La coda dello scorpione (1971) Online

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.

After dipping his toes in the giallo pool with the masterful film "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh" (1971), director Sergio Martino followed up that same year with what turns out to be another twisty suspense thriller, "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail." Like his earlier effort, this one stars handsome macho dude George Hilton, who would go on to star in Martino's Satanic/giallo hybrid "All the Colors of the Dark" the following year. "Scorpion's Tail" also features the actors Luigi Pistilli and Anita Strindberg, who would go on to portray an unhappy couple (to put it mildly!) in Martino's "Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key" (1972). (I just love that title!) I suppose Edwige Fenech was busy the month they shot this! Anyway, this film boasts the stylish direction that Martino fans would expect, as well as a twisty plot, some finely done murder set pieces, and beautiful Athenian location shooting. The story this time concerns an insurance investigator (Hilton) and a journalist (Strindberg, here looking like Farrah Fawcett's prettier, smarter sister) who become embroiled in a series of grisly murders following a plane crash and the inheritance of $1 million by a beautiful widow. I really thought I had this picture figured out halfway through, but I was dead wrong. Although the plot does make perfect sense in this giallo, I may have to watch the film again to fully appreciate all its subtleties. Highlights of the picture, for me, were Anita's cat-and-mouse struggle with the killer at the end, a particularly suspenseful house break-in, and a nifty fight atop a tiled roof; lots of good action bursts in this movie! The fine folks at No Shame are to be thanked for still another great-looking DVD, with nice subtitling and interesting extras. Whotta great outfit it's turned out to be, in its ongoing quest to bring these lost Italian gems back from oblivion.

While she makes love to someone else, Lisa's husband dies in a jet crash. She stands to inherit all of his money, despite them being basically separated. An ex-lover has a confrontation with her, threatening her with blackmail. She pays up — some money now, then some when she gets the letter where she wished that her husband was dead. But a gloved hand finds the letter and kills the ex-lover!

Lisa has to go to Athens to collect the money, but runs into one of her husband's ex-lovers, Lara Florakis (Janine Reynaud, Succubus) and a knife wielding maniac. Peter Lynch (George Hilton from All the Colors of the Dark) saves her and takes her to the hotel. She asks for all of the money in cash, despite warnings to how dangerous that is.

That same maniac tries to kill Peter, then comes back to kill Lisa, sharp jazz wails staccato punctuating each stab of the knife, each rip across her body. Jump cuts and flashes and the room is covered by the police, who question him.

An INTERPOL agent, Inspector Stavros (Luigi Pistilli, The Good, the Bad and The Ugly, Your Vice is a Locked Door and Only I Have the Key), offers to help Peter with the case and the moment he goes to talk to Lara, he's attacked by the gloved man.

That brings in Cléo Dupont(Anita Strindberg, Who Saw Her Die?), a journalist who pretty much instantly falls in love with our hero. They go up to his room, but it's been turned over by the police, with even the bed sliced open looking for the million dollars that went missing when Lisa was killed.

Turns out the gloved man wasn't on Lara's side — he or she slits her throat, then runs up a spiral staircase as a guard gives chase. This reveals a room full of one eyed baby dolls and a strange oil painting. Between the woman's face against the glass with blood spraying everywhere and these reveals, this film is really tipping its hat toward Argento.

The bodyguard chases after the killer, but is knocked off the roof. One slash across the fingers and we have another dead body. It's 45 minutes in…and most of the IMDb cast is already dead!

That said — there's a stewardess that gets the gift of scorpion earrings from an unseen lover. So there's that.

Meanwhile, Peter and Cléo make love on an orange shag couch while a peeping tom watches from the window. You know how Bruce Banner always has on purple slacks and you wonder, "Who wears purple slacks?" Peter does.

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¨The Case of the Scorpion's Tail¨ begins with the mysterious death of a billionaire when a plane explodes and spirals into the killing ; as the newspapers publicize : ¨Air disaster , nor survivors¨ . As his suddenly rich wife (Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli) because he's insured for one million of dollars . Being the unfaithful spouse the beneficiary as the insurance agency arranges to pay . It draws the attention of various sleuths to sniff out suspects . A dogged and top investigator named Peter Lynch (George Hilton) , a Greek police (Luigi Pistilli), a Interpol agent ( Alberto De Mendoza ) and a journalist ( Anita Strindberg) , follow a wake of blood to the bitter final . Meanwhile Peter Lynch becomes companion and protector the widow .

