Poison (1991)

Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In "Hero," Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. After the event, a documentary in cheesy lurid colors asks what ... See full summary »

Director:

Todd Haynes

Writers:

Jean Genet (novels), Todd Haynes

Stars:

Edith Meeks, Millie White, Larry Maxwell

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edith Meeks	...	Felicia Beacon
Millie White	...	Millie Sklar
Buck Smith	...	Gregory Lazar
Anne Giotta	...	Evelyn McAlpert
Lydia Lafleur	...	Sylvia Manning
Ian Nemser	...	Sean White
Rob LaBelle	...	Jay Wete
Evan Dunsky	...	Dr. MacArthur
Marina Lutz	...	Hazel Lamprecht
Barry Cassidy	...	Officer Rilt
Richard Anthony	...	Edward Comacho
Angela M. Schreiber	...	Florence Giddens
Justin Silverstein	...	Jake
Chris Singh	...	Chris
Edward Allen	...	Fred Beacon

Storyline

Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In "Hero," Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. After the event, a documentary in cheesy lurid colors asks what Richie was like and what led up to the shooting. In the black and white "Horror," a scientist isolates the elixir of human sexuality, drinks it, and becomes a festering, contagious murderer; a female colleague who loves him tries to help, to her peril. In "Homo," a prisoner in Fontenal prison is drawn to an inmate whom he knew some years before, at Baton juvenile institute, and whose humiliations he witnessed. This story is told in dim light, except for the bright flashbacks.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | prisoner | sexuality | scientist | love | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 August 1991 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Dilitirio

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$609,524 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bronze Eye Productions, Killer Films, Poison L.P.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Leguizamo is credited as "Damien Garcia" due to an unspecified SAG rules problem.

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Connections

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

User Reviews

profound and provocative

Despite this film receiving a lot of negative feed back from a lot of its viewers, I think the film is a truly provocative experience. Granted this film is definitely not everyones cup of tea to say the least, but it operates beyond entertainment. It is not there to be liked or disliked, it is there to be analysed and that is where the enjoyment comes into play.

The film is constructed of 3 stories; the homo, the horror and the hero. Spread out over three different time periods. If any one is thinking The Hours or 21grams think again, its not. This is a much slower paced film and for want of a better word, 'duller' than the two previously mentioned films.

Upon first viewing of the film, it appears that the three characters share no apparent link. However, each story acts as a metaphor for a wider issue, which does connect them all. I wont say what it is, thats your job! Overall poison is a very clever work of art, which belongs to the sub genres of expose and art-house. So if you enjoy those types of films and are interested in queer cinema go watch it! Finally I think Todd Haynes is a genius, a true auteur.