Review of The Black Belly of the Tarantula (1971) by Dustin R — 23 Oct 2007

I loved every second of it. It does play off of every cliché of the genre (from the score to the killer's outfit), but at the same time, it also makes a few departures (the protagonist is actually a policeman, as opposed to being an amateur sleuth, the killer's interesting combination of weaponry). I will be the first to admit that there have been a few gialli/italian horrors in general that have had me pretty bored at times (I fell asleep the first time I watched DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING ), but this one had me hooked from start to finish... Excellent pacing, and great use of tension. Composition wise, it looks more like a Fulci giallo than and Argento (the framing and lighting aren't really "artsy" so much as they are "practical" in most parts).

I'd also like to do terribly perverse things to Barbara Bouchet (I was furious that she died so early! At least she got plenty of nekkid time...).

The Blue Underground DVD is excellent, aside from some dirt here and there (sadly, the sexy-as-hell title sequence is pretty scratched/dirty, but after that the restoration is great).

Highly recommended for fans of Gialli, or murder/mystery/thrillers in general.