Sergio Martino's great success is compellingly directed with well staged murders plenty of startling visual content , though was submitted to limited censorship in Spain . This is a customary slasher where the intrigue, tension, suspense appear threatening and lurking in every room , corridors and luxurious interior and exterior . The picture packs atmospheric blending of eerie thrills and creepy chills combined with a twisted finale . It displays lots of guts and blood but it seems pretty mild compared to today's gore feasts . It's a solid movie , a thrilling story plenty of suspense and intrigue in which the victims seem to be continuous . The staged killings are the high points of the movie , they deliver the goods plenty of screams, shocks and tension . The intriguing moments are compactly made and fast moving ; as the film itself takes place from various points of sights . It packs tension, shocks , thrills, chills and lots of blood . There's plenty of moments of gore and a number of scenes that are quite thrilling , resulting to be definitely the spotlight of the film the surprising ending situation . Lousy special effects when the plane explodes , it's in made in ridiculous scale model that lookalike a little toy . Written by the usuals , Ernesto Gastaldi and Eduardo Manzanos Brochero ( also producer with his Production Company called Copercines , as he produced several Gialli and Western as ¨Apocalypse Joe , Danger Pass , Winchester one among thousand , Arrival Sartana , Djanjo the condemned ¨) . Good ambiance design and acceptable production design by Cubero and Galicia , both of whom created lots of sets in several Western filmed in the 60s and 70s . Sergio Martino's so-so direction is well crafted, here he's less cynical and more inclined toward violence and lots of killings . It's a co-production Italian- Spanish , for that reason appears Spanish actors as Luis Barboo , Alberto De Mendoza , Janine Reynaud and Italian players as Luigi Pistilli and Ida Galli , among others . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Emilio Foriscot who photographed splendidly Londres , Madrid , Rome and Greece where is developed the action . However , the photography is washed-out and for that reason is necessary an urgent remastering . Very good and suspenseful score by Bruno Nicolai , known disciple of Ennio Morricone and his director of orchestra .

The picture is professionally directed by the prolific filmmaker Sergio Martino . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo , comedy, Western, and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He especially was expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ and ¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo as this ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨the scorpion with two tails¨ and of course ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨. Rating: Acceptable and passable , this is one more imaginative slasher pictures in which the camera stalks in sinister style throughout a story with magnificent visual skills. This is a bewildering story , funny in some moment but falls flat and it will appeal to hardcore Gialli fans

I'm American so when dealing with foreign films, I'm willing to accept it when not all of the pieces fall exactly into place (especially in light that some things can become lost in translation from the original script to the English dubbing and/or subtitles), but this film leaves so many loose ends behind that it's difficult not to be feel a bit cheated at the end. However, it does provide giallo fans with exactly what they want and expect to see, so it's not exactly a total washout, either.

After an (obvious toy) airplane explosion kills her husband Kurt, London socialite Lisa Baumer ("Evelyn Stewart"/Ida Galli, who was used to much better effect in the underrated MURDER MANSION) is set to inherit one million dollars from an insurance policy. Not an ideal wife to begin with (she's in bed with one of her many lovers when she hears the "bad" news), we get the strong feeling that Lisa's days are seriously numbered and get an even stronger impression of this when an ex-lover who tries to blackmail her is knifed to death inside her apartment. Lisa flees to Athens, Greece to both escape the killer and cash in the policy but is trailed by several characters; including Interpol agent Stavros (Luigi Pistilli) and insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton), both of whom seem to think that Lisa was somehow involved with planting explosives on the airplane. While in Greece, Lisa also meets up with her hubby's obnoxious short-fused mistress Lara (Janine Reynaud), who demands half the money... or else. Lara sends her "lawyer" Sharif (Luis Barboo) after Lisa with a switchblade, but Peter shows up just in time to save. A bit flustered, Lisa goes ahead and cashes the policy in, books an evening flight out to Tokyo and decides to spend her few hours left in Greece all alone in her hotel room. Big mistake. Someone dressed in the standard mad killer outfit (black outfit, leather gloves and mask), sneaks in, slashes her throat, guts her and walks away with her bag of money.  A few more characters are introduced (including blonde Anita Strinberg as a journalist who hooks up with Peter), there are several more murders (including a memorable close-up eyeball gouging with a shard of glass) and the plot twists are laid on thick and heavy (handed). And, oh yeah... the scorpion of the title refers to a cuff-link left behind at the scene of an attack, which seems to have belonged to Lisa's (dead?) husband.

In all honesty, I had a difficult time dealing with some of the plot holes and multiple loose ends in the story. Some of the twists (particularly the identity of the mystery killer) are in annoying defiance to what we've already seen and don't make much sense. But as expected, the murder scenes are directed, lit and photographed with some style. The occasional cool green and red lighting brightens things up considerably. There's also one scene that Argento lifted wholesale for SUSPIRIA, as the killer teasingly tries to open a lock from between a crack in the door with a knife blade. Gore-wise, it is barely sufficient if you don't mind bright red blood. The cast is decent, with Hilton and Strindberg very attractive leads, though there's far less nudity here than in similar movies, with only Anita providing some brief topless nudity. Good score by Bruno Nicolai. Overall it's about average from what I've seen in the genre.

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)!!!!

Well made and stylish while still ultimately making sense this thriller would work better for non giallo fans to get interested in the genre than the later Argento entries which go overboard in all directions.

For fans of these crazed Italian thrillers, they will appreciate George Hilton and the turns his character takes and what he's put through. The camera-work is fresh with dashes of graphic violence and odd, but appropriate choices and a good not overblown music score as well. The less you know about the story the better to make it work.

The only thing lacking in keeping this from being a great Sergio Martino directed giallo is that the story doesn't have that extra sexual or psychological, or both element to put it over the top. It's more a routine mystery, the characters are well defined but live or die according to the plot not according to their own virtues and flaws.

The recent DVD (2005) release is beautiful looking and definitely the way to see the film, unless these ever get art house screenings which seems unlikely.

I've lately been going back and trying to check out some giallo films that I missed over the years, and the boxset that contains Sergio Martino's THE STRANGE VICE OF MRS. WARDH, YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY, and THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL were recommended by a friend. I really enjoyed STRANGE VICE, and YOUR VICE - not so much with SCORPION'S TAIL. Not that it was a terrible film or anything, it just wasn't as enjoyable as the two previous entries in my opinion.

