Poison (film)
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| Poison | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Todd Haynes |
| Produced by | Christine Vachon |
| Written by | Jean Genet (novels) Todd Haynes |
| Music by | James Bennett |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti (color) Barry Ellsworth (black-and-white) |
| Editing by | Todd Haynes James Lyons |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
| Release date(s) | 1991 |
| Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Poison is a 1991 gay-themed film written and directed by Todd Haynes. Comprised of three intercut stories and partially inspired by the novels of Jean Genet, Poison is an early entry into the New Queer Cinema genre.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
The three stories that comprise Poison are:
- Hero: a young boy shoots his father and flies away. The story is told in the form of a documentary film about the child.
- 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: Inspired by Genet's writings, Homo is the story of a prisoner who finds himself drawn to another prisoner whom he had known and seen humiliated as a youth in a juvenile facility.
[edit] 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)
[edit] DVD release
Poison was released on Region 1 DVD on October 26, 1999.
[edit] External links
Films of Todd Haynes
Assassins: A Film Concerning Rimbaud (1985) • Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) • Poison (1991) • Dottie Gets Spanked (1993) • Safe (1995) • Velvet Goldmine (1998) • Far from Heaven (2002) • Corporate Ghost (2004) • I'm Not There: Suppositions on a Film Concerning Dylan (2006)
