Poison (1991 film)
| Poison | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Written by | Jean Genet (novels) Todd Haynes |
| Produced by | Christine Vachon |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti (color) Barry Ellsworth (black-and-white) |
| Edited by | Todd Haynes James Lyons |
| Music by | James Bennett |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release dates | January 1991 (Sundance) April 5, 1991 (limited release USA) |
Running time | 85 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000 |
| Box office | $609,524 |
Poison is a 1991 independent film written and directed by Todd Haynes. It is composed of three intercut stories that are partially inspired by the novels of Jean Genet. With its gay themes, Poison is considered an early entry in the New Queer Cinema movement.
Plot
The three intercut stories that comprise Poison are:
- Hero: A young boy shoots his father and then flies away. The story is told in the style of a documentary film.
- Horror: Told in the style of 1950s drive-in sci-fi movies, Horror is about a scientist who isolates the "elixir of human sexuality" and, after drinking it, is transformed into a hideous murdering monster.
- Homo: The story of a prisoner who finds himself attracted to another prisoner whom he had known and seen humiliated as a youth in a juvenile facility.
Exhibition
Poison was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991 and later received a limited release in the United States. It was released on Region 1 DVD on October 26, 1999. It is distributed by Zeitgeist Films.
Cast
- Edith Meeks as Felicia Beacon
- Millie White as Millie Sklar
- Buck Smith as Gregory Lazar
- Anne Giotta as Evelyn McAlpert
- Lydia Lafleur as Sylvia Manning
- Ian Nemser as Sean White
- Rob LaBelle as Jay Wete
- Evan Dunsky as Dr. MacArthur
- Marina Lutz as Hazel Lamprecht
- Barry Cassidy as Officer Rilt
- Richard Anthony as Edward Comacho
- Angela M. Schreiber as Florence Giddens
- Justin Silverstein as Jake
- Chris Singh as Chris
- Edward Allen as Fred Beacon
Awards and nominations
- Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Award for Best Feature Film, 1991 (winner)
- Fantasporto Critics' Award, 1992 (winner); International Fantasy Film Award Best Film, 1992 (nominated)
- Independent Spirit Awards Best Director, 1992 (nominated); Best First Feature, 1992 (nominated)
- Locarno International Film Festival Golden Leopard, 1991 (nominated)
- Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival Special Prize of the Jury, 1991, "For keeping the subversive values inherent to any genuine poetry in force."
- Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic, 1991 (winner)