Ganja & Hess = Ganja and Hess

This surprisingly contemplative work from African-American director Bill Gunn was released as a black vampire film after heavy editing and studio interference saw its melancholic soundtrack removed and run-time reduced to 83 minutes. Despite being commissioned to make a generic horror movie, Gunn (who also stars as George Meda) created a work of singular originality, subverting the tropes of the genre in favour of a challenging work that addresses issues of African-American culture and spirituality. Dr Hess Green, an esteemed anthropologist, is assigned a new assistant of unstable disposition, George Meda. When Hess is stabbed with an African relic, he becomes obsessed with blood, being possessed by an ancient curse. Hess infects his wife, Ganja, granting them both eternal life. With an elliptical structure the film is imbued with a dreamlike quality that is frequently menacing but never predictable. This blaxploitation work is considered iconic by many modern American filmmakers, including Spike Lee. At 110 minutes, this version is the restored director’s cut. Cast includes Marlene Clark and Duane Jones. Also known as Double Possession, Blood Couple, and Black Vampire.