MovieChat Forums > Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (2015) Discussion > Nothing happens in this movie

Nothing happens in this movie

posted 9 years ago by C.S.Wood
5 replies | jump to latest

For years I have been hoping that black filmmakers would branch out and get away from making family drama films or "hood" films and start making some interesting genre films (thriller, horror, sci-fi) so I was excited to hear Spike Lee was stepping out of his comfort zone and making a horror film.

And it sucks. And it really didn't have to suck. But it sucks because nothing happens. There is never any real sense of danger. Hess becomes a vampire, he is killing people and turning people into vampires, and no one seems to care. Even upon realizing he's a vampire he never even tries to seek help or find some kind of cure, he just accepts it immediately. Ganja finds the dead body of her ex in the freezer and she not only accepts it but marries the guy she believes murdered him. There's never any real conflict.

There's also no real antagonist. There is no one who catches on to what's happening and tries to stop them. There's no climax. It just ends. I was so bored.

I've noticed people mentioning Chan-wook Park's Thirst in relation to this film and Thirst is a much better, stranger film. This just felt lazy. At least Teeth and Blood was fun to watch.

Revenge is the most important meal of the day.

[–] TheContrarian 9 years ago

I thought the first 15 minutes were good, and the rest was just awful. You would think a director like Spike Lee would know how to elevate his source material. Yet I can't imagine how Ganga and Hess could be worse than this. Looks like his career is over.

[–] mindydear_2834 9 years ago

Moves slower than molasses. Spike, not at his best.

[–] okidoll821 9 years ago

I agree. This is not good at all. I kept waiting for it to pick up.

[–] ElectricWarlock 8 years ago

It's a remake of a film from 1973 called "Ganja and Hess" and it's almost exactly like the original save for a few minor differences. With the original movie everything from the music to the camerawork seemed bizarre and experimental so it almost seemed like you were in the midst of a strange dream and it just so happened to have a story by coincidence. It had an otherworldly quality which was the only thing this film lacked. While I did enjoy it overall, it felt like it was taking place in the real world the entire time. I think a bit of surrealism could've helped to make it even better. It felt a bit too realistic to me. Anyways I would give it a 7/10 whereas the original gets a 9/10 from me.

[–] C.S.Wood 8 years ago

Yes I've seen Ganja and Hess, that's one of the reasons why I thought this remake might be able to improve on the original given modern day advancements, but it didn't. It was a huge huge disappointment.

I remember reading that this was filmed very fast, like within 2-3 weeks and that's what it feels like, rushed and unfinished.

Revenge is the most important meal of the day.