Poison (1991 film)
| Poison | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Written by | Todd Haynes |
| Produced by | Christine Vachon James Schamus |
| Starring | Scott Renderer James Lyons Edith Meeks Millie White Buck Smith Rob LaBelle Damien Garcia |
| Narrated by | Richard Hansen |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti |
| Edited by | Todd Haynes James Lyons |
| Music by | James Bennett |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000 |
| Box office | $787,280[2] |
Poison is a 1991 American science fiction drama horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes. It is composed of three intercut stories that are partially inspired by the novels of Jean Genet.[A] 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: Seven-year-old Richie shoots his father and then flies away. The story is told in the style of an episode of a tabloid television news magazine.
- Horror: Told in the style of a "psychotropic horror film" of the mid-1960s, Horror is about a scientist who isolates the "elixir of human sexuality" and, after drinking it, is transformed into a hideous murdering leper.
- Homo: The story of a prisoner, John Broom, who finds himself attracted to another prisoner, Jack Bolton, whom he had known and seen humiliated as a youth in a juvenile facility. It is an adaptation of part of Genet's The Miracle of the Rose.
Cast
- Scott Renderer as John Broom
- James Lyons as Jack Bolton
- Edith Meeks as Felicia Beacon
- Millie White as Millie Sklar
- Buck Smith as Gregory Lazar
- Rob LaBelle as Jay Wete
- John Leguizamo (credited as Damien Garcia) as Chanchi
- Anne Giotta as Evelyn McAlpert
- Lydia Lafleur as Sylvia Manning
- Ian Nemser as Sean White
- Evan Dunsky as Dr. MacArthur
- Susan Gayle Norman as Dr. Nancy Olsen
- 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
Release
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.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews, currently holding a 76% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]
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)
See also
Footnotes
- ^ The final credits specifically cite Our Lady of the Flowers, The Miracle of the Rose, and The Thief's Journal.
References
- ^ "POISON (18)". British Board of Film Classification. 1991-08-15. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
- ^ Poison at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
External links
- Poison at IMDb
- Poison at Box Office Mojo
- Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
- Poison at Metacritic
Categories:
- 1991 films
- 1991 horror films
- 1990s drama films
- 1990s LGBT-related films
- 1990s science fiction films
- American independent films
- American drama films
- American horror films
- American films
- American LGBT-related films
- American satirical films
- American science fiction films
- English-language films
- Films directed by Todd Haynes
- Films based on French novels
- Sundance Film Festival award winners
- LGBT-related horror films
- Films produced by Christine Vachon