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Poison (film)
Encyclopedia
Poison is a 1991
independent film
written and directed by Todd Haynes
. It is composed of three intercut stories that are partially inspired by the novels of Jean Genet
. With its gay
themes, Poison is considered an early entry in the New Queer Cinema
movement.
in 1991 and later received a limited release in the United States
. It was released on Region 1 DVD
on October 26, 1999. It is distributed by Zeitgeist Films
.
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
written and directed by Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes
Todd Haynes is an American independent film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his feature films Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Poison, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, and the Academy Award-nominated Far from Heaven and I'm Not There.- Style and themes :The writes that "Haynes is...
. It is composed of three intercut stories that are partially inspired by the novels of Jean Genet
Jean Genet
Jean Genet was a prominent and controversial French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but later took to writing...
. With its gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
themes, Poison is considered an early entry in the New Queer Cinema
New Queer Cinema
New Queer Cinema is a term first coined by the academic B. Ruby Rich in Sight & Sound magazine in 1992 to define and describe a movement in queer-themed independent filmmaking in the early 1990s...
movement.
Plot
The three intercut stories that comprise Poison are:- Hero: A young boy shoots his father and then flies away. The story is told in the style of a documentary filmDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
. - Horror: Told in the style of 1950s drive-inDrive-in theaterA drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
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: The story of a prisoner who finds himself attracted to another prisoner whom he had known and seen humiliated as a youth in a juvenile facility.
Exhibition
Poison was first screened at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1991 and later received a limited release in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was released on Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on October 26, 1999. It is distributed by Zeitgeist Films
Zeitgeist Films
Zeitgeist Films is an American independent film distributor based in New York City founded in 1988 by co-Presidents Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo. Films distributed by Zeitgeist are strongly auteur-driven by directors such as Christopher Nolan, Guy Maddin, Atom Egoyan, Todd Haynes, Nuri Bilge...
.
Cast
- Edith Meeks as Felicia Beacon
- Millie White as Millie Sklar
- Buck SmithBuck SmithBuck Smith is a professional boxer in the cruiserweight division. Although Smith has never been considered more than a journeyman fighter, he is one of boxing's all-time knockout kings with 120 KO's....
as Gregory Lazar - Anne Giotta as Evelyn McAlpert
- Lydia Lafleur as Sylvia Manning
- Ian Nemser as Sean White
- Rob LaBelleRob LaBelleRob LaBelle is an American film and television actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.-Career:LaBelle has made appearances, many as a character actor, in dozens of film and television roles, most in the science-fiction genre, and is probably best known for his role as...
as Jay Wete - Evan DunskyEvan DunskyEvan Dunsky is an American television writer, producer and director.Evan Dunsky wrote and directed the 1997 feature film The Alarmist based on the play Life During Wartime by Keith Reddin...
as Dr. MacArthur - Marina Lutz as Hazel Lamprecht
- Barry Cassidy as Officer Rilt
- Richard AnthonyRichard AnthonyRichard Sidney Anthony was an Irish politician. A Linotype operator by profession, Anthony stood unsuccessfully for election at the 1923 general election. He was first elected to Dáil Éireann as an Labour Party Teachta Dála for the Cork Borough constituency at the June 1927 general election. He...
as Edward Comacho - Angela M. Schreiber as Florence Giddens
- Justin Silverstein as Jake
- Chris Singh as Chris
- Edward Allen as Fred Beacon
Awards and nominations
- Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
Teddy AwardTeddy AwardThe Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival . Here, an "independent jury" implies that its members are not officially selected by the committee of the Berlinale...
for Best Feature Film, 1991 (winner) - FantasportoFantasportoFantasporto, also known as Fantas, is an international film festival, annually organized since 1981 in Porto, Portugal. Giving screen space to commercial feature films, auteur films and experimental projects from all over the world, Fantasporto has created enthusiastic audiences, ranging from...
Critics' Award, 1992 (winner); International Fantasy Film Award Best Film, 1992 (nominated) - Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit AwardsThe Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
Best Director, 1992 (nominated); Best First Feature, 1992 (nominated) - Locarno International Film FestivalLocarno International Film FestivalThe Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
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 FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic, 1991 (winner)