La coda dello scorpione

After the death of her husband in a plane crash, a woman receives the inheritance left behind and enjoys herself but is soon under attack by a multitude of parties that want the money, and when they succeed a private investigator and journalist decide to figure out what happened only to find themselves the new targets.

This was a solid if somewhat flawed giallo. As with most entries here, this one manages to get a lot to like by weaving together a generally fun and engaging central mystery. The emergence of the monumental life-insurance police and the resulting greed by the various sundry characters wanting to get their hands on it plays a prominent role here in tying together the disparate plotlines as it switches focus. Upon realizing what's happening with the numerous deaths around them and how the clues come together, there's a great storyline here featuring the hunt for the missing money and how everyone fits together in the end. As well, the central murder scenes are impressive and just an overall blast. The initial ambush in the theater and chase through the building is quite thrilling, as is the later chase inside the victims' house while the raging thunderstorm blares outside offering fun, thrilling scenes that have plenty to like while building a fine setup for later. Featuring several fun brawls featuring the killer confronting and attacking various victims in both lethal and non-lethal confrontations have some excitement to them, and with a fun finale revealing some surprise revelations, great chasing and a fun detail to the investigation there's plenty to like with this one. There are some issues to be had with this one. One of the main flaws is how the pacing is quite disjointing, as obvious cut scenes are left in to boost up the running time. The exploits of the hotel managers calling around to find out what's happening, scenes of the investigators running around the city in an attempt to understand clues or general travelogue scenes of the city are completely unnecessary to move this along and could've been taken out without any change to the film. Contrasted with the shorter, straightforward stalking scenes this leaves an indelible and obvious mark against the film. The other problem to this one is a wholly jarring and somewhat scattershot storyline which plays out here. The initial part plays out nicely with the apparent death and struggle to reclaim the policy which is a fine storyline with the potential for quite a few scummy players, but then it shifts to the investigator and then the reporter which is somewhat chaotic. This has no real logical throughput for the rapid shift of characters being thrust into the spotlight since these two just seem dropped into the story halfway through the film with little build-up and seems to be quite confusing as to why they're both involved. It's not a big issue but does lower it somewhat.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Nudity and Language.

What a bloody fun experience! 'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' is an impossible puzzle, and is so with purpose.

This film serves to take you on a violent, shocking, thrill ride.

The build to each climax is short, simple and damn effective. As is the set-up for the plot. A woman is granted one million dollars, others want that hefty sum and will do anything to get their sweaty hands on it (and probably a half-naked woman in the process).

Shown through cinematography creative as anything, lots of gratuitous unappealing sexytime and unexpected conveniences is the violent, shocking, thrill ride exactly as intended.

Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli) collects on her husband's life insurance—a cool $1m—after he is blown to smithereens in an air disaster. Several people suspect Lisa of foul play, including a junkie ex-lover who resorts to blackmail, her husband's mistress Lara (Janine Reynaud), who also feels entitled to some of the money, and insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton). But when Lisa is murdered after cashing her check, and the money goes missing, the case becomes much more complicated…

Sergio Martino's The Case of the Scorpion's Tail might not be the most innovative of giallos, but it does meet many fans' expectations of the genre, making it a very enjoyable way to waste some time.

An animal in the title: the insect of the title refers to the Scorpion-shaped cuff-link discovered at the scene of an attempted murder.

A convoluted plot: this one's got twists and turns aplenty, making it a thoroughly engrossing mystery from start to finish A character struggling to recall a vital clue: Peter Linch is convinced that he knows something that will help to solve the case.

Red herrings: there are lots of these, but to tell you about them would be to spoil the film.

Exotic locations: the film opens in London, but the action soon moves to sun-kissed Athens.

Stylish cinematography and lighting: Martino employs some crazy camera angles to help spice up proceedings, and lights certain scenes with vivid colour.

