In 1973, filmmaker Bill Gunn’s vampire/addiction movie Ganja & Hess was a sensation at the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Duane Jones, Marlene Clark, musician Sam Waymon, and Gunn himself, this mysterious, fascinating film should have been an arthouse sensation in the States. Instead it played a single New York theater for two weeks, before it was pulled and eventually re-edited in a more conventional manner for the exploitation market. I talked with Christopher Sieving, author of Pleading the Blood: Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess, about the film, Gunn’s greatest works, and the career that this remarkable director, writer, and actor should have had.  More information about Pleading the Blood: Bill Gunn’s Ganja & Hess.  The soundtrack for Ganja & Hess has been released by Howling Wolf Records. The show is available on Spotify, PocketCasts, Breaker, Stitcher, Anchor, Google, Radio Public, and YouTube. Watching Classic Movies podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts! If you are enjoying the show, please give it a 5-star review and share it with your friends. Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Click on the Support button here.  --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/k-cruver/support