderer's method of killing women was interesting, paralyze the victims first then kill them. But the murders themselves never really got that disturbing. Although they have a nice (poor choice of word really, "nice" is the last thing I would think of if a murderer was after me) setup. But it was still fascinating since it was strongly connected to the world of insects. I find insects fascinating. The great Ennio Morricone made atmospheric music. The music is almost always very important to the mood of the movie and it was well done. But it made the movie strongly resemble 'The Cat O'Nine Tails' mood wise, although that is not a bad thing. With all that in mind I would have given the movie 8/10 but the only thing that stops me from giving the movie 8/10 is because I figured out who the murderer was before it was revealed. I felt the twist was weird considering the solid plot and story. It was acceptable but not as solid in comparison to the rest of the script. It was not a let down or a disappointing twist, but it felt like there should have been more in it. But it should not be missed by devout aficionados of the genre. 7/10.

Unless you tend to believe that sub-genres crumble once their prime decade ends, gialli never died — just rested in blood colored coffins until gore hounds rediscovered their artfully minded slasher perks in the 2000s and couldn't help but lap them up. "The Black Belly of the Tarantula" is one of the better known examples, so long as you pretend Dario Argento and Mario Bava don't exist for a moment. Because gialli not helmed by Argento or Bava strove for killer offings rather than smartly nourished whodunit charades, and, unfortunately for this film, which often seems to rank high on those blood soaked "best giallo" lists, does nothing more than pale in comparison to all those damned Argento and Bava pictures. Stylish to a fault but also shoddily dubbed, acted, written, and directed, it intrigues for bits and pieces (those bits and pieces being the murders themselves) and then leaves us in the cold with Giancarlo Gianni, who, despite his later Oscar fame, turns charisma into emotionless leaden material with just the bat of an eyelash.As in all decent giallo films, "The Black Belly of the Tarantula" details a series of murders, all involving attractive women and cringey circumstances. The killer, maniacal and sex obsessed (a shock), practices a particularly cruel method of slaughter — in addition to his butcher knife, he brings along a needle dipped in black wasp venom, causing paralysis for anyone who gets the stuff in their bloodstream. That way, his victims are forced to remain defenseless as they watch (and feel) their insides get ripped open. What a joy! (Vomits.)Young woman after young woman is stalked and slashed; each murder is edited with such impressive precision (cross-cutting is as well-executed as an excruciating long-shot) that we can't help but want to applaud Paolo Cavara for taking a route authentically suspenseful rather than hackish. But I digress. As the madman sneakily wanders around, eyeing potential victims, the killings themselves are being investigated by Inspector Tellini (Gianni), a young policeman not so sure he can stomach such a high amount of atrocities for much longer.While "The Black Belly of the Tarantula" keeps us interested with its frenzied mystery- meets-gore approach, nonexistent are the normally intoxicating images presented by most gialli. Aside for clean-cut edits and assertively framed shots (mostly found within the scope of a murder), the film is mostly dry, thrilling only when action is present. In better giallo pictures, such as "Suspiria" and "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" (both directed by Argento), terror is always part of the atmosphere — distinctively nightmarish imagery, after all, is what makes giallo so much finer than your average slasher. "The Black Belly of the Tarantula" oft threatens to be your average slasher — so thank goodness so much attention is put into how the killings are shot. Otherwise, we'd have a bad case of sex-and-death- 101 nobody wants. But aside from a grouping of inventive offings (the second victim's demise, photographed in a clothing store, cleverly inserts doll-like mannequins to mirror the soon-to-be dead woman's paralyzed helplessness), "The Black Belly of the Tarantula" is nothing more than a subpar giallo. Considering it was made as a cash-in ready to imitate the success of "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" at the time, it's only fitting that it hardly compares to the best of Dario Argento and Mario Bava. Dammit! — there are those names again.

Although made during the height of the giallo's popularity in the early 1970s, this film is probably going to disappoint anyone who started out with "Blood and Black Lace," "Bird with the Crystal Plumage" or "Torso." First, the good news: There is style and mood, particularly in the scenes where a gloved killer is preparing his hypodermic needle for the kill. The theme music at these points is excellent. Now, the bad news: The kills themselves are a bit underwhelming despite a fascinating concept (being paralyzed and murdered while conscious but immobile). The plot is so convoluted that after five or six viewings I still don't know why the killer was killing or how he was discovered. Is it because of an excessively convoluted script or because most of the film is so dull one's attention wanders and they miss key clues? You be the judge.Finally, a bone to pick with the producers: This film is rife with the mentality that women are the most fantastic, magnificent creations in the universe (not true). It's typically Italian BS. So if an unending boy meets girl plot bores you or if you are annoyed by a ceaseless parade of homely broads being presented as goddesses, this film is not for you.5 stars for the scenes preceding the kills only.

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.