LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH 1971

"Something is after Jessica. Something very cold, very wet.... and very dead"

     One of the highlights of 1970's horror, this low key and creepily hypnotic 1971 film was part of that wonderful era of American films that seemed to merge European art house film making sensibilities with the then booming horror market for product to fill drive-in screens and genre markets that resulted in such films as MESSIAH OF EVIL and THE WITCH YOU CAME FROM THE SEA.
    Savaged by most critics and fading into quick obscurity at the box office, LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH later slowly gained in stature mostly as a result of late night TV viewings, which because of its absence of nudity and sparingly use of blood made it one of the few horror films of the era that could be played unedited on TV. The film unfortunately was also the recipient of a hyperbole filled ad campaign and a title that promised a more "jump scare" type of plot that included the above poster and gimmicks such as hearses parked outside of theatres - all of which was a severe oversell for the low key atmosphere and psychological horror that the film brought to the screen.
    After suffering a nervous breakdown and spending time in a hospital Jessica (Zohra Lampert) moves to rural Connecticut village from New York City, along with her husband Duncan (Barton Heyman) and a mutual friend named Woody (Kevin O'Connor). While on their way to their destination they stop at an old graveyard for Jessica to indulge in her hobby of making headstone rubbings. This sequence also immediately put forth the premonition of death which permeates throughout the course of the movie. While at the graveyard Jessica glimpses a mysterious young woman (Gretchen Corbett from THE ROCKFORD FILES) in white beckoning to her and who quickly disappears. Jessica speaks to herself,(a motif used throughout the film to reflect her growing estrangement from the other characters) that she shouldn't tell Duncan or Woody as they might believe she's having a relapse.

     Arriving in town while driving a hearse (which seems to incur the suspicions of the townsfolk as "hippies") they arrive at an isolated Gothic farmhouse by a cove that they've purchased and discover a young woman Emily (Mariclare Costello) squatting there. Referring to herself as a "traveler" the group is initially suspicious of her, but soon invite her to stay at the house as a guest. The group sets up a commune like arrangement (even having the obligatory 1970's seance at one point) but soon some underlying tensions begin to develop amongst the four the group as it becomes obvious that Duncan and Jessica's marriage is somewhat shaky because of her recent mental problems and that they've used up all their money to buy the property. Jessica also begins to sense a growing attraction between Duncan and the vivacious Emily with Woody also being attracted to her, all of which heightens the tension within the household.
     On a trip to local antique store to sell some items from the house they learn from the owner of a legend concerning their house in which a young women named Abigail drowned in the lake on the eve of her wedding and that her spirit still roams the countryside as a kind of succubus. The local village is seemingly populated entirely by men who all bear an ominous open wound like a razor slash somewhere on their body. Later during a swim in the cove a spectral figure resembling Emily seemingly tries to drown Jessica and later Jessica sees a mysterious figure of a women lurking below the surface of the water.

     With its vague allusions to vampirism first time director John Hancock (who also wrote the screenplay under the name Ralph Rose) seems to draw inspiration from J. Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla (along with Carl Dreyer's 1928 film adaptation VAMPYR). It's interesting to contrast JESSICA's handling of the same type of material as Hammer was then exploring in its "Karnstein Triolgy" with those film's bare bosoms & bright blood splashed about. Although filmed almost exclusively in the daylight hours LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH creates a decidedly creepy atmosphere with half glimpsed figures and a feeling of isolation as even a visit to a brightly lite attic crates a feeling of unease. The theme of isolation plays heavily in the proceedings with gaunt farmhouse in the middle of nowhere almost becoming a character in itself.

    Literally defining the term "slow burn", its filmed with a hazy dream-like ambiance with the plot meandering (although never dragging) through its 89 minute running time and with its vague hints of a greater underlying horror then is actually shown it, leaves the viewer with a haunting sense of ambiguity. It's a shame that Zohra Lampert never really broke out as an actress (although she's an actress that one can't think of existing outside of the 70's) as she's quite wonderful here, bringing a quiet reserved performance as fragile women desperately trying convince her companions (and herself) of her sanity. Mariclare Costello also puts in an intriguing performance, in fact the two central female leads regulate the two males to the background.
   Originally released theatrically by Paramount, it was issued on DVD back in 2005 and was recently re-released on Warner's Archive MOD label. With the majority of the principles still with us it would be nice to have a new blu-ray edition with commentaries/ interviews and hopefully give this long neglected classic the stature it deserves.