Yesterday was #blackoutTuesday on social media; the controversial aspects I'll ignore and instead note that it was designed to spotlight artists, entertainers, businesses, and others run by black people. Henceforth, something like Ganja & Hess seemed only logical for streaming last night.
No surprise that something experimental told in a fractured way was not a hit at the time, although it's been a cult favorite for years. Duane Jones is stabbed with an ancient African dagger by a crazed man (played by director Bill Gunn) and becomes a vampire. He also falls in love with the man's wife, Marlene Clark. In a film that often seems like a dream due to the muddy cinematography and the great score/soundtrack which has everything from soul tracks to weird electronic sounds, it is actually a tale of addiction which is sympathetic towards those affected; religion also plays a big role and classical ideas surrounding water also appear.
Admittedly it is overlong at almost 2 hours; even then, this is a unique experience which will work like gangbusters for some, and others will think it is an artsy-fartsy bore. Me, it does successfully present its tale, a meditation of several different topics. Of course it was nice to see Jones in a rare starring role, but Clark also delivered a solid performance. I understand Spike Lee's remake (Da Sweet Blood of Jesus) is not exactly a carbon copy of this... unlike that, The Great Gatsby does not come to mind when I think of Ganja & Hess's plot. At least that has a mixed reception, which is an improvement over his much-reviled take on Oldboy.
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