Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsSXSW Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Ganja & Hess

  • 1973
  • 16
  • 1h 52m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
2.6K
YOUR RATING
Marlene Clark and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:39
1 Video
30 Photos
DramaFantasyHorror

After being stabbed with an ancient, germ-infested knife, a doctor's assistant finds himself with an insatiable desire for blood.After being stabbed with an ancient, germ-infested knife, a doctor's assistant finds himself with an insatiable desire for blood.After being stabbed with an ancient, germ-infested knife, a doctor's assistant finds himself with an insatiable desire for blood.

  • Director
    • Bill Gunn
  • Writer
    • Bill Gunn
  • Stars
    • Duane Jones
    • Marlene Clark
    • Bill Gunn
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    2.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Bill Gunn
    • Writer
      • Bill Gunn
    • Stars
      • Duane Jones
      • Marlene Clark
      • Bill Gunn
    • 44User reviews
    • 77Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Ganja & Hess
    Trailer 1:39
    Watch Ganja & Hess

    Photos30

    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Marlene Clark and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Marlene Clark and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Bill Gunn in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Bill Gunn and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Ganja & Hess (1973)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Duane Jones
    Duane Jones
    • Dr. Hess Green
    Marlene Clark
    Marlene Clark
    • Ganja Meda
    Bill Gunn
    Bill Gunn
    • George Meda
    Sam L. Waymon
    • Rev. Luther Williams
    • (as Sam Waymon)
    Leonard Jackson
    Leonard Jackson
    • Archie
    Candece Tarpley
    • Girl in Bar
    Richard Harrow
    • Dinner Guest
    John Hoffmeister
    • Jack Sargent
    Betty Barney
    • Singer in Church
    Mabel King
    Mabel King
    • Queen of Myrthia
    Betsy Thurman
    • Poetess
    Enrico Fales
    • Dr. Green's Son
    Tommy Lane
    Tommy Lane
    • Pimp
    Tara Fields
    • Woman with Baby
    Evangel Revivaltime Church
    • The Congregation
    • Director
      • Bill Gunn
    • Writer
      • Bill Gunn
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The 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.
    • Quotes

      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]

    • Alternate versions
      Version entitled Blood Couple is heavily cut.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Comix Scrutinizer: Witch Doctor #0 (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Bungelii Work Song
      Used by permission of Folkways Records Inc.

      Recorded by Musee de l'Homme

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Ganja & Hess
    I first heard of GANJA & HESS (1973) on the Internet but, after reading several favorable reviews, I decided to purchase it and I'm glad I did – though I've only watched it once so far. While I absolutely adore the "old" horror films, it's refreshing that once in a while a film comes along that treats the genre with extra sensitivity and maturity: Bill Gunn's approach, while peripheral in intent, is highly original and invigorating. The music score adds that much more to it, while the photography and editing techniques envelop the whole in a truly stunning visual style. It is inconceivable that such a seminal (and relatively recent) piece of work was almost lost to the ravages of time, not to mention the ignorance and pretensions of commercially-minded distributors!

    The DVD's Audio Commentary, though limited (due to the obvious absence of Gunn and Duane Jones), was quite informative and the cast and crew members involved were certainly enthusiastic, harboring a genuine affection for the film. The essay co-written by Tim Lucas was also very interesting, filling as it does the "gaps" concerning the film's background and its chequered history along the years.

    I would have liked that the notorious shorter version of the film, BLOOD COUPLE – complete with alternate credits and extra footage, shot by Gunn but discarded when assembling the original director's cut – could have been included on the DVD but, when I put this question to David Kalat (All Day's President), this is what he had to say:

    "On GANJA & HESS, all of the parties involved in the original version hated and despised the BLOOD COUPLE recut and everything it represented to them. They worked hard, for little pay, to make a Black art film, and found their work abused and maltreated. 25 years later, through the DVD, they found an opportunity to try again. None of them--the producer, the editor, the DP--would have agreed to include the BLOOD COUPLE cut on the DVD, and I respected their wishes. I used Tim's article as a way to describe that alternate version, even if it wasn't otherwise represented."
    helpful•41
    9
    • Bunuel1976
    • Apr 3, 2005

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ17

    • How long is Ganja & Hess?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 12, 2023 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Black Vampire
    • Filming locations
      • Croton-on-Hudson, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Kelly/Jordan Enterprises
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $21,197
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,406
      • Jun 3, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $21,197
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 52 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Marlene Clark and Duane Jones in Ganja & Hess (1973)
    Top Gap
    What is the French language plot outline for Ganja & Hess (1973)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Production art
    Photos
    Actors in Their Early Roles
    See the gallery
    Production art
    List
    New and Upcoming Sci-fi & Fantasy
    See the list
    Production art
    List
    What We're Watching: Time Travel and Anime
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.