I've seen many of Sergio Martino's films but I've admittedly never seen The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, thankfully I'm able to experience it for the first time with Arrow Video's gorgeous Blu-ray release. The Case of the Scorpion's Tale is an excellent example of the Italian giallo that kept me enthralled and guessing up until the film's final moments. It has beautiful women in peril, a killer dressed all in black (wearing black leather gloves, of course), gruesome and bloody deaths, and a masterful soundtrack provided by Bruno Nicolai (who also composed the scores for gialli classics, The Night Evelyn Came out of the Grave and The Red Queen Kills 7 Times). Without giving away too much about the film, a gorgeous reporter (Anita Strindberg of Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin) and an insurance agent (George Hilton of Sergio Martino's The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) investigate the slashing death of Lisa Baumer and the million dollars of insurance money that was stolen from her. As they get closer to the killer's identity, the bodies pile up. To say any more would most likely ruin the film for anyone who has not seen it, so suffice to say there are enough red herrings and most of them are plausible to keep Mystery/Thriller fans happy in this story driven film. Both Strindberg and Hiton knock their roles out of the park, an. proving that not only do they look great but their acting abilities are also superb. All other actors and actresses also do fantastic jobs in their roles, all delivering dynamic and believable performances. Arrow Video has released a top notch Bu-ray as always! The video restoration is magnificent, colors pop and the picture is crystal clear, It honestly felt as though I was watching a film released in recent years. I also have no complaints with the audio (stereo), both Italian and English tracks are clear and I experienced no issues with either. The interviews with director Sergio Martino (Torso and Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key) and George Hilton are lengthy and offer a very informative look inside the making of this giallo masterpiece. I highly recommend this Blu-ray release for collectors of Italian gialli, lovers of '70s cinema, and anyone who enjoys a damn good murder mystery! You can't go wrong with this one. This one is pure 70’s giallo gold!
Via arrowfilms.com: One of the major consequences of Western Europe’s post-war Economic Miracle was the proliferation of international travel. Eager to tap into audiences’ desire to experience the glamour of the jet set lifestyle, the popular filmmakers of the day rushed to make the most of the exotic locales at their disposal.
Arguably no other giallo captured this trend as vividly as The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail. The film begins in London, where Lisa Baumer (Evelyn Stewart, The Psychic) learns that her husband has died in a freak plane accident. Summoned to Athens to collect his generous life insurance policy, she soon discovers that others besides herself are keen to get their hands on the money – and are willing to kill for it. Meanwhile, private detective Peter Lynch (George Hilton, The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh) arrives to investigate irregularities in the insurance claim. Teaming up with a beautiful reporter, Cléo Dupont (Anita Strindberg, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key), Lynch resolves to unearth the truth… before he too ends up on the wrong end of the murderer’s straight razor.
The second giallo by genre master Sergio Martino (Torso, The Suspicious Death of a Minor), The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail combines stunning views of Athens and the Greek coastline with brutal bursts of violence, a typically tangled script by Ernesto Gastaldi (Death Walks on High Heels), and a cast overflowing with Euro cult talent, including Alberto de Mendoza (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin), Janine Reynaud (Jess Franco’s Succubus) and Luigi Pistilli (A Bay of Blood).
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
• Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Audio commentary with writer Ernesto Gastaldi, moderated by filmmaker Federico Caddeo (in Italian with English subtitles)
• New interview with star George Hilton
• New interview with director Sergio Martino
• New analysis Sergio Martino’s films by Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
• New video essay by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
• Theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: 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