SCORPION'S TAIL starts off with a widow inheriting $1 million from the death of her husband who died in a somewhat mysterious airplane explosion. After the widow is murdered and the money stolen, a reporter, an insurance investigator, and the police are all on the cast to try and nab the culprit/culprits. Among the suspects are the insurance investigator himself, the wife (until she bites it at least...) and one of the husband's mistresses and her lawyer/"bodyguard". Who really hatched the plan if there really was a plan at all? That's the question. Too bad the answer isn't all that satisfying...

Again, SCORPION'S TAIL isn't a terrible film, it just lacks some of the better elements that Martino's superior films have. Both STRANGE VICE and YOUR VICE have better twists and story-lines. There are one or two decent kill scenes in SCORPION'S TAIL, but almost no nudity which was also disappointing. Recommended for hardcore giallo fans - others should seek out Martino's two aforementioned films and leave this one for a rainy day. 6/10

Filmed mostly in Greece, this is a flawed but enjoyable giallo. The editing is incredibly jerky at times, the gore effects are unconvincing (the blood looks like red paint) and the solution, while fairly unexpected, is not the most original you're ever likely to come across. But the smooth George Hilton and the voluptuous Anita Strindberg (she could have easily been one of the best Bond girls) make an attractive couple, the story dares to break some conventions (the first slashing comes when you least expect it) and mystery fans should generally be pleased. (**)

Step right up! Cut rate spaghetti splatter at wholesale prices! First rate? More like Z Grade. 9 out of 10? 10 out of 10?! When did we start assigning one point per plot hole on the grading scale? All you really get from this deservedly obscure little ditty is a clichéd plot, abysmal acting, tepid pacing, dreary atmospherics, poorly developed characters who do the most senseless and boneheaded things imaginable just so the movie can hop from one scene to the next, utterly contemptible dialogue, wondrous effects like a hilarious plastic model plane bursting into flames and scattered gory moments employing only the finest and brightest of "candy apple red" colored paint. So "Scorpion" is unfortunately rather pathetic and dull, just as the majority of giallos are pathetic and dull. Yet for some reason these things have a small but devoted cult following composed of people who think that if a movie was made in Italy in the 1970s that automatically makes it good. No doubt if this had been made in America or a number of other countries, these groupies would be slamming it like crazy for the very reasons I listed above. Oh well, as they often say, there's no accounting for taste.

Handsome and "smooth" as George Hilton may be, he possesses the energy and animation of a tree stump. I've never understood why he was given so many leading roles, as he comes off as incredibly pompous and makes for a stiff, unsympathetic and uninteresting protagonist (or, a-hem, surprise antagonist). Anita Strindberg shows up about midway through to play another pointless non-role and unleash her early model breast implants during the more routine passages. The rest of the cast give forgettable performances in forgettable roles. In fact the whole movie is forgettable. The plot is a tired one and involves an insurance policy being the centerpiece for a series of murders. Nothing new or interesting happens in the entire film. Martino's "All the Colors of the Dark" and "Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key" are far superior to this bore-fest.

THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL (Sergio Martino - Italy/Spain 1971).

Not a great, but a very decent Giallo from the ever reliable Sergio Martino. Quite a restrained but surprisingly effective if somewhat tame effort. Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli, but credited as "Evelyn Stewart") is enjoying the good life in London, when she learns her husband died in a dramatic airplane explosion (hilariously done on the cheap with a scale model). Due to the loss of her husband she can collect on his million-dollar insurance policy, and from this point on the setting is shifted to Athens. Naturally, the million dollars starts to attract all kinds of malicious characters and when a suspicious insurance agent (George Hilton) starts investigating the case, the corpses start piling up.

The film is almost worth seeing for one scene alone, shot in typical Giallo fashion. When Lisa Baumer meets her husband's mistress (Janine Reynaud) in a beautiful abandoned theater in Athens, we see the brightly overlit faces, almost white with the ink black backgrounds. A beautiful set-up with stunning photography. In some other scenes, Martino does show some visual flair, but overall it's a bit sloppy. George Hilton, in his usual smooth turn, is so smitten with blonde beauty Anita Strindberg in some scenes, he seems to forget about acting at all. Furthermore, there are some nice locations and at one point the story is moved to a nice yacht on the Aegean (for preposterous reasons), only to show Anita Strindberg in her bikini. Very nice...

The plotting is a bit over-complicated and marred by some incredibly dumb dialog and silly remarks by the investigating officers, from Interpol to the local Athens detectives. When Lisa Baumer is found murdered in her hotel room, the police inspector arriving at the scene claims it's the work of a sex maniac, even though he already met the victim and knew her background. Therefore he knew she had one million dollars in her room at the time of the killing, which are now missing! Furthermore, she is suspected of blowing up (!) the airplane her husband was in. Two obvious motives for murder, one might think, but later in the film he even comes back with this silly theory of the sex maniac. I think Martino somehow liked to the word so much he just had to use it a couple of times. Although the murders are quite imaginatively filmed, Sergio Martino is no Argento and the film falls a little short when it comes to visual spectacle, but the story is basically well told. Despite some laughable dialog and moronic secondary characters, it's made just well enough to pass as a competently made thriller, that should appeal to Giallo-fans.

