Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

That was an excellent one.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

.....boring, slowburn. NO atmosphere and bland characters. Got bored after 5 minutes and had to shut it off....avoid!!!!! Watched Friday The 13th part 5, and was thoroughly scared........thank god these old movies are disappearing!!!!!

Let's Scare Jessica to Death is a unique and atmospheric film. The representation of time and place and the unusual blend of haunting ghost/vampire and "am I crazy?" themes make it a true original.Even when I first saw it I thought it sagged a bit in the second half...but I've never forgotten it. It's really one of the most poetic horror films I've ever seen. Is it about ghosts or vampires? It never really explains itself but it winds up being an original, less literal take on the vampire. It seems people who see the high ratings and expect a major scary ghost story are a bit perplexed. But if you love subtle ghost stories or the regional flavor that was unique to some 70's films you may enjoy "Let's scare Jessica to Death". It's certainly one of a kind.

It is so heartening to come here and see all the fantastic reviews for a film I have been talking about my whole life. I was shocked to come to it again as an adult and nothing had faded for me- the atmosphere, that sense of disquiet, all were completely intact. It is not a perfect film, but coming upon this in your normal diet of bad slasher films, it shines as if it were "Citizen Kane". In fact, I would say that "Jessica" deserves to be known as the "Citizen Kane" of B-grade horror films- and I only call it B grade as a knee-jerk reaction to its lack of cult status. It truly deserves at least an A-. Zohra Lampert in particular blows you away by her complex depiction- she makes everyone around her a little more wooden in comparison. See it- own it- spread the word.

The lurid title could easily side-track you from what is essentially an extremely frightening exploration of a woman's descent into madness. You can read it, of course, in a material sense as the title suggests; but everything in this film has the potential to signify something else entirely, and its this ambiguity that makes this film so macabre and interesting. Everything, from the killing of the 'mole' to the conclusion where Jessica is trapped in the middle of a lake on a barely floating boat, could be signifying or at least implying something else. Classic metaphors for the human consciousness are bodies of water; being trapped in one or drowning metaphors for madness. The films ambivalent set of monsters, from a strange set of undead elderly villagers to sexually promiscuous vampires, threaten Jessica and her sanity. The fact that there is no ultimate explanation for the strange set of phenomena that take place is also demonstrative of the horrific and inexplicable quality of psychotic behaviour for those suffering from schizophrenia (for those of us that have had the misfortune to experience it) or the side-effects of drugs. This film is really worth seeing