Ganja & Hess
A landmark in the history of African American cinema and one of the most important films  of the 1970s,Ganja & Hesssuffered a tortured fate that nearly resulted in its extinction. Briefly released in New York City in 1973, it was originally intended to be a "blaxploitation" horror thriller, but actor-director Bill  Gunn (who died in 1989) created something much more complex and artistically expressive: a vampire film starring the late Duane Jones  (earlier immortalized as the hero ofNight of the Living Dead) that never mentions the  word "vampire," addressing interwoven themes of addiction, passion, class  distinction, faith, and the place of blacks in a dominant white society. Unfolding on a sensual level that is better experienced than explained, the film is equal parts dream,  nightmare, and existential odyssey.Not surprisingly, a film that so daringly defied convention was hard to market, and after its failed release it was drastically re-edited and  eventually released to video under no fewer than seven different titles.  Fortunately, a single print of Gunn's original version survived at New York's Museum of  Modern Art, its reputation rising through revival screenings untilGanja &  Hessachieved cult status as a "lost" milestone of its decade. The DVD release preserves  Gunn's original cut in superb condition (considering the film's turbulent history) and includes engaging commentary by surviving cast and crew and an insightful essay reprinted fromVideo Watchdogmagazine. And whileGanja & Hessis certainly not for all  tastes, there's no denying that its fully restored release on DVD represents an historic  occasion that any cinephile should celebrate.--Jeff Shannon