aka Murder in an Etruscan Cemetery
Director Sergio Martino is well-known for his giallos, but unfortunately I stumbled upon his worst film. It's set off by the murder of an archaeologist (John Saxon) after the discovery of an ancient Etruscan tomb. In a seemingly ritualistic manner, someone is snapping necks to keep people away from a fabled treasure. The deaths are all quite laughable as we are treated to each victim's stark terror as their heads are twisted 180 degrees. The story is interesting enough at first as the archaeologist's beautiful wife (Elvire Audray) travels to Italy to investigate his murder. The plot thickens like aged molasses as the pacing suffers from insignificant b-stories which lead nowhere. Fabio Frizzi's effectively foreboding and catchy score is wasted on such a dull affair. In the third act, the film finally decides to get back on track, but by then interest in the initial conflict is lost.
1 maggot out of 5
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