Sexy women in peril: there are several Euro-babes in this giallo, a couple of whom meet very nasty fates. Anita Strindberg as French photojournalist Cléo Dupont, Peter's love interest, provides the obligatory T&A, happily showing off her '70s silicone implants.

Creepy dolls/freaky paintings: it has absolutely nothing at all to do with the story, but there is a scene featuring several dolls with missing eyes and limbs, and a portrait of a man with bug-eyes.

Gruesome murders: Martino ensures that gore-hounds are kept happy with two bloody throat slashings, a nasty knife in the abdomen, an even nastier broken bottle in the eye, and a victim having the back of their hands slashed with a switchblade before falling from a height to their death.

A leather-gloved killer: goes without saying.

Blatant product placement: fancy a glass of J&B Scotch? You might do after watching this film.

Cops who figure out the truth in the nick of time: the law waits till the very last moment before arriving on the scene to save the heroine.

In fact, all that's missing is a haunting lullaby/nursery rhyme.

7.5/10, happily rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Director Sergio Martino was a regular Itailan Giallo director, who brought us "They're Coming To Get You/ All The Colors Of Darkness/ Day Of The Maniac", "Next!/ The Strange Vice Of Madam Wardh", and "Torso/ The Corpses Show Evidence Of Rape (though I'm not sure why this title is relevent, because I don't remember any moments of rape from the killer?)" and a slew of other nasty little numbers. But I found "The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail" to be his most accomplished work (outside of the silly model Airplane explosion in the beginning!). The rather perplexing story weaves so many red herrings, that when the killer finally does become unmasked, you are a little surprised! Keep in mind that not all that you see, is what you may have really seen. Keeping with Giallo tradition, this film has a little nod to Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow Up" (Dario Argento's "The Bird With The Crystal Plumage" would be the first of "Blow Up" immitators, which loved to have "I thought I saw something...if only I could recall what it was!" moments in it.) with even a moment where the investigators "blow up" a photo to find a clue in the picture. This film contains (can you believe?) actual tense moments in it. The scene where Anita Strindberg is assaulted even had me biting at my finger nails. There are two parts to this film, the first is centered on Ida Galli (Evelyn Stewart) and then a third of the way switching to Cleo Dupont (Anita Strindberg) in a "Psycho" style switch of heroines.

Both leads (genre female regulars) are interesting to follow (and sensually alluring to look at) and the film moves at an even and fast pace, keeping the viewer inticed. I have to say that after watching this film though, it was really George Hilton who won me over, and made me an instant fan. Though like the female leads, he's a genre regular, I found this to be his best role. Always smarmy and shifty, George Hilton personifies the Giallo male to perfection! I won't describe the story in any great detail, because I think it should be viewed with a virgin state of mind (also I'm too lazy to describe this convoluted story), but it does contain the usual block gloved assassin (always super human in ability) and the gratuitous killing of female characters. I can't honestly say that it's healthy to enjoy such misogynistic dementia or condone objectification of women, but Giallo Cinema is more interesting then the predictable Hollywood road that bulldozes us with the same exact car everytime. My girlfriend would accuse Giallo Cinema of a one make car as well... but for some of us...it's a Jaguar! Highly recommended (for some)!!!!

Just watched The Case of the Scorpion's Tail for the first time, very impressed. Incredibly stylish, good looking cast, great locations (London and Athens), a terrific musical score by Bruno Nicolai, a few interesting plot twists and some decent murder scenes. The latter reminded me very much of Dario Argento's giallo movies, the blood does look more like red paint to be honest but the kills are pretty brutal (despite the BBFC 15 rating). I liked one scene in which the camera is angled at 90 degrees and swings between 2 people having a conversation. This movie ticks all the right giallo boxes, right down to bottles of J&B whisky everywhere, and the quote I have used for my title is one of the best lines ever! Better than director Segio Martino's later film "Torso", this is essential viewing for fans of the Giallo genre. Superb.