Exceptionally sad and sensitive for a cheap 70s horror, Let's Scare Jessica to Death is a unique look at mental illness within the genre. The movie is painfully dated, partially because it's not all that well made, which is its greatest issue by far. If you can remain empathetic and take it seriously, Zohra Lampert
offers a picture of a woman walking a surprisingly blurry line between delusion and unbelievable reality. The task isn't always easy, with the generally ridiculous music and sometimes spotty acting from her support, but her interpretation of Jessica is sad and expressive. The movie is definitely about mood before plot, and Lampert aligns her performance with the movie's mood perfectly. It's actually frustrating (in the right way!) to watch her stutter and hesitate through her problems, surrounded by people who want her to get better and her own fears of not being able to do so. Anyway, I'm not sure I found this particularly frightening, but it's atmospheric and sad and generally creepy, much like Lake Mungo was. I guess I'm an easy target for these heavy horror-dramas.
July 7, 2010
