Best movies like lets scare jessica to death bestsimilar. Warner archive gets into the spirit with their release of the 1971 cult classic, let s scare jessica to death. Hancocks fourperson starrer features a fragile title character dealing. Frank yablans, then an executive at paramount, devised the films title as they felt hancocks working title, which was simply jessica, was not commercially viable. I didnt see it until 1987 when i was in the seventh grade. Lets scare jessica to death is a very different sort of horror flick. Lets scare jessica to death the movie looks and sounds grainy and slimy. Lets scare jessica to death scream factory, bluray released from an institution after suffering a nervous breakdown, jessica zohra lampert, the exorcist iii seeks the tranquility of a secluded home in connecticut to help make her recovery complete. Jan 31, 2012 imdb lets scare jessica to death 1971 was filmed in connecticut. Let s scare jessica to death demonstrates what can be achieved for very little money. Zohra lampert in lets scare jessica to death 1971 lets scare jessica to death. I traveled with my family to old saybrook, connecticut to the following filming locations for lets scare jessica to death.
Lets scare jessica to death is, by no means, a conventional horror film. Collectors booklet featuring new writing by amanda reyes. The 1971 horror film lets scare jessica to death is the story of a woman recently released from a mental ward, who buys a house out in the country with her husband and friend to start a farm. Lets scare jessica to death is not perfect, of course. Filming locations 10 filming dates 1 filming locations. Its small cast of mainly theater types and relative neophyte filmmakers were almost all in their early30s, and. A woman and a group of friends go to a remote coastal town to relax after mental problems.
The house for the exterior shots, main street where the rotary was with. Let s scare jessica to death is a 1971 american psychological horror film, directed by john d. Reflections on a seventies horror classic interview with film historian kim newman 23. Its also badly dated by the grainy image quality, terrible score imagine a non. Whats more, we as a rule go to a market to purchase our nourishment items. October 29, 2017 when i first wrote about visiting the filming sites for lets scare jessica to death in the new england grimpendium, i was pretty glib about the movie. Stephen king put it on his list of top horror movies. I was very skeptical of let s scare jessica to death and if memory serves it was our mother that picked it out. It takes a healthy leap beyond the already adept sd transfer from 2006.
There they find a young woman by the name of emily living in the house and they invite her to stay. Oct 21, 20 let s scare jessica to death is a 1971 horror film starring zohra lampert also in splendor in the grass. The lake sequences were filmed during the fall, so the water was very cold for the actors. The locations in lets scare jessica to death dread central. A horror movie so strong youd be surprised to find out its legacy hadnt yet been ruined by an inferior remake, lets scare jessica to death drips with atmospheric dread and terror. Review of lets scare jessica to death the books of daniel. Lets scare jessica to death 1971, is not only the far better film but probably unintentionally the more iconic 70s trope for what was so extraordinary about the special clutch of horror films that were birthed in the 70s epoch.
Let s scare jessica to death is one movie that always gets under my skin. Let s scare jessica to death just watched the 1971 film let s scare jessica to death and wanted to spread the good word. The locations in lets scare jessica to death 45 years later there may be no greater magic in cinema than achieving the intangible out of the tangible. Scream factory is a dvd, bluray and digital brand created to focus on notable and underrated horror, scifi, thriller films from the past that.
The mix of psychological thriller and supernatural horror works, especially as the. Lets scare julie promises a halloween prank shot in one. Lets scare jessica to death filming locations youtube. Though completed without a distributor, the film was purchased by paramount pictures, who gave it a wide release in the united states in late august 1971. When jessica goes for a swim in the lake, she sees a body just below the water s surface. In any case, with shopping for food web based developing from a 1 billion dollar industry to an anticipated 85 billion dollar industry in 57 years there must be something that is attracting a great many individuals to the internet to basic food item shop. Anyway, without any further delay this entry is about a cult horror film from the early 70s called lets scare jessica to death.
Lets scare jessica to death certainly isnt the worst horror film ive seen, but its among the. When visuals, sound, pace, and dialogue are working together in unison, as they are in john hancocks 1971 film, lets scare jessica to death. Visited the house where the film lets scare jessica to death was filmed. Let s scare jessica to death certainly isnt the worst horror film ive seen, but its among the dullest. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 the last drive in. Lets scare jessica to death is an ultimately tragic horror film about one. Nov 09, 2017 stream these spooky haunted house movies. The titular jessica, played by zohra lampert, is recovering after a stint in a mental health care facility. The remake is written by brian pulito, eric heiresser and cathy konrad and directed by eric heiresser making the film heiressers directorial debut. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 is a film that hints at a post modern americana gothicism permeated by a rustic folksy style of vampirism, with its small town coteries, paranoia and the archetypal hysterical woman in a sustained level of distress and adrift. Actually, i was pretty glib in that book in general. Halloween prank goes wrong in lets scare julie images.