Camera Obscura --- 7/10

Sergio Martino is a great director, who has contributed a lot to Italian genre cinema and, as far as I am considered, his Gialli from the 1970s are the undisputed highlights in his impressive repertoire. "La Coda Dello Scorpione" aka. "The Case Of The Scorpion's Tale" of 1971 is one of these impressive films Martino has contributed to Italian Horror's most original sub-genre, and another proof that the man is a master of atmosphere, style and suspense. My personal favorite of the Martino films I've seen so far is still the insanely brilliant "Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key" of 1972, followed by "Torso" (1973) and "The Strange Vice Of Mrs Wardh" (1971), all of which I personally like even more than this one. That's purely a matter of personal taste, however, as "La Coda Dello Scorpione" is an equally excellent film that is essential for every fan of Italian Horror cinema and suspense in general.

The film, which delivers tantalizing suspense from the very beginning has a complex and gripping plot that begins with the mysterious demise of a millionaire who has died in a plane crash. Insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton) is assigned to verify the circumstances the insurance company which is due to pay a large sum to the deceased man's wife. Soon after Lynch begins to investigate, a person is brutally killed, which is just the beginning of a series of murders...

"The Case of the Scorpion's Tail" excellently delivers all the elements a great Giallo needs. The film is stunningly suspenseful from the beginning, the score by Bruno Nicolai is brilliant, the plot is wonderfully convoluted, and the killer's identity remains a mystery until the end. Regular Giallo leading-man George Hilton once again delivers an excellent performance in the lead. Sexy Anita Strindberg is absolutely ravishing in the female lead. The includes the great Luigi Pistilli, one of the most brilliant regulars of Italian genre-cinema of the 60s and 70s, and Alberto De Mendoza, another great actor who should be familiar to any lover of Italian cinema. Athens, where most of the film takes place, is actually a great setting for a Giallo. The atmosphere is constantly gripping, and the photography great, and Bruno Nicolai's ingenious score makes the suspense even more intense. Long story short: "La Coda Dello Scorpione" is another excellent Giallo from Sergio Martino and an absolute must-see for any lover of the sub-genre! Stylish, suspenseful, and great in all regards!

I'm really tempted to reward "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail" with a solid 10 out of 10 rating, but that would largely be because I think Italian horror cinema of the 1970's is SO much better than the cheesy crap I usually watch. But even without an extra point for nostalgia, this is STILL a genuine masterwork and earning a high rating for its excellently convoluted story, uncanny atmosphere, blood-soaked killing sequences and superb casting choices. In my humble opinion this is actually Sergio Martino's finest giallo, and that has got to mean something, as "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh", "All the Colors of the Dark", "Torso" and "Your Vice is a Locked Room and only I have the Key" are all top-notch genre achievements as well. But this film is just a tad bit superior with its ultra-compelling plot revolving on an insurance fraud gone madly out of control. Following her husband's peculiar death in a plane explosion (!), Lisa Baumer promptly becomes the suspicious owner of one million dollars and she's eager to leave the country as soon as possible. Due to the bizarre circumstances, the insurance company puts their best investigator Peter Lynch on the case and he follows her to Greece. There, Lisa becomes the target of many assaults and the case's mysteriousness increases when it turns out several people are hunting for the money. I'm always overly anxious when briefly summarizing gialli because I don't want to risk giving away essential plot elements. In "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail", the events take an abrupt and totally unexpected turn before the story is even halfway, and I certainly don't want to ruin this for you. Many red herrings follow after that, but Sergio Martino always succeeds to stay one step ahead of you and, even though not a 100% satisfying, the denouement is at least surprising. It's also a very stylish film, with imaginative camera-work and excellent music by Bruno Nicolai. Everyone' s favorite giallo muse Edwige Fenech oddly didn't make it to this cast (she stars in no less than 3 other supreme Martino gialli), but Anita Strindberg ("Lizard in a Woman's Skin", "Who Saw Her Die?") is a more than worthy replacement for her. The charismatic and hunky George Hilton is reliable as always in his role of insurance investigator and – duh – ladies' man deluxe. If you're a fan of giallo, don't wait as long as I did to WATCH THIS FILM!!!!

Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli) is the adulteress wife of a big businessman who inherits $1million life insurance when her husband is killed in a plane crash while on a business trip….initially she is suspected of being responsible as her husbands will had recently been changed and so she has an insurance investigator Peter Lynch (George Hilton)and an Interpol agent on her tail just to be sure. Baumer travels to Athens, Greece to cash in her inheritance, but insists on having it in cash...a dangerous turn of events. Lynch who's identity is now known to Baumer tries to protect her against a lover of her husband Lara Florakis who nevertheless along with her henchman Sharif tries to kill them both for a share of the money that she deems she is entitled to. And this is where our Masked killer starts his/her brutal killings. Lynch as is customary with our hero is at first suspected by the Greek Police and is warned not to leave Athens by Police Inspector Stavros(Luigi Pistilli a familiar face in Giallo and Spaghettis). Lynch is then aided by the gorgeous Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg) a local journalist who helps him investigate the killings.To say any more could ruin the film for anyone who has not seen it, so suffice to say there are enough red herrings and most of them plausible to keep Mystery/Thriller fans happy in this story driven Giallo.The No Shame DVD has a superb transfer with both English and Italian soundtrack. It also has a very catchy score just for good measure by Bruno Nicolai that will stay in your head for a while....all in all a first rate Giallo.

