Nachdem er mit einem alten, keimverseuchten Messer erstochen wurde, verspürt ein Arzthelfer ein unstillbares Verlangen nach Blut.Nachdem er mit einem alten, keimverseuchten Messer erstochen wurde, verspürt ein Arzthelfer ein unstillbares Verlangen nach Blut.Nachdem er mit einem alten, keimverseuchten Messer erstochen wurde, verspürt ein Arzthelfer ein unstillbares Verlangen nach Blut.
- Auszeichnungen
- 1 wins total
- Rev. Luther Williams
- (as Sam Waymon)
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At its most basic, its a variation on the vampire legend, here with the twist that its a sacrificial blade not a bite that turns one into the undead. An anthropologist, Dr. Hess Green (Duane Jones) researching in Africa comes into possession of the knife and soon is stabbed giving him an unquenchable thirst for blood. Hess lives a comfortable upper class life in a large secluded retreat with his butler George (Leonard Jackson) and various assistants. His need for blood forces Hess to take trips into some of the seedier parts of town to satisfy his addiction. The wife of one of those assistants, the incandescently beautiful Ganja (Marlene Clark), eventually makes her way into Hess' home. Her arrival is awkward and confrontational at first, but, eventually grows into a relationship. Over time, Hess breaks her will and convinces the reluctant Ganja to join him in the ranks of the undead.
GANJA & HESS isn't about the plot. It's the mood, symbolism and atmosphere. The low budget film is very leisurely paced and the acting is iffy at times (both, put kindly). It treads the line between arthouse , horror and semi-professional exploitation picture - often all three in the same sequence. But, the deadening tempo really works here. There's a genuine feeling of the monotonous life of a man (and, eventually, a couple) who is never in a hurry, secure in the knowledge that he/they are immortal. Secure, but, still filled with the dread that they must continue to suckle the life source of others. No amount of re-cutting could ever makes this into a traditionally commercial picture. The various edits often lopped off a half hour or more from the run-time and tried, unsuccessfully, to pitch it as a Blaxploitation film.
Casting Jones who was so memorable as Ben in the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a masterstroke - from Zombie hunter to an undead ghoul here. We never see Hess in Africa, but, there is a brief clip of ritual dancers singing an evocative hymn that Gunn uses as a sort of haunting chorus inserted in various points in the movie. The shock scenes are quite frightening in their intensity, however brief they are. The music, photography and sound design are authentically felt. There's a memorable and chilling exchange between the couple when Ganja talks about how cold she feels now that she's joined her partner. Hess deadpans: "You get used to it."
GANJA & HESS isn't an easy watch. It's slow and offbeat from beginning to the very, very end. But, for those who are willing to immerse themselves in the life of this 'Blood Couple' - it can be a richly rewarding and ethereal experience.
There are parts of the film that have a lot of dialog and then other parts that have very little, if any. There are also some extended scenes from a gospel singing church that look more like a documentary than a fictional vampire movie. Flashback scenes are interspersed with dream sequences and at times it is difficult to tell if it is present reality or a dream. There are a few violent scenes where the doctor feeds including one at a whorehouse where he somewhat violently kills his victim and laps up the blood that has spilled. In another scene he robs a medical clinic, walking away with their supply of blood in his leather satchel.
I can't say that this is a great movie, but it is somewhat entertaining, if not a little slow. When the film was first screened the producers were disappointed that it was not a traditional "blaxpoitation" film and cut it down from 110 minutes to 78 minutes. It bombed and was soon forgotten.
All Day Entertainment released the fully restored dvd to much fanfare from fans of the movie back in 1998 and it is still in release. There is an essay from Tim Lucas and and a commentary from producer Chiz Schultz, actress Marlene Clark, cinematographer James Hinton and soundtrack composer Sam Waymon. The full retail price is $30 and I am certainly glad I rented it from Netflix instead of buying it, but some collectors might consider it for their collection, mostly those intereseted in really offbeat, independent vampire films, or collectors of interesting black cinema (blaxploitation it is not).
This film effectively ended Bill Gunn's short career. He was supposed to make a Blaxploitation film like Blacula. He failed his producers by making an art film, which they chopped up and released under another name. This is the fully restored film with an amazingly beautiful score by Sam Waymon.
If you are looking for horror or blaxploitation, you came to the wrong place. This film was shown at Cannes - the only American entry that year - and received a standing ovation.
Wusstest du schon
- WissenswertesThe film was released theatrically several times by different distributors and under different titles. Initially released as "Ganja and Hess" by Kelly/Jordan Enterprises in 1973, it failed at the box-office and was then picked up by Heritage Enterprises. Heritage re-edited the film and released it under the title "Blood Couple" later that same year. This version included 15 minutes of footage not used in the original release print, despite being 33 minutes shorter overall, and was marketed as a blaxploitation film. This same cut was released to theaters by Goldstone Films as "Double Possession" in 1975.
- Zitate
Dr. Hess Green: [Ganja phones looking for her missing husband and is forced to ask for a place to stay] Where are you, Mrs. Meda?
Ganja Meda: I'm at the goddamn airport, that's where I am!
Dr. Hess Green: Tell me where you are exactly, and I will send the limousine for you.
Ganja Meda: I'm standing in front of Pan American, and the driver can't miss me, cause I'm that evil.
[hangs up]
- Alternative VersionenVersion entitled Blood Couple is heavily cut.
- VerbindungenEdited into The Comix Scrutinizer: I Think I Need a New Doctor (2013)
- SoundtracksBungelii Work Song
Used by permission of Folkways Records Inc.
Recorded by Musee de l'Homme
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Details
Box Office
- Bruttoertrag in den USA und Kanada
- 21.197 $
- Eröffnungswochenende in den USA und in Kanada
- 3.406 $
- 3. Juni 2018
- Weltweiter Bruttoertrag
- 21.197 $
- Laufzeit1 Stunde 52 Minuten
- Farbe
- Seitenverhältnis
- 1.66 : 1