Ganja & Hess (1973) | Bill Gunn’s African-American cinema original now on Blu-ray in the UK | Movie Talk | What's on TV

While studying the ancient Mythria tribe of Africa, wealthy anthropologist Dr Hess Green (Duane Jones) is stabbed with a ceremonial dagger by his unstable new assistant George (Bill Gunn), endowing him with immortality and cursing him to drink human blood. Following George’s suicide, his sassy, no-nonsense wife Ganja (Marlene Clark) comes look for answers, but ends up finding an unexpected soul mate in Hess…

Before you sit down to watch this, be warned! Ganja & Hess is neither a blaxploitation film nor a vampire movie (which it was intended to be). It is, in fact, a hauntingly original, highly stylised drama about sex, faith, addiction and identity. An important work in African-American cinema, Ganja & Hess is much more than just a failed horror movie experiment. Inspired by Gunn's vision, film-maker Spike Lee has even filmed a remake, entitled Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, which hits US cinemas in February 2015.

THE UK DUAL FORMAT RELEASE Ganja & Hess is available on Dual Format (Blu-ray & DVD) from 26 January 2015 in the UK from Eureka! Entertainment http://youtube.com/v/VV70WIxxzgE