The case of the Scorpion's tail is a highly stylish giallo directed by Sergio Martino, who appears to be a giallo master second only to Dario Argento.

Ernesto Gastaldi wrote this fabulous who-dunnit, quite complex but ultimately very satisfying and entertaining murder mystery. It also makes sense in the end, a big plus, 'cause that's not always the case for these giallo's, as they tend to stretch credibility with their endless red-herrings and ultimate solutions. Here, the less you know about the plot, the better.

Pure giallo trademarks present here are the beautiful cinematography, the catchy music score, the gorgeous females (Anita Strindberg is a goddess), brutal murders, black gloved murderers and explicit sex scenes to name a few.

In most parts it's decently acted, Goerge Hilton his usually suave self and others do fairly well. Martino directs with a sure hand, keeps things tight and atmospheric with some terrific set pieces.

If you're a giallo fan, this is a must see. If you like well written and suspenseful thrillers in general, this comes highly recommended.

Sergio Martino's The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is a scenic giallo from the early 70's heyday of the genre. An explosion on an aeroplane results in one million dollars in insurance money for a bereaved but unfaithful wife. The money is subsequently snatched by a black-clad assassin and a series of brutal murders follow.

Scorpion's Tail plays the mystery element, written by giallo specialist Ernesto Gastaldi, fairly straight. But, being a giallo, the murders themselves are memorable and well-staged. In fact, the violence in this movie is very strong in places - a scene with a broken bottle being particularly graphic. The emphasis on the violence no doubt influencing the giallo genre to move into more and more extreme territory. But like the best films in the genre the brutality is offset by a good score and attractive photography. The music by Bruno Nicolai is at times reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's avant-garde work in The Bird with the Crystal Plumage but is also strong in its own right. The photography is helped by the nice use of foreign locales - in this case London and Athens - where Martino manages to get in, respectively, the Houses of Parliament and the Acropolis! There is also some inventive camera-work too, the most effective being the use of slow motion in a sequence where a woman runs towards the door where the maniac is prowling outside. In this particular scene Martino has the killer hack through the door with a knife in a manner influenced by Dario Argento's Crystal Plumage, however, it also has the killer attempt to flick the latch open with the blade of a knife which is something repeated later by Argento in Suspiria. So Martino's film is influential in its own right.

This is a good solid giallo that both genre and non-genre fans can appreciate. The performances are good and the production values are fine (although the plane explosion is, shall we say, somewhat low-budget!). The DVD release by NoShame is nice. It has both the English and Italian language options which is a real bonus. However, it is worth pointing out that at times you need to be a fast reader to fully appreciate the English subtitle option. This applies to both the movie and the documentary in the extras. This is a minor point though, the DVD release is a worthy addition to any giallo collection.

Who could even in those craziest dreams imagine George Hilton well-known by endless spaguetti pictures making a serious role in this interesting Giallo from Sergio Martino, he leaves deliberately many fake clues along of the movie trying to bewilder the audience, l have to confess after elapsed over the middle, l had to stop the session and try figure out who'll be the killer looking around with three potential suspects, made my choice, but Martino overcame my suspicious once more and the final was totally opposite, l' had several picture from him and l can assure he is quite eclectic director working in many genre in one word "Fabulous"!!

Resume:

First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8

Arrow Video has allowed fans of the giallo genre the chance to finally see movies that most of us never had the chance to when they were initially released. Sure major cities might have offered these films at the time but widespread release across the county was unheard of. The invention of home video changed that and DVD has increased the offerings. But few companies have taken the genre to the levels that Arrow Video has. This shows once more with their release of THE CASE OF THE SCORPION'S TAIL.

In London Lisa Baumer (Ida Galli) is an unfaithful wife meeting with her lover whose wealthy husband Kurt dies in an exploding plane on his way to Japan. She becomes the sole beneficiary of his insurance policy of $1 million dollars and problems begin. They start with an ex-love and junkie who blackmails her with the threat of exposing her to the insurance company for wishing her husband dead. Meeting him later to pay him off she finds him murdered.

Heading to Greece to avoid problems she followed by Peter Lynch (George Hilton), an investigator for the insurance company following up any loose ends on the case. While thinking she left behind her problems in London it isn't long before Lisa finds more in Greece. They begin with Lara Florakis (Janine Reynaud), a woman who claims to be Kurt's mistress who he planned on leaving Lisa for. She demands that Lisa split to money with her or she'll contest his will. To help convince Lisa she has a stiletto carrying "lawyer" named Sharif on hand. Lisa escapes with the help of Peter who was following her.

Attempting to avoid any more confrontations Lisa asks for the settlement in cash and then books a flight to Tokyo. Before she can fly out a mysterious masked killer complete with trademark giallo black gloves enters her hotel room, kills her and takes the money. Enter Police Inspector Stavros (Luigi Pistilli) and Interpol agent John Stanley (Alberto De Mendoza) who'd been watching Lisa since her arrival. As they begin to investigate her murder their main suspect is Peter.

