"Whose watching you Babes?" Still from "The Black belly of the Tarantula".
I've waited a while to see "Black Belly of the Tarantula", mainly because, until I started doing the t-shirts, I'd been aware that the amount of Giallo films around was finite and subsequently was willing to pace myself after my initial devouring of everything that I could get my hands on. In the last few years there has been an explosion of re-releases and also the availability of old video on the internet, and I've found myself having to get a move on if I'm to make any comment. I've had my favourites for a while and they still come out on top with the viewing I've done recently. So, it's been lovely to see the aforementioned film and another Cavara Giallo "Plot of Fear", and I hope I can get it together enough to comment more on these soon. Suffice to say, I've discovered two films which in their meandery, dreamy, gorgeousness which almost stand up to the Sergio Martino/Ernesto Gastaldi Gialli in their freshness, humour and eye for detail which has given me hope for Giallo viewing to come. I'd actually been expecting something a lot sleazier like "Strip Nude for your Killer", and maybe to a non Giallo viewer that would be the case, but the sumptuousness of the imagery, slickness of execution and general lack of prurience means they are a slice above some of the more mundane Gialli I've seen. Oh yes, and there are one or two moments of genuine suspense, which I find missing from all but the best Gialli - maybe this is due to watching so many... but then, if I picked up on it, is that more to do with a director who knows what he is doing.
A Coat to die for and another good reason to watch Giallo films! Still from "Plot of Fear"
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