Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971)

Director:

John D. Hancock

Writers:

John D. Hancock (writer)
Lee Kalcheim (writer)

Release Date:

6 August 1971 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A recently institutionalized woman has bizarre experiences after moving into a supposedly haunted country farmhouse and fears she may be losing her sanity once again.

Plot Keywords:

Farmhouse | Mental Hospital | Husband | Hippie | Wedding

Cast

Zohra Lampert	...	Jessica
Barton Heyman	...	Duncan
Kevin O'Connor	...	Woody
Gretchen Corbett	...	The Girl
Alan Manson	...	Sam Dorker
Mariclare Costello	...	Emily

Also Known As:

The Secret Beneath the Lake (Canada: English title) (promotional title)
What Killed Sam Dorker? (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence and some sensuality.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:(Banned) (1972) | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

34 North Main Street, Essex, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The house used for the exteriors of the Bishop house in the film still stands in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Since the film though the house has been repainted and now has a widow's walk on the roof.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Duncan hands Jessica the "mole" in the cemetery scene, you can clearly see that it's a mouse and not a mole.

Quotes:

Woody: [Emily has just conducted a seance] Do you really believe in that kind of stuff?
Emily: I don't know.
Woody: [reacting to sound of Jessica and Duncan's lovemaking upstairs] Do you believe in THAT kind of stuff?
Emily: [embarrassed, laughing] Oh, I don't know.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Rate It X (1986)

one of the best early 70's horror flicks

I'm so glad to finally have this little gem on DVD. This has been one of my favorite films for years and it's a rather haunting little tale of a man, his wife, and a friend, that give up city living to go to a country house, which of course, has an unsavory past. Jessica (Zohra Lampert) was released from a mental hospital a while back and Duncan (Barton Heyman), her husband, is very protective and watchful of her condition, sometimes too much so. When these folks arrive at their new house (in a hearse, no less), they find that they have a squatter, Emily, who they first are going to ask to leave but then ask her to stay. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea. When collecting antiques from the barn, attic, etc., to take to sell, Jessica finds a picture of the family that used to live there, that had a daughter who drowned in the cove by their house in the 1800's, and whose body was never found, and who is said to wander the area as a vampire. Maybe this explains all the bandaged people that live in town? Maybe...anyway as time goes by and situations get weird, Jessica is not sure what's real and what's not anymore, and hubby is getting VERY worried. But at some point the viewer isn't sure what's real and what's not either. This is creepy, eerie, and well done, and is a very worthwhile little horror gem. See it, 9 out of 10.