Covering the story of the murder is reporter Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg). Meeting with Peter she tries to find out what he knows and it isn't long before the pair fall into bed together and become lovers. But more bodies begin to turn up. First off is Lara who is attacked by the same gloved figure that killed Lisa. Her "lawyer" also falls to the hands of the killer. As the bodies begin to pile up suspicion remains on Peter in spite of the fact there could be others behind it all. And an attack on Cléo seems to clear Peter. What of the boyfriend Lisa had in London? Or could her husband have faked his own death?

What makes this movie work so well is less the typical giallo staples like the gloved hand, the knife wielding killer or the murderous intent of seemingly everyone involved. It works well as a mystery first and foremost with clues provided throughout to direct the viewer to the films conclusion. Each is meticulously placed in a well written screenplay that doesn't get caught up in pop culture like some in the genre tend to, instead sticking with story.

For once the acting on display loses nothing in translation. All involved perform for the camera and for the written word they were provided. No flamboyant gestures or wasted words here, everything in its place and adhered to. Each one makes their character believable and no one attempts taking over the screen are seen here.

The cinematography is also well done with beautiful locations shots coupled with well-lit interiors and street shots throughout. The composition of shot also works well and shows that director Sergio Martino and cinematographer Giorgio Bertolini worked well together to focus on the story visually as well as through the written word provided by Eduardo Manzanos, Ernesto Gastaldi and Sauro Scavolini.

As I said at the start, Arrow has been bringing a number of these well know and not so well known giallo films to blu-ray and every time a new one is announced I find myself waiting with anticipation. It's not just the fact that they're becoming available but that Arrow is the one bringing them out. They continue to offer the films with not just the best looking versions of them found but with plenty of extras on hand that add to the film rather than interfere with it. I'm not one to watch a lot of extras finding most to be little more than promotional pieces put together by corporate entities that want to increase sales by adding the standard Q&A with the stars. Arrow goes far beyond that making their extras as interesting to watch as the film itself.

So let's look at what they're offering here. To begin with the disc is a new 4k restoration of the film from the original camera negative. This provides viewers with that exceptional look that I discussed earlier. Extras abound with the following: an audio commentary track with writer Ernesto Gastaldi moderated by filmmaker Federico Caddeo in Italian with English subtitles, a new interview with George Hilton, a new interview with director Sergio Martino, a new analysis of the Sergio Martino's films by Mikel J. Koven who wrote "La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film", a new video essay by Troy Howarth the author of "So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films", the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon and for the first pressing only an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Rachael Nisbet and Howard Hughes and a biography of star Anita Strindberg by Peter Jilmstad. As I said, Arrow continues to give more than expected.

Some might think that the only people who would find this film worth watching are fans of European films and giallo films in particular. They'd be completely wrong. The movie works on so many levels and those who love a good mystery would be well served by seeing this one. Martino is hailed as one of the masters of the giallo genre and it's easy to see why. For those unexposed to the genre they couldn't pick a better place to start and this Arrow version is the best way to do so.

Recently seeing the interesting 2010 French Neo-Giallo Blackaria,I got in the mood to view a "new" Gialli from the 70's. Searching on Ebay,I found a title from Sergio Martino that was about to end with no bids on auction,this led to me rushing to grab the scorpion tail.

View on the film:

Making his second Giallo of 1971 after The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh by reuniting with co-cinematographer Emilio Foriscot & co-writers Eduardo Manzanos and Ernesto Gastaldi , director Sergio Martino impressively builds upon Wardh's visual motifs with an explosive nightmare digging into the subconscious of a character against a stark black backdrop. Continuing to cast the dream-logic atmosphere that would link his first three Gialli, Martino blends shooting in Greece and London (!) to give the mystery an eerie,pristine appearance, with the killings taking place in an oddly deserted city.

Brimming with tension from Bruno Nicolai's reflecting Jazz score, Martino and cinematographer Foriscot dip into the psychedelia that would be full-on in their next Giallo All The Colours of the Dark via the ultra-stylised murder set-pieces being glazed in dazzling pulp colours that heighten anxiety over each attempt made to beat the killer. Rubbing against the fears of the would-be victims with the black glove-wearing psycho using a blade to chip away at doors with a chilling,unrelenting determination, Martino follows the tails of the scorpions with fantastic.extensive first person tracking shots placing black gloves on the viewer, and chic whip-pans blistering in white white breathing in the deep red metropolitan air.

A different slice to the Martino psychedelia smoked Gialli that came before and after it, co-writers/(with Sauro Scavolini) Manzanos and Gastaldi make this the most mystery focused of the trio In a gripping fashion off of the murdered Lisa Baumer's (played by a seductive Ida Galli) stolen money being spread across an investigation filled with clues drilled with a great precession by the writers,which colourfully snaps at the title of the movie. Sailing on the jet-set lifestyle in Gialli, the writers take aim at an exciting one on one fight for survival on an island that unleashes a final sting from the tails of the scorpion's.

This film has near enough all the trademarks of a standard Giallo: a black gloved killer, Euro-babes, gore, red herrings, exotic locations, set-piece murders, J&B whiskey, creepy dolls, semi-effective policing. That said, it uses all these trademarks in the best way and although it starts off slowly, it very quickly becomes a standout.

