Poison (film)

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Poison
DVD cover
Directed byTodd Haynes
Screenplay byTodd Haynes
Based onThree novels
by Jean Genet
Produced by
Starring
  • Edith Meeks
  • Larry Maxwell
  • Susan Gayle Norman
  • Scott Renderer
  • James Lyons
Narrated byRichard Hansen
CinematographyMaryse Alberti
Edited by
Music byJames Bennett
Production
companies
Distributed byZeitgeist Films
Release dates
  • January 11, 1991 (1991-01-11) (Sundance)
  • April 5, 1991 (1991-04-05) (United States)
Running time
85 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$250,000[2]
Box office$787,280[3]

Poison is a 1991 American

drama horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes, starring Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Gayle Norman, Scott Renderer, and James Lyons
.

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.

Narratives

Three stories intertwine throughout the film, named in the closing credits:[4]

Cast

Segment: 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

After a world premiere at the

limited release starting April 5, 1991.[7]

Reception and legacy

The film received generally positive reviews. It currently holds a 79% "fresh" rating on

Claustrophobic and quirky horror, this is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes".[8]

Controversy

The film was not without controversy as

culture wars conservatives like Senator Jesse Helms and head of American Family Association Rev. Donald Wildmon denonuced the "explicit porno scenes of homosexuals involved in anal sex".[9][10]

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 - 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

  1. ^ "Poison (18)". British Board of Film Classification. 1991-08-15. Retrieved 2013-07-05.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 8, 1998). "Focusing on Glam Rock's Blurring of Identity". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  3. ^ Poison at Box Office Mojo
  4. ^ Transcendent Transgression: Looking Back at Todd Haynes’ “Poison” - sundance.org
  5. ^ Lim, Dennis (November 5, 2010). "When 'Poison' Was a Cinematic Antidote". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  6. Indiewire.com
    . Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  7. ^ Canby, Vincent (April 5, 1991). "Review/Film; 'Poison,' Three Stories Inspired by Jean Genet". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  8. ^ Poison at Rotten Tomatoes
  9. ^ On the Margins: Todd Haynes’s Poison|Current|The Criterion Collection
  10. ^ Senses of Cinema

External links

Awards
Preceded by Sundance Grand Jury Prize: U.S. Dramatic
1991
Succeeded by