LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) - A '70s Cult Horror Classic or Forgotten Nightmare?

LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) d. John D. Hancock (USA)

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Director John Hancock's brilliant low-budget psychological chiller, Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), combines elements of ghosts, vampires, and zombies, yet manages to find its own uniquely eerie voice. Shot independently in and around Connecticut, over the course of 25 chilly Autumn days on a budget of only $250,000, Jessica ultimately brought in $20 million during its theatrical release after being acquired by Paramount. It was later discovered by many more viewers over the years via television screenings and VHS rentals, building a small but dedicated fan base along the way.

Following her release from a sanitarium, emotionally sensitive Jessica (played by Zohra Lampert) leaves NYC with her classical musician husband Duncan and their like-minded hippie friend Woody to find peace and quiet working a New England apple orchard. But when they encounter a strange, beautiful squatter residing in the farmhouse, Jessica’s unstable world begins to crumble. And, like our heroine, we are never quite sure what is reality or nightmare, madness or sanity….

While the original script was envisioned as a parody of scary movies, Hancock approached the material with a serious bent, allowing us to enter Jessica’s fragile mind through effective use of self-doubting voice-over as well as an ongoing chorus of entreating, berating, and haunting inner voices. The evocative score by Orville Stoeber (aided immeasurably by Walter Sear’s electronic synthesizer) remains one of the best of the early ’70s, augmenting Hancock’s haunting unsettling atmosphere.

An underrated gem deserving of multiple viewings, Jessica insinuates on a deeper level than mere shocks and jump scares, creating a spell that lingers without flashy effects or gore, boasting a wealth of subtle, memorable sequences and surprises around every corner.

Join AC and his incredible panel of guests (Jess Ader, Darren Callahan, John McDevitt, Vanessa Morgan, Michael Orlando Yaccarino) as we celebrate 55 years of LET’S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwBLhR-LO7M

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