Poison is a 1991 American science fiction drama horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes, starring Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Gayle Norman, Scott Renderer, and James Lyons.
| Poison | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Screenplay by | Todd Haynes |
| Based on | Three novels by Jean Genet
|
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
|
| Narrated by | Richard Hansen |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | James Bennett |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000[2] |
| Box office | $787,280[3] |
Composed of three intercut narratives inspired by the novels of Jean Genet, the gay themes in Poison marked an emerging "queer new wave" in cinema. The film received generally positive reviews.
Narratives
editThree stories intertwine throughout the film, named in the closing credits:[4]
- Hero: A seven-year-old shoots his abusive father and then flies away, depicted in the style of a 1980s tabloid television news magazine.
- Horror: A scientist isolates the "elixir of human sexuality" and, after drinking it, is transformed into a murderous leper, portrayed in the style of a psychotropic 1960s sci-fi horror B movie.
- Homo: A prisoner finds himself attracted to another inmate, reunited after meeting as youth in a juvenile facility, with scenes alternating between a gritty prison film and recollections evoked as pastoral fantasy.
Cast
editSegment: Hero
- 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
Segment: Horror
- Larry Maxwell as Dr. Graves
- Susan Gayle Norman as Dr. Nancy Olsen
- Al Quagliata as Deputy Hansen
Segment: Homo
- Scott Renderer as John Broom
- James Lyons as Jack Bolton
- John R. Lombardi as Rass
- Tony Pemberton as Young Broom
- Andrew Harpending as Young Bolton
- John Leguizamo (credited 'Damien Garcia') as Chanchi
Release
editAfter a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 11, 1991,[5] Zeitgeist Films acquired distribution rights,[6] giving Poison a limited release starting April 5, 1991.[7]
Controversy
editU.S. culture war conservatives such as Senator Jesse Helms and Rev. Donald Wildmon of American Family Association denounced the "explicit porno scenes of homosexuals involved in anal sex".[8][9]
Reception
editThe film received generally positive reviews. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 25 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Claustrophobic and quirky horror, this is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes"[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 67 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[11]
Awards and nominations
edit- 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 - Catalan 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)
References
edit- ^ "Poison (18)". British Board of Film Classification. August 15, 1991. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Poison at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Transcendent Transgression: Looking Back at Todd Haynes’ “Poison” - sundance.org
- ^ Lim, Dennis (November 5, 2010). "When 'Poison' Was a Cinematic Antidote". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Herandez, Eugene (June 26, 2008). "Zeitgeist Films at 20 Years: Building a Boutique Brand". Indiewire.com. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (April 5, 1991). "Review/Film; 'Poison,' Three Stories Inspired by Jean Genet". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ Koresky, Michael (June 11, 2021). "On the Margins: Todd Haynes's Poison". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ Deng, Maohai (March 2015). "Poison". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
- ^ "Poison". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
- ^ "Poison". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
External links
edit- Poison at IMDb
- Poison at Box Office Mojo
- Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
- Poison at Metacritic