A thin lady (Ida Galli) is meeting her lover while her husband is boarding a plane to go on a business trip. She's in the middle of a nudie session when the plane (a cheap toy one!) explodes, and due to her husband's death she now obtains a million pounds in insurance money. Before she goes, some junky boyfriend tries blackmailing her with a letter that could suggest that she wanted to kill her husband for the money, but luckily for her someone stabs him in the guts before he can do anything.

Ida heads for Greece, where the money is waiting for her, along with George Hilton, who has been hired by the insurance company to make sure everything is legit, and he's being followed by an interpol agent, plus the local police (led by Luigi Pistilli) are also involved, and if that's not enough, her husband's mistress and her thug sidekick also want a cut of the money too! That's a lot of characters – if only some insane person would simplify things by thinning out the ranks a little.

The trouble with Gialli is that describing the plot kind of diminishes the impact of the film, so I won't say any more about what happens plot wise, but one character is brutally murdered, things kick into high gear and no one is safe. There's little time for dull spots in this one as the killer goes head to head with most of the characters, some of which put up a fight, including one who manages to get the knife off the killer only to receive a broken bottle to the eye for their trouble. Took me surprise, that bit. In fact, although pretty fake looking, there's plenty of gore in this film (I think the cheapness just adds to the charm to be honest).

This is a solid Giallo with many twists, red herrings and quirks right up to the end, and Sergio Martino would give us other classics like The Strange Case of Mrs Wardh (also with Hilton) and Torso (not with Hilton). I have watched Your Vice is a Locked Room And Only I Have the Key yet, but it's got Edwidge Fenech in it so it's probably a safe bet.

'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' is a fantastic visual treat that allures you into a plot of an intriguing mystery and murderous mayhem, it begins rather abruptly with a suspicious death of businessman Karl Baumer dies when his plane explodes mid-air, while his wife Lisa indulges in an affair in London with her lover, then she inherits a cool $1 Million from his life insurance and this where the fun really begins with assorted characters keen to get their hands on the money where she gets threatened and blackmailed that eventually leads to murder.

This is movie is definitely a intense thriller with an interesting storyline that keeps you hooked as well as second guessing everybody's motivation throughout and despite the odd ropey special effect (like the laughable plane explosion) everything else in this is top notch and well and truly benefits from an unpredictable script and even taking a cue from Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' where the movie switches heroines part way through, which honestly was a total surprise and did not see that coming and was a neat little twist. Of course like many Italian thrillers a large part of the attraction is seeing glorious exotic locations, which this movie does and thanks to excellent direction of Sergio Martino who showcases the globetrotting form in all its purest glory. Of course the other standard trademarks are here such as the black gloved killer, beautiful women and wonderfully crafted death scenes, all of which makes this an enjoyable ride. Also this movie is efficiently paced with many twists and turns throughout, including throwing a total spanner in the works towards the last act as well as several other tense scenes littered throughout.

The cast is very good here also with the ever wonderful George Hilton playing the insurance investigator who really sinks his teeth into the role, and the beautiful Anita Strindberg another Giallo legend plays the feisty photographer and really pulls you in with her astonishing beauty and has great chemistry with George. Evelyn Stewart was also a nice inclusion to the cast playing the adulterous wife Lisa who does well to keep you interested in her story during the first half of the movie and Janine Reynaud was just brilliant as the spiteful scorned ex-lover showing true menace and just having a ball with it.

So in all 'The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail' is yet another definite classic in the Italian Giallo genre with an engaging story with many plot twists and turns with some set pieces and beautiful scenery that is very elegant and a must see for fans.

Although it has a generic story about people killing for money and letting their greed run wild, 'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' is well staged and set out the plot pretty well. A rich man dies in a plane accident and his widower inherits a million dollars. Other people who feel entitled to getting some of the money or all of it start threatening her, but when the widower is murdered an insurance investigator starts to investigate the case. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail. The plot runs along smoothly and it keeps you interested with enough tense moments, plot points and murders. Speaking of murders, 1971 is the year Gialli movies started getting more bloodthirsty so expect to see some blood and gore. The murders are more grisly in comparison to 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage', there is also some nudity although it does not have much sexual undertones. But the seeming lack of sexual undertones does not make it less interesting, also in comparison to 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage' its atmosphere is more subtle in tone. But I must admit, 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage' made me feel paranoid, it had stronger tension and themes that are more thought provoking.

But the cinematography is pretty good and the movie switches from scene to scene with no problem. Sergio Martino is certainly a good director and I have to watch more of his movies, so I can get more familiar with the Italian movies. Sergio Martino certainly knows what the Giallo is about, although I feel there are scenes that are taken directly from 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'. The writers also came up with a plot that keeps the movie interesting and hard to predict, well it was certainly harder to predict who the murderer was in comparison to 'Black Belly of the Tarantula'. I was constantly guessing who the murderer might be. Although the story is simpler compared to other Gialli movies the plot is still convoluted. That is always a good thing with Gialli movies because that is what makes Gialli movies exciting and interesting. 'The Case of the Scorpion's Tail' is not among the best in its genre but it is one of the better copycats that is worth watching and maybe eventually worth adding to a collector's shelf. I will recommend it for viewing at least once for Giallo aficionados. It is worth spending some hours of your life.

