Poison (1991)
Runtime: 85 mins
Synopsis: In director Todd Haynes's feature film debut, POISON, three stories, each told in their own unique cinematic style, illustrate the lives of a people living outside the fringes of "normal" society. There is HERO, the pseudo-documentary about a seven-year-old boy who kills his own father;... In director Todd Haynes's feature film debut, POISON, three stories, each told in their own unique cinematic style, illustrate the lives of a people living outside the fringes of "normal" society. There is HERO, the pseudo-documentary about a seven-year-old boy who kills his own father; HORROR, a sci-fi spoof about a brilliant research scientist who becomes the victim of his own biochemical discovery when he finds the source of the human sex drive; and HOMO, a noirish drama exploring the obsessive, and sexual, relationship between two male prisoners. As each compelling story is told, their themes become inextricably linked, and the tension intensifