Sham Shocktober hasn’t been any kind of countdown, but I have saved the best for last. And tomorrow I’ll let you know which of Shocktober’s 30 suggestions have become my Top 5 must-see movies. To me, today’s choice is the Holy Grail of horror films I haven’t seen – the one I almost can’t believe I’ve never watched. Think about it: I’ve seen Cheerleader Massacre and yet I haven’t seen this? I’m clearly either (a) stupid, (b) stupid, (c) stupid, or (d) all of the above and stupid to boot. Anyway, if you haven’t worked it out by now – or read the post title – I’m talking about 1971’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.Key to my fascination with Jessica is the fact that I know so little about it. Basically, I hear it’s creepy and it might have something to do with vampires... who knows? I actively avoid reading about the plot because I really don’t want to spoil anything. Anything at all. But it’s difficult to argue with reviews like these:
“To say it’s one of the best horror films ever made still wouldn’t do it justice” – Amanda By Night
“They really don’t make ’em like this anymore. I was mesmerized” – Final Girl
“Will linger in your consciousness for years to come” – DVD Drive-in
“Shamefully underrated” – Kim Newman (and that’s high praise indeed from this venerable horror expert)
So that’s why we might call Jessica the guts of Sham Shocktober, celebrating a month of classic horror I haven’t actually experienced. Behind the scenes, I’ve been frantically flogging unwanted DVDs on eBay, and tomorrow – yes, on Halloween itself, pumpkins – I’ll let you know which five of the thirty preceding movies I’ve decided to buy with my PayPal proceeds. Thanks for the help in choosing!
2 comments:
Oh, I've been quoted! Neat!
I agree that you saved the best for last, but at the same time I can't help feeling a little bittersweet about the end of Sham Shocktober. It's true. You don't even know how great it's been to come here every day and have something new to read (and I'll be done with your archives in no time - I eat this stuff up!)... So you know, there's just a little something in my eye...
This is a great pick and I'm pretty sure it will end up in you top 5 selections. I seriously cannot wait to hear your thoughts.
You might be surprised with the top 5, actually! Anyway, thanks for the kind comments about Sham Shocktober; it's been great fun to do, and reading through the comments and recommendations has been amazing. Think I'll have November the 1st off, though!
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