The Scorpion with Two Tails (Sergio Martino, 1982)

I first to admit I really hated The Scorpion with Two Tails when I watched it the first time. I guess I expected something else, something more in the vein of The Suspicious Death of a Minor or Torso, two of Sergio Martino's earlier masterpieces. In 1982 the giallo cinema was on its way out and Martino made it for television, first aired in two episodes á 100 minutes - which I just don't believe. There's just not enough story to fill out this production, which now is - alone - 100 minutes. I can't even imagine 100 minutes more of stuff. No, I believe it when I see it. I personally guess it was two epsiodes á 60 minutes, and nothing more. 

But fuck that. In the end we got a strange hybrid of giallo, crime and supernatural horror - with an array of familiar faces walking by, talking a little bit and then get their head twisted! Yeah, that's the way the killer kills, which is less spectacular than you might imagine. The story is simple. People involved in an archaeological is getting killed - first is John Saxon, and his wife comes to visit the site to see if she can shed some light on the mystery. Soon she finds out that there's a lot of mysterious and quite greedy people involved in the business, and at least one of them want to hide a secret... 

The idea of a murdery mystery set around Etruscan ruins is fabolous, and it's been done before. It's a pity Martino is on remote control with a terrible script and a bunch of actors doing what they must do - at least until they get the paycheck and can leave! There's no gore, the mystery iself is nothing special and the final involves an ridiculous Scooby Doo gag which just looks silly! But this time I was prepared - for the worst. The memories of the first watch was still lingering somewhere in the back of my head.

And to my fucking surprise it wasn't THAT bad anymore. Far from a masterpiece or even a good giallo, but still quite decent. It manages not to bore me, which happen during the last time, and instead I discovered that Fabio Frizzi's score is amazingly good - some of it is very inspired or maybe borrowed from one or two Fulci-movies, but that doesn't matter. Behind that boring script a new story unfolded, the supernatural one. And together with Frizzi's score it became a better movie. The surreal scenes set in ancient Etruscan times is quite cool and with tons of atmosphere, which make you forget the boring murdery mystery desperatly trying to get some attention on top of it all. Yeah, when to think of it, you can read this title as The Scorpion with Two TALES. And just one the tales is worhing watching. 

I'm not sure I can recommend it to anyone else outside the hardcore giallo fan mob, but if you don't expect something special it's okay-ish entertainment. To my own surprise. 

Sometimes it's worth watching an old turd again. Like this one. 

Comments

[Megatron]

"something more in the vein of The Suspicious Death of a Minor or Torso, two of Sergio Martino's earlier masterpieces."

Never seen those two films.

"some of it is very inspired or maybe borrowed from one or two Fulci-movies,"

Are you thinking of Sette note in nero/The Psychic/Death Tolls Seven Times(1977)?

"I'm not sure I can recommend it to anyone else outside the hardcore giallo fan mob, but if you don't expect something special it's okay-ish entertainment. To my own surprise."

I might give it a shot, good review and thanks Fred.