Revisiting 1971s cult classic horror film lets scare. The store used in the film now houses the maple and main gallery of fine art. An impressively creepy little horror film stuart galbraith iv. Oct 29, 2017 lets scare jessica to death came out in 1971. Lets scare jessica to death signified the momentary downfall of extrovert bmovies hammer horrors and, along with rosemarys baby which arrived a few years earlier, signified a revolutionary change in the horror genre. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 page 3 classic horror. Also, it s a loss because let s scare jessica to death is a movie where the bonus material may have been really interesting, especially regarding the nature of the film, how unknown the actors are and how the movie seemed to disappear under years of other horror films. Jan 31, 2012 the location scout a virtual tour of filming locations. Connecticut was the house used for the interior scenes shown in the film.
Unfortunately, lets scare jessica to death s pulpy title might lead viewers to expect a slash and burn horror film. Released from an institution jessica zorha lampert abandons the city with husband duncan barton heyman for the tranquility of the countryside. Lets scare jessica to death is a decent film that isnt as campy as the poster makes it out to be. My brother and i would enjoy browsing through vhs movies for about an hour selecting what movies to rent for the weekend. This is a fantastic 70s thriller, with just the right amount of chills. Let s scare jessica to death is a film about insanity, but what makes it so astounding is that it doesnt ask us to study madness, but rather to share in it. Dickinson mansion on 34 north main street in the nearby town of essex. There is a twist which is made obvious too soon to anybody paying attention, and leaves you. Filmed without a distributor and produced independently under the jessica company, lets scare jessica to death was sold to paramount pictures in early 1971. Black christmas remake gets rated pg, ignites huge horror debate on twitter.
The town scenes were filmed in chester, connecticut. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 i watched this on youtube last night, thinking it would be a cheesy slasher movie and instead thought it was a wonderfully creepy indie horror film. This was back in the days video rental stores still existed. Lets scare jessica to death is one of those creepy films that has haunted me since my childhood. Lets scare jessica to death opens and closes on the same image. Its not bloody or gory and builds to it scary moments at a very slow pace. A halloween prank goes terribly wrong in lets scare julie previously titled lets scare julie to death, an indie thriller written and directed by jud cremata. But jessica is something uniquely differenta deliberately paced meditation on paranoia that may or may not be a vampire movie. After a stint in a psychiatric facility jessica, her husband and a friend move to remote farm they have recently purchased. Hancock, its the story of a woman, recently released from an institution, who moves into an old farmhouse with her husband and a friend. Of course, the fact that its from the 70s can also be a downfall of the film, as not everybody will be interested in something that seems tame compared to films now. Lets scare jessica to death horror film wiki fandom. Let s scare jessica to death is a bona fide cult horror gem not a lot of people have seen it, it s smarter than your average death ngore movie, and it leaves you wondering just what the heck is going on here. Lets scare jessica to death locations then and now featurette 6.
There, her mind either starts breaking down again or is fine and its all the vampires in town who are the problem. The interiors of the old bishop house were filmed elsewhere, at the e. Though not quite a lost classic, let s scare jessica to death 1971 is an impressively creepy little horror film, quite good for such a modestly budgeted work with no stars. Released from a mental institution and into her husbands care, jessica moves in with him and their friend to upstate new york at a farmhouse where they meet. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 journeys in classic film. The overall style and genuinely creepy scenes makeup for those common imperfections that are often found in low budget films. Would movie goers recommend let s scare jessica to death to friends. In particular, it makes you wonder if the jessica of the title is raving mad, or if a vampire really is making the rounds. Released by paramount pictures in 1971 a year before they unveiled the godfather, director john d. The story of lets scare jessica to death focuses on a married couple who have moved out of new york city and relocated to a rural town in nearby connecticut.
Oct 28, 2018 lets scare jessica to deaths eventual status as a cult film grew out of these weesmallhoursofthemorning broadcasts, but as far as i was concerned, if there was ever a film one should not be introduced to via the accompaniment of frequent commercial interruptions. The doubting of reality in lets scare jessica to death. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 movies, tv, celebs, and more. Lets scare jessica to death is a 1971 american horror film cowritten and directed by john hancock in his directorial debut, and. The majority of it takes place during daylight, and the setting an actual farm house is idyllic, even beautiful at times the opening shot of a rowboat on the lake at sunrise is striking. It s too slow to be entertaining as the title promises, but it s beautifully atmospheric. Revisiting 1971s cult classic horror film lets scare jessica to death. She narrates the film and we often hear her thoughts.
