IMDb > Ganja & Hess (1973)
Ganja & Hess
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Ganja & Hess (1973) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
5.7/10   449 votes »
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Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Bill Gunn
Writer:
Bill Gunn (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Ganja & Hess on IMDbPro.
Genre:
Drama | Horror See more »
Tagline:
The Devil wanted their souls...She wanted their bodies and more! See more »
Plot:
After being stabbed with an ancient, germ-infested knife, a doctor's assistant finds himself with an insatiable desire for blood. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
See more »
NewsDesk:
The Forgotten: The Addiction
 (From MUBI. 15 August 2012, 8:14 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
One of the greatest films of the 1970's. See more (23 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order)
Duane Jones ... Dr. Hess Green
Marlene Clark ... Ganja Meda
Bill Gunn ... George Meda
Sam Waymon ... Rev. Luther Williams
Leonard Jackson ... Archie
Candece Tarpley ... Girl in Bar
Richard Harrow ... Dinner Guest
John Hoffmeister ... Jack Sargent
Betty Barney ... Singer in Church

Mabel King ... Queen of Myrthia
Betsy Thurman ... Poetess
Enrico Fales ... Dr. Green's Son
Tommy Lane ... Pimp
Tara Fields ... Woman with Baby
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Directed by
Bill Gunn 
 
Writing credits
Bill Gunn (writer)

Produced by
Jack Jordan .... executive producer
Quentin Kelly .... executive producer
Chiz Schultz .... producer
Joan Shikegawa .... associate producer (as Joan Shigekawa)
 
Original Music by
Sam Waymon 
 
Cinematography by
James E. Hinton 
 
Film Editing by
Victor Kanefsky 
 
Production Design by
Tom H. John  (as Tom John)
 
Costume Design by
Scott Barrie 
 
Makeup Department
Scott Cunningham .... makeup artist
Annie M. DeMille .... hair stylist (as Annie DeMille)
 
Production Management
Ed Dessisso .... production supervisor
Louis Pastore .... production manager (as Lou Pastore)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anthony B. Major .... assistant director (as Anthony Major)
 
Art Department
James Walker .... property master
 
Sound Department
Mike Lobel .... special audio effects
Ron Love .... sound
Bill Meredith .... sound assistant
Al Nahmias .... sound editor
Emil Neroda .... re-recording mixer
Emil Neroda .... re-recording
Vincent Stenerson .... sound editor
 
Stunts
Malcolm Drummond .... stunts
Tony King .... stunts
Tommy Lane .... stunts
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Blackwell .... second cameraman
Thurman Faulk .... assistant camera
William W. Lister .... lighting director (as Bill Lister)
Dennis Murphy .... best boy
Rex North .... key grip
James Walker .... camera assistant
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Celia Bryant .... wardrobe
 
Editorial Department
Cynthia Castleman .... assistant editor
Samuel D. Pollard .... assistant editor (as Samuel Pollard)
 
Music Department
Edward Bland .... musical director (as Ed Bland)
Nadi Qamar .... musician: African instruments
 
Other crew
Janos Adams .... assistant to producer
Renoir Darrett .... script supervisor
Janis Klein .... production secretary
Scottie Lew .... production assistant
Lincoln Pasteur .... production assistant
Alan Skog .... production assistant
Roger Wall .... assistant to director
 

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Additional Details

Also Known As:
"Black Vampire" - USA (video title)
See more »
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
110 min | USA:78 min (cut version)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Dolby 2.0)
Certification:
USA:R
Filming Locations:
Croton-on-Hudson, New York, USASee more »
Company:
Kelly/Jordan EnterprisesSee more »

Did You Know?

Movie Connections:
Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) (V)See more »
Soundtrack:
March BluesSee more »

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User Reviews

   (Review this title)
16 out of 25 people found the following review useful.
One of the greatest films of the 1970's., 4 November 1998
Author: Rigor from Chicago, USA

Ganja and Hess is a landmark film in so many ways. It is a remarkable achievement technically and in terms of fractured narrative. It is a remarkable addition to the African-American cannon of film. It is a remarkable boundary crossing experiment, aggressively combining elements of the blacksploitation horror film with the "art" film. Ganja and Hess is a vampire movie that says more about African-American history, sexual politics, capitalism and its relation to sexuality, colonialism and identity and spirituality than most other films. Find this film!

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