The Young Poisoner's Handbook (1995)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Benjamin Ross

Writers:

Jeff Rawle (writer)
Benjamin Ross (writer)

Release Date:

23 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Meet Graham. He's not your ordinary teenager.

Plot:

This film is based on a true story about a British teenager who allegedly poisoned family, friends, and co-workers...

Plot Keywords:

Poison | Psychiatrist | 1960s | Black Comedy | London England

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Tobias Arnold	...	Young Graham
Ruth Sheen	...	Molly
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Fred (as Roger Lloyd Pack)
Hugh O'Conor	...	Graham Young
Norman Caro	...	Mr. Goez
Dorothea Alexander	...	Mrs. Goez
Charlotte Coleman	...	Winnie
Paul Stacey	...	Dennis
Samantha Edmonds	...	Sue
Robert Demeger	...	Mr. Dexter
Jack Deam	...	Mick
Peter Pacey	...	Dickie Boone
Joost Siedhoff	...	Dr. Scott
Vilma Hollingbery	...	Aunty Panty
Frank Mills	...	Uncle Jack
Rupert Farley	...	Nurse Trent
Dirk Robertson	...	Nurse Hopwood
Chris Lawson	...	Prison Officer
Malcolm Sinclair	...	Dr. Triefus
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	Berridge
Antony Sher	...	Dr. Ernest Zeigler
Cate Fowler	...	Social Services Woman
John Abbott	...	Chairman
Anna Kollenda	...	Baby Donna
Katja Kollenda	...	Baby Donna
Hazel Douglas	...	Edna
Arthur Cox	...	Ray
John Thomson	...	Nathan
Jean Warren	...	Debra
Simon Kunz	...	John
Frank Coda	...	Billy
Tim Potter	...	Simon
Roger Frost	...	Factory Manager
David Savile	...	Chief Medical Inspector
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Kempner	...	Mark, lab technician (uncredited)

Directed by
Benjamin Ross

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jeff Rawle		writer
Benjamin Ross		writer

Produced by
Caroline Hewitt	....	executive producer
Rainer Kölmel	....	co-producer
Peter McAleese	....	line producer
Cameron McCracken	....	executive producer
David Redman	....	associate producer
Carole Scotta	....	co-producer: France
Eric Stonestrom	....	executive producer
Sam Taylor	....	producer
Matthew Wilson	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Robert Lane
Frank Strobel

Cinematography by
Hubert Taczanowski

Film Editing by
Anne Sopel

Casting by
Michelle Guish

Production Design by
Maria Djurkovic

Art Direction by
Matthias Kammermeier
Mark Stevenson

Costume Design by
Stewart Meachem		(as Stewart Meacham)

Makeup Department
Kirsten Drees	....	assistant makeup artist
Susie Lawley-Wakelin	....	assistant makeup artist
Daniela Rohmer	....	assistant makeup artist
Lindy Shaw	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Stephen Barker	....	post-production supervisor
Katharina Zollner	....	production manager: Germany

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matthew Baker	....	third assistant director
Max Keene	....	first assistant director
Jez Murrell	....	additional third assistant director
Dirk Piepenbring	....	third assistant director
Stuart Renfrew	....	second assistant director
Christiane Schulze	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Simon Blackmore	....	dressing props
Gillie Delap	....	production buyer
Henning Dürr	....	construction manager: Germany
Simon Gee	....	dressing props
Rob Hunter	....	property master
Steffi Kammermeier	....	property master (as Steffie Kammermeier)
Greg Long	....	chargehand stand-by props
Nigel Pollock	....	stand-by props
Matthias Schmalzl	....	construction manager: Germany
Harald Schuster	....	dressing props
Keith Slote	....	assistant art director
John Watt	....	stand-by carpenter
John Watt	....	stand-by painter
Isabella Zollner	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Brigitte Arnold	....	dialogue editor
Peter Baldock	....	dubbing editor
Charlotte Donaldson	....	dialogue editor
Kim Gaster	....	dialogue editor
Paul Hamblin	....	dubbing mixer
Eckhard W. Kuchenbecker	....	sound recordist (as Eckhard Kuchenbecker)
Bettina McCall	....	dialogue editor
Gerard McCann	....	foley editor
Nils-Marten Osburg	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Stuart Brisdon	....	special effects supervisor
Stuart Wishart	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tim Baxter	....	optical effects: Capital FX

