The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail (1971) ***1/2

The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail, released in 1971 (along with 1972, the most populous year for gialli), is my least favorite of Sergio Martino's five giallo films released between 1971–1973 (in fact, on a rewatch it fell a few places on the list below), but all the trademarks of the genre are present (along with two actors who frequented the genre, George Hilton and Anita Strindberg). Despite this and Scorpion's jet set locations, the film plods a bit here and there and doesn't have the same pizzaz that Martino's other gialli do—be it the psychedelic thrills of All The Colors Of The Dark (1972), the gothic chills of Your Vice Is A Locked Room... (1972) or the extreme tension of Torso (1973). Nevertheless, it's a very good giallo that ticks the boxes—black gloves, beautiful female victims, red herrings, convoluted plot mechanics, etc. Plus Bruno Nicolai's score is one of the most memorable of any giallo (that theme song will get stuck in your head for days).

You can find my Giallo Feature Films Ranked list here.

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