The Black Belly of the Tarantula

"With needles dipped in deadly venom the victims are paralyzed - so they must lie awake and watch themselves die!"

1971 1h 38m IT

😐

6.2

MID

★6.2TMDB · 98

HorrorMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Inspector Tellini investigates serial crimes where victims are paralyzed while having their bellies ripped open with a sharp knife.

“With needles dipped in deadly venom the victims are paralyzed - so they must lie awake and watch themselves die!”

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Cast

Giancarlo Giannini
Inspector Tellini
Claudine Auger
Laura
Barbara Bouchet
Maria Zani
Rossella Falk
Franca Valentino
Silvano Tranquilli
Paolo Zani
Annabella Incontrera
Mirta Ricci
Ezio Marano
Masseur
Barbara Bach
Jenny

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Paolo Cavara
Writers: Marcello Danon, Lucile Laks
Languages: Italian
Countries: France, Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Paolo Cavara, shot by Marcello Gatti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mario Morra shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Giancarlo Giannini and Claudine Auger and Barbara Bouchet carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "With needles dipped in deadly venom the victims are paralyzed - so they must lie awake and watch themselves die!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0069343 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paolo Cavara directs. Marcello Gatti behind the camera. Ennio Morricone scores. Mario Morra cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France, Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

155 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2International production across 2 countries: France, Italy.
3Directed by Paolo Cavara, shot by Marcello Gatti. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ennio Morricone. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mario Morra shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Giancarlo Giannini and Claudine Auger and Barbara Bouchet carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "With needles dipped in deadly venom the victims are paralyzed - so they must lie awake and watch themselves die!".
8IMDB entry: tt0069343 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 98 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 14 themes, including "hat", "escape", "light", "victim".