I've seen the following work from Sergio Martino: All the Colors of the Dark The Strange Vice of Mrs Wardh, The Case of the Scorpion's Tail, Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key and I've enjoyed them all. All twisted charming pieces of Italian cinema.But Scorpion with Two Tails, is a mess in most regards: Story, dialogue, acting, cinematography, editing, music, you name it is sucks. Fulci also produced 80s garbage like this, but at least they were bearable, they had some atmosphere, something to hold onto. Two Tails has nothing. My vote is to eliminate it from existence. I realized early on that this was garbage, but it had a certain atmosphere, very minimal, then it continued on this track and even got worse. I do not recommend you watch this at all. There is nothing here. There are certain films that are so bad that you can laugh at the crew and cast for the decisions made. This had maybe one or two such scenes. Not enough. I'll recommend that you watch "Laser Mission" by Brandon Lee for the best So Bad It's Great Film. That's a garbage film. However, if you manage to watch it to the end, and are aware of the mess in front of you, you will be rewarded. Two Tails, has nothing going for it. Not even reading the reviews will reward you with any insight. I consider "Suspiria" one of the worst films ever made. however, even in that film, there are moments that are decent, and moments of ridiculous nonsense that you can read about later. And that so many people love Suspiria, it is a study of societies to praise such nonsense. The idea that collectively people can love something that is utter crap, like a cult. When someone says "Believe Me" I think it's time to reconsider. Believe Me? No, I'd want to substantiate your comment. So, I think "Suspira" is a success because people have been told that it is great, so, "Believe Me" it's great. It's not. Dario Argento is a genius in fact because he didn't just make a film, he promoted it, "brainwashed" people thinking his films are "ART", they're not. His Crystal Plumage film, and "Four Flies" are pure trash. And most of what Bava has produced. Bava's best work was "Black Sabbath". Sergio Martino work was miles ahead of what Argento or Bava produced in the early days. Miles! Unfortunately, with Two Tails, he has a film that is below what Argento or Bava has produced. It's not worth watching, reading reviews, thinking about, nothing. It should be erased. Then, I can go back to hating Argento and Bava again. I will now pretend that Twin Tails does not exist!
... View MoreHe may not be quite as well known among casual fans of Italian genre films as the names Bava or Argento, but Sergio Martino is responsible for some of the absolute best Gialli ever made. His earlier, frequent collaborations with Edwige Fenech are almost legendary and produced some of the best films this genre has to offer. Movies like The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, All the Colors of the Dark, and Your Vice is a Locked Door and Only I Have the Key are all among my favorites. Unfortunately, Scorpion with Two Tails does not come close to measuring up to Martino's previous successes. There are any number of problems I had with the film, but chief among them is that it's about as dull as any Giallo I can remember seeing. A plot involving an Etruscan Cemetery, a missing shipment of heroin, bad guys trying to find both, and a beautiful young woman with visions of Etruscan ceremonies – it just never drew me in the way Martino's other films have. Also, I never really cared for any of the characters. Elvire Audray plays the role usually played by Edwige Fenech in one of Martino's movies (she almost resembles a blond Edwige). But to be blunt, Elvire Audray is no Edwige Fenech. She has none of Edwige's screen presence or charisma. Genre legend John Saxon is on hand, but his role is so small that it really added nothing to the film. Saxon was most likely hired to put a "name" on the cast list. And when the killer was revealed, it had no effect on me at all. I didn't care enough about any of the characters to even care who the killer was. Also, I'm not a big fan of supernatural elements being thrown into a Giallo. These movies should be all about black gloved killers, stalking their human prey for greed, money, or jealousy. The risen spirit of an ancient Etruscan just doesn't feel right. As much as I hate to give a Martino Giallo such a low rating, I don't have a choice in this case. Scorpioin with Two Tails really doesn't deserve much more than a 3/10.
... View MoreThe video of this I rented features lots of "Americanized" Italian names. I get how "Paolo Malco" (from MST3k's "Escape 2000") became "Paul Malco", but how did "Sergio Martino" become "Christia Plummer"?Anyhoo, this French/Italian coproduction tells the incredibly unengaging tale of some drugs hidden in some ancient burial tomb thingee and some other stuff happens and there may or may not be supernatural forces at work. Alan Hale jr-look-a-like Van Johnson (MST3k's "San Fransisco International") gives loooong expositional scenes, and John Saxon (MST3k's "Mitchell") gets his head twisted backwards (and apparently the killer also switched his right and left hands). Another victim looks like a cross between Michael Caine and Elmer Fishpaw from "Polyester". The music by Fabio Frizzi is just the score from "Gates of Hell" used again. The special effects are just maggots- maggots on photos, maggots on hands, maggots on statues. Anyway, it should go without saying, but don't watch this movie.
... View MoreBoring and disappoiting work from shlockmeister Sergio Martino. Nothing much happens on the screen... Giallo specialist writer Ernesto GASTALDI was really tired this time. Elvire Audray is pretty but a terrible actress...Nice to see former sexy star of the italian adventure/action movies of the 60's Wandisa GUIDA but unfortunately she isn't doing much.Cinematography is standard TV-like. You simply don't care about the plot, the actors but you will hate the awful muzak.The fact Sergio Martino gave up on the anamorphic 2:35 format is, I think, a turning point in his career. He began with this "thing" (I hardly call that a movie)a long serie of disappointing and less radical movies especially aimed at a more US and european market (2019 AFTER THE FALL OF N.Y; ATOMIC CYBORG; AMERICAN RICKSHAW among others) where his visual style (weird camera angles, fast editing...) totally disappeared. You'd rather avoid this easily forgettable ASSASSINIO AL CIMITERO ETRUSCO and prefer TUTTI I COLORI DEL BUIO or LA CODA DELLO SCORPIONE, his best works to me.
... View More