Poison Ivy (1992)

A seductive teen befriends an introverted high school student and schemes her way into the lives of her wealthy family.

Director:

Katt Shea (as Katt Shea Ruben)

Writers:

Melissa Goddard (story), Andy Ruben (screenplay)

Stars:

Drew Barrymore, Tom Skerritt, Sara Gilbert

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sara Gilbert	...	Sylvie Cooper
Drew Barrymore	...	Ivy
Tom Skerritt	...	Darryl Cooper
Cheryl Ladd	...	Georgie Cooper
Alan Stock	...	Bob
Jeanne Sakata	...	Isabelle
E.J. Moore	...	Kid
J.B. Quon	...	Another Kid
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Guy (as Leonardo Di Caprio)
Michael Goldner	...	Man in Car
Charley Hayward	...	Tiny
Time Winters	...	Old Man
Billy Kane	...	James
Tony Ervolina	...	Man on Screen
Mary Gordon Murray	...	M.D.

Storyline

Ivy ('Drew Barrymore'), a sexy teen who lives with her aunt, moves in with a reclusive teen (Gilbert) and slowly works her way into the lives of her adopted family. The mother (Ladd) is sickly and can't sexually satisfy her husband (Skerritt) any more, and to the daughter's horror, Ivy begins seducing her father.

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Plot Keywords:

high school | death | psychopath | braless teen | scantily clad female | 

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Taglines:

What Ivy wants, Ivy gets.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sensuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 May 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Poison Ivy - Die tödliche Umarmung

Filming Locations:

2208 West Live Oak Drive, Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,829,804 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, MG Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min (R-rated) 93 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on an experience that producer Melissa Goddard had when she was younger. She had a friend stay with her and her family and eventually she seduced her father.

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Goofs

In the scene where Sylvie breaks the espresso machine, spilling coffee grounds on the floor; the maid, Iris, uses the vacuum to clean it up. We hear a vacuum sound effect, and the camera focuses on the machine but the vacuum is clearly not turned on because the vacuum bag does not inflate.

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Quotes

Sylvie Cooper: I'm a geek.
Ivy: You're beautiful.

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Connections

Referenced in The Killing Floor (2007)

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Soundtracks

VERY FIRST LIE
Written by Jim Ellison
Performed by Material Issue
Courtesy of Mercury Records
by arrangement with Polygram Special Products

User Reviews

Morbid, intriguing, trashy.

It would be the easiest thing to simply dismiss this film as yet another sleazy erotic melodrama (which it undoubtedly is), but the result is too intriguing, and too offbeat, to be ignored. Although this film will disappoint those who are expecting a well-made thriller or even an explicitly erotic movie because it's tame and practically suspenseless, it has an air of weirdness and morbidity that places it slightly above most of the run-of-the-mill entries in this genre. The performances are mostly one-note but convincing enough. Visually, it's a grim, underproduced film, but it does have a "special" atmosphere.