Special Delivery
Not that we don't like surprises, but being of a certain temperament we're often happier having at least a hint about what's coming next. So imagine our sheer astonishment and utter delight when we heard Bill Gunn's 1973 gem, Ganja and Hess, underwent a major facelift and was re-released on DVD early this month. Why are we so excited? Beyond offering a stream of consciousness meta-narrative on cultural difference, love, betrayal, and addiction, Ganja and Hess, considered one of the most hard-to-find independent films of the 1970s, now includes an extra three minutes of dialogue in the film's original cut that has been missing since its release on video for the first time in 1998. The animated photo gallery, film essay by Tim Lucas and David Walker, and featurette examining select sequences in detail add to the extensive offering of special features, but the clear standout has to be the revised audio commentary. Joining producer Chris Schultz, composer Samuel Waymon, director of photography James E. Hinton and co-star Marlene Clark, the most recent DVD release provides a conversation steeped in reflection, preservation, and inspiration.