Stunts
Andy Bradford	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Eddie Armstrong	....	gaffer
Bill Aston	....	best boy
Ludwig Brunnshofer	....	best boy
Julian Bucknall	....	focus puller
Danny Cohen	....	clapper loader
John Donne	....	grip
Arnd Frenger	....	clapper loader (as Arndt Frenger)
Bernie Grill	....	gaffer
Tony Haslam	....	gaffer
Phil Hurst	....	electrician
Ian Jackson	....	camera operator
Simon Mein	....	still photographer
Oliver Noell	....	electrician
Christian Paschmann	....	focus puller
Harold Peter	....	grip: Germany
Jamie Summers	....	electrician
Dietmar Wendelin	....	electrician
Malcolm Keys	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ruth Bradbury	....	wardrobe assistant
Catherine Halloran	....	wardrobe supervisor
Verena Sapper	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Hermione Byrt	....	assistant editor
Jay Coquillon	....	first assistant editor
Kim Gaster	....	second assistant editor
Paula Prynn	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Peter Fuchs	....	music engineer
Peter Fuchs	....	score mixer
Paul Talkington	....	orchestra manager

Other crew
Lesley Cross	....	script supervisor
Peter Dress	....	accounting consultant
Jimmy C. Gerum	....	production coordinator
Polly Jefferies	....	production assistant
Abbe Lanning	....	production assistant
Sarah Lucraft	....	production accountant
Caleb Menges	....	production runner
Jens Oberwetter	....	production assistant
David Pinnington	....	location manager
Fran Triefus	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Ilann Girard	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Bavaria Film and Television Fund
• British Screen Productions
• Eurimages
• Haut et Court
• Kinowelt Filmproduktion
• Mass Productions
• Pandora Cinema

Distributors

• Haut et Court (1995) (France) (theatrical)
• Astra Cinema
• Cabin Fever Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1996) (USA)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Electric Pictures (UK)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (UK) (video)
• REP Distribution (Australia)
• World Movies (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• novemberfilm

Other Companies

• Ambient Recording  sound equipment
• Applied Film Theory  cranes
• Bavaria Musik-Studios  music recorded at
• British Airways  flights services
• Capital FX  titles and opticals
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  post-production facilities
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity
• Factory Set Design GmbH  set construction
• Flaylight Hire Ltd.  lighting
• Grip House  camera cranes
• Grip House  grip equipment
• J.D. Transport  transportation
• Lichttechnik Vertriebs  grip and lighting equipment
• Maya Travel Ltd.  travel agency
• Set Meals  catering
• Simon Olswang and Company  solicitors
• Top-Catering  catering
• Tru-Cut  negative cutting

Also Known As:

Das Handbuch des jungen Giftmischers (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for murders by poisoning, language and some nude photos.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

UK | Germany | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:15

Company:

Bavaria Film and Television Fund

Trivia:

The "Newton's Diamond" that Graham is obsessed with is a fictional device. Antimony sulfide forms a crystal called stibnite which is gray and opaque, not clear and colorless like most gem-quality diamonds. "Diamond" was the name of Isaac Newton's dog.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Dr. Zeigler visits the institution for mentally unstable criminals in which Graham is hospitalized, the director of the institution says, referred to another patient: "Vulpes pilum mutat, non mores", saying it means "The leopard never changes his spots". Graham corrects him, saying it means instead: "The wolf changes its fur, but not its nature". Actually, "vulpes" means "fox".

Quotes:

Molly: You contaminate everything you touch. I'm going to scrub you till you are raw.

Movie Connections:

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Soundtrack:

Je Taime Moi Non Plus

Twisted and original!

'The Young Poisoner's Handbook' is one of the freshest, most daring and original movies to come out of Britain in years. Hugh O'Conor is perfect as the oddball "young poisoner", and the supporting cast are all splendid too. I'm not sure just how accurate the events portrayed here are, but it doesn't matter anyway. As a movie this is a compelling black comedy that will be appreciated by anyone who is looker for something that isn't your usual bland and simplistic fare.

I shudder to think how this plot and characters would have been handled in a mainstream Hollywood movie! I can just see Leo or Toby in the lead role, an "explanation" for his psychotic behaviour, and an uplifting, heart warming happy ending. Thankfully Benjamin Ross has a more unique vision, and he has given us a movie that will stay with you for years to come. 'The Young Poisoner's Handbook' is fantastic!