For fans of veteran writer/director Spike Lee and those waiting on the release of his next film, the wait is officially over.
The celebrated director and Vimeo announced today that the latest Spike Lee Joint, Da Sweet Blood Of Jesus, will be released exclusively on Vimeo On Demand one full month before it hits theatres. The film is available today for purchase and rental on Vimeo On Demand (vimeo.com/ondemand/dasweetbloodofjesus) and can be viewed on any connected device.
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is a new kind of love story, one that centers on an addiction to blood that once doomed a long forgotten ancient African tribe. When Dr. Hess Green (Stephen Tyrone Williams) is introduced to a mysteriously cursed artifact by an art curator, Lafayette Hightower (Elvis Nolasco), he is uncontrollably drawn into a newfound thirst for blood that overwhelms his soul.
He, however, is not a vampire. Lafayette quickly succumbs to the ravenous nature of the infliction but leaves Hess a transformed man. Soon Lafayette’s wife, Ganja Hightower (Zaraah Abrahams), comes looking for her husband and becomes involved in a dangerous romance with Hess that questions the very nature of love, addiction, sex, and status in our seemingly sophisticated society. A reinterpretation of Bill Gunn’s horror cult film Ganja & Hess, which played as a Critics Choice at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, Lee’s stylized thriller features an Original Score by Bruce Hornsby.
Lee appeared to be very excited about the deal. “I’m hyped on my partnership with Vimeo to get my new joint Da Sweet Blood of Jesus out to the world in a new way,” said Lee. “This is the future of film distribution. Please join us.”
“Spike Lee is one of the most iconic filmmakers of our time and we couldn’t be more thrilled to work with him on this unprecedented release,” said Greg Clayman, General Manager Audience Networks, Vimeo. “We are huge fans of Spike and were drawn to the film’s independent spirit. Having built an audience and raised over a million dollars on Kickstarter, we are beyond excited to bring the film to fans directly one month ahead of the theatrical release.”
The film is available in the U.S. for a $9.99 24-hour streaming rental or $14.99 digital download. Gravitas Ventures will release it theatrically on February 13, 2015.
Check out the trailer below: