ScorpionwithTwoTails

Scorpion with Two Tails (1982)

This is an interesting Giallo with some supernatural twists to it. Joan Barnard is the wife of an archaeologist that specializes in Etruscan history. Right before he is supposed to return to New York he calls her and tells her he has discovered an undisturbed Etruscan tomb. He also gives her a cryptic message for her father (played by Van Johnson) regarding some boxes he is shipping home. But before he can get off the phone he is killed! This sends Joan off to investigate her husband’s death where she discovers that there was more in the boxes being shipped to New York than just relics. If that weren’t’ enough she also seems to have some strange link to an ancient Etruscan priestess who was involved with rituals at the newly discovered tomb. Toss in some dubious science stuff for another weird twist to the story and you have Scorpion with Two Tails.

So when I heard that there was another Giallo with John Saxon that I hadn’t seen I was really excited to check it out. But after spending a couple hours watching Scorpion with Two Tails I’m really disappointed. First of all lets dispense with the notion that this movie “stars” John Saxon, because he makes an early exit from the movie. This is another case of “stunt” casting where a big name is put into the movie for a few minutes (seems like they had him on set for a day or two at most) simply for name recognition. Saxon is given very little to do and serves as a plot device at best. Now Van Johnson does have a much bigger part in the movie, but then who is going to get excited about a Van Johnson movie in 1982? The story itself is a jumbled mess that never seems to work out what it wants to be. You have some traditional Giallo elements with the black-gloved killer sneaking about snapping necks. But then the movie adds a whole bit of supernatural elements with the Joan character flashing back to her past life as an Etruscan. Then further complicates things with some strange metaphysical science twist that is then completely ignored at the end of the movie. Finally the big reveal of the killer’s identity is a big stretch, even for a Giallo.

What was even more disappointing was how poorly the movie was made. I expected way more from Sergio Martino, who has a decent track record as a director. But this movie just feels uninspired and cheap. The kills are very tame and repetitive. One of the things that I’ve come to expect from a Giallo, especially from Martino’s Giallos, are some interesting and inventive ways of killing off victims. Here it is one lame neck wringing to the next. And while he isn’t the first Italian filmmaker to be guilty of this I was rather annoyed with the recycled music that litters Scorpion with Two Tails. This is especially so since it comes from much superior movies.

Of course I’ve spent the entire review ripping on the movie and telling you what is wrong with it. But in the end even a bad Giallo is better than most of the movies that I’ve watched since becoming a reviewer. That said this really is only for those collectors of Giallos (like me) that need to own them all.

1 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer