After wrapping up August by celebrating our 400th episode with The Rocky Horror Picture Show (listen) and getting very manic and chaotic with Tobe Hooper’s misunderstood sequel The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (listen), we’re slowing things down a bit to check out John D. Hancock‘s moody woman-in-peril thriller Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)!
The film follows fresh-out-of-an-institution Jessica (Zohra Lampert), who moves to the Connecticut countryside with her husband Duncan (Barton Heyman) and their hippie friend Woody (Kevin O’Connor). Upon arriving at their new farmhouse, they discover squatter Emily (Mariclare Costello), who captivates the trio. After they invite Emily to stay with them, Jessica begins to notice strange things happening in her presence. Is Emily a vampire hellbent on seducing Jessica? Or is Jessica losing her mind?
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Episode 402: Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971)
Grab your cello and wear your wedding dress in the pond because we are talking 1971’s indie psychological thriller Let’s Scare Jessica To Death. Starring an understated Zohra Lampert and the seductive Mariclare Costello, the film is a great early example of gaslight horror.
Plus: the death of the free love movement; debate about whether Jessica is going crazy or if the threat is real; Joe’s hilarious relationship with the score; and comparisons to Carmilla.
Cross out Let’s Scare Jessica to Death!
Coming Up Next: We’re kicking off “Thanks for the Judds,” a six-week programming block of Ashley Judd thrillers. First up is the one that started it all: the 1997 Alex Cross thriller Kiss the Girls!
P.S. Subscribe to our Patreon for over 514 hours of Patreon content including this month’s new episodes on The Devil’s Mouth, Fall 2, Soulm8te, Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil and an audio commentary on Practical Magic (1998) in anticipation of its sequel coming out next month.