8/10

****SPOILERS**** In this blood splattering Gaillo flick it's greed and money more then anything else that motivates the killer to do in his victims then the usual failed love triangle or him being mistreated as a youth, by not getting a birthday or Christmas present, that you would expect in movies like this. It starts with death of businessman Kurt Baumer in a suspected bombing of the passenger plane-by a suspected like ISIS terrorist group no less-he was in, with the plane looking like a toy model, over the Pacific. It's Kurt's old lady Lisa who ends up getting one million dollars in insurance who's suspected by insurance agent Peter Lynch of somehow, he just can't put the finger on it, of having Kurt done him in.

Meanwhile Lisa is stalked by this down and out on his luck junkie Phillip, her former lover, for cash to pay for his drugs who's later found dead when Lisa went to pay him off. As for Lisa herself she also ends up murdered by the same person who killed junkie Phillip when she flew to Athens Greece, from Rome Italy, to cash the million dollar check and take a flight to Tokyo. In order for her to split it with what seamed like the person who made all this good fortune possible, by knocking off Kurt and Phillip, for her. Things pick up when insurance investigator Lynch gets hooked up with reporter Cleo Dupont whom he not only falls in love with but later saves her life from the killer.

***SPOILERS*** It's much later that both Lynch and Cleo go on a boat trip to an out of the way Greek island, oh how romantic, for both fun and games that the truth behind all these murders finally comes to light. And it's Cleo by doing a little scuba diving who not only uncovers the missing million dollars in cash but the person who stole it from Lisa Baumer after he murdered her! It was in fact a scorpion trinket found at Lisa's hotel room in Athens as well as a matching one in her late husband Kurt mansion back in Rome that lead, thus the movie's title "Case of the Scorpion's Tale", to the killer. That's after he also murdered the two other persons Lara Florakis and her burly bodyguard Sharif who could prove that Kurt's death wasn't an accident.

Sergio Martino has impressed me recently with his Giallo classics 'The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh' and the unforgettably titled, 'Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key' - but even so, I wasn't expecting too much from this film. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail doesn't get mentioned as much as the aforementioned titles when it comes to classic Giallo discussion - but I don't know why, because this is at least as good as those two! Dario Argento may be the 'king' of Giallo, but with the five films that he made - Sergio Martino surely isn't too far behind. In some ways, he even surpasses the master. All of Martino's films were released prior to the jewel in Argento's crown, the magnificent Profondo Rosso, so back in the early seventies - Martino was the king! The plot here follows the idea of murder for profit, and follows the insurance payout of a wealthy man. His wife inherits $1 million, and it isn't long before there's people out for her blood! When she turns up dead shortly thereafter, an insurance investigator and a plucky, attractive young journalist follow up the case.

The Case of the Scorpion's Tail may not benefit from the beautiful Edwige Fenech, but it does have two of Martino's collaborators on board. Most famous is George Hilton, who worked with Marino on The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh and All the Colors of the Dark, along with a number of other Giallos. Hilton has a great screen presence, and every time I see him in an Italian thriller; it becomes obvious why he is repeatedly cast. The beautiful Anita Strindberg, who will be remembered from Your Vice is a Locked Room, stars alongside Hilton and excellently provides the classic Giallo female lead. Sergio Martino does a good job in the director's chair once again, with several beautiful scenes - the best of which taking place in a room bathed with green lighting! The score by Bruno Nicolai (Wardh) excellently sets the mood, but it is the script that, once again, is the driving force behind Martino's success. Ernesto Gastaldi, the writer for Martino's other four Giallo, has put together a script that is thrilling while staying away from the common Giallo pitfall of not making sense; thus liberating this film from the rest of the illogical genre. The Case of the Scorpion's Tail is a quality Giallo film, and yet another success for the great Sergio Martino. If you like Giallo, you'll love this!

La Coda Dello Scorpione (a.k.a. Case of the Scorpion's Tail) was director Sergio Martino's follow-up to the wonderful giallo Strano vizio della Signora Wardh. This is the quintessential giallo, featuring all the aspects fans of the genre have come to know and love. Twisty plot, beautiful girls, black gloves, sharp blades, and a bit of gore all come together to make one heck of a piece of Italian exploitation.

A group of gialli favorites, both in front of and behind the camera, work to make this one of the best non-Argento gialli around. There's the aforementioned Martino adding his touches as director, giallo great Ernesto Gastaldi as the writer, Bruno Nicolai creating the music, and a host of giallo stars and starlets, such as George Hilton, character actor Luigi Pistilli, and the fetching Anita Strindberg.

With all this talent behind it, does Scorpione deliver? You bet. The film works on many different levels. It's a thrilling murder mystery, a tense and violent horror film, and a suspenseful thriller. All in all one of the best gialli around.

Martino definitely knows what fans want when it comes to gialli. At some points in the film, he almost seems to be channeling Argento in his approach. For example, there is a direct rip-off of the scene in Bird With the Crystal Plumage where the killer tries to break through the door, that actually outdoes Argento's flick.

Are there any problems with the flick? Hmmm... only minor ones. First, any scenes that aren't following the murders or the budding romance between the two leads begin to bore. But just before you fall asleep, the killer will pop out of nowhere and you'll be right back in the swing of things.

Also, towards the end, the twists get a little too bizarre. I mean, what purpose did the scorpion pins really serve? If you don't play close attention to the dialogue, you could easily become lost with the twisting, weaving storyline.

But these minor quibbles aside, La Coda Dello Scorpione is a tense, suspenseful, classy and all around entertaining film for giallo fans. Seek it out!