The street signs can be seen in the film, located at the intersection of main st and maple st. Lets scare jessica to death filming locations duration. In the end, jessica cannot escape her own depressionor the vampires who serve as a metaphoric reflection of being oppressed by such darkness from ones own brain. Filming of lets scare jessica to death took place in various towns and villages in connecticut, largely in middlesex county. Its origins are unclear, but it looks like an independent production acquired for release through paramount. Lets scare jessica to death is a 1971 american horror film cowritten and directed by john hancock in his directorial debut, and starring.
Sep 01, 2012 i traveled with my family to old saybrook, connecticut to the following filming locations for lets scare jessica to death. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 captures an atmosphere of dreamlike yet naturalistic horror rarely seen. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 was filmed in connecticut. The low budget, cult classic 1971 horror film lets scare jessica to death is a prime example of a cinematic title about which experts have just never been able to come to a critical consensus. The new independent horror film lets scare julie centers on a halloween prank gone wrong, shot in one continuous take with no cuts and largely improvised formerly titled lets scare julie to death, bloodydisgusting premiered the first images from the film earlier this week. Lets scare jessica to death october 20th, 2007 by unkle lancifer 4 comments poor jessica, she just got released from a four month stay at a mental institution and she aint feeling so great. Jun 08, 2009 zohra lampert barton heyman kevin oconnor gretchen corbett alan manson mariclare costello. I first saw this one tv back in the late 70s, while my mom and dad were out in the living room playing cards with friends. Visited the house where the film lets scare jessica to death. The 1971 horror film lets scare jessica to death is the story of a woman recently released from a mental ward, who buys a house out in the country with her.
It has a bit of a film school feel to it, at times lingering a bit too long on a pretty shot or a scene that doesnt really advance the story at all. The film depicts the nightmarish experiences of a psychologically fragile woman in an old farmhouse on a connecticut island. Old bishop house old saybrook, connecticut atlas obscura. We as a whole need to eat to remain alive that is guaranteed. No one knows this better than the protagonist in todays film from 1971, lets scare jessica to death. If you like let s scare jessica to death you are looking for scary, atmospheric and serious movies about with zombie, vampire, ghost, hippie, murder, haunted by the past and haunted house themes of drama, horror and mystery genre shot in usa. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 directed by john d. It refused to stay buried, and so i saw it again in my twenties. Let s scare jessica to death is a movie you cant look away from. Scream factory brings cult classic thrillers body parts and lets scare jessica to death to bluray january 15 december 2019 horror news. Lets scare jessica to death is a film that i watched first as a teenager. Hancock and starring zohra lampert, barton heyman, gretchen corbett, and mariclare costello.
Lets scare jessica to death is a truly unique feminist horror film. Let s scare jessica to death is a 1971 american horror film directed by john d. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 official trailer youtube. So in it a group of hippies move to a isolated farm house up in the conneticut countryside, from new york, were jessica lost her mind and was sent to a mental institute. Jul 14, 2015 lets scare jessica to death, ghosts and vampires in connecticut as norman bates reminds us, we all go a little mad sometimes. An unstable young woman just released from a mental institution starts seeing things after relocating from new york city to the country, a move that was intended by her husband to help her recovery. Lets scare jessica to death is a movie you cant look away from.
Nov 16, 2015 although filmed almost exclusively in the daylight hours lets 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. Rod serling has been quoted as stating it was one of the. Stephen king has hailed at as quite simply, one of the best ghost stories ever filmed. The one shot of his still in the finished film has the same primordial dread that let s scare jessica. I suppose thats probably the way its supposed to be, but it probably wouldve been thoughtful to include a chamois in the package.
Lets scare jessica to death 1971 leave your insanity at the door. Chester, connecticut chester, connecticut the town sce. Maybe it was the title that turned me off initially. Filming location of the let s scare jessica to death house. It uses mythic ideas about old ghosts and seductive vampires to explore the persistent. When they go into the village to sell some old furniture, they learn that a woman. Filming location of the lets scare jessica to death. Though i was certainly too immature to fully appreciate it at the time, its a film stuck with me nonetheless. Brian greene revisits the divisive 1971 cult classic horror film lets scare jessica to death, soon to be released in bluray by shout. Lets scare jessica to death 1971 the movie follows a trio of exhippies jessica zohra lampert, her husband duncan barton heyman, and their friend woody kevin oconnor who move from the bustle of new york city to a quite new england farmhouse to allow jessica to convalesce after a recent stay in a mental institution.