Poison (film)
| Poison | |
|---|---|
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DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Produced by | |
| Written by | Todd Haynes |
| Based on |
Novels by Jean Genet |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Richard Hansen |
| Music by | James Bennett |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti |
| Edited by |
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Production company |
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| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000[2] |
| Box office | $787,280[3] |
Poison is a 1991 American science fiction drama horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes. It stars Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Gayle Norman, Scott Renderer, and James Lyons.
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. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 11, 2001. It was released in a limited release on April 5, 2001, by Zeitgeist Films.
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 (1946).
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 as Chanchi[lower-alpha 1]
- 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
- Larry Maxwell as Dr. Graves
Release
Poison had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 11, 1991.[4] Zeitgeist Films later acquired distribution rights to the film.[5] It was released in a limited release on April 5, 1991[6]
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews, currently holding a 76% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[7]
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.
Notes
- ↑ Credited as Damien Garcia.
References
- ↑ "POISON (18)". British Board of Film Classification. 1991-08-15. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
- ↑ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "FILM; Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ↑ Poison at Box Office Mojo
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
External links
- Poison at the Internet Movie Database
- Poison at Box Office Mojo
- Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
- Poison at Metacritic
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chameleon Street |
Sundance Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic 1991 |
Succeeded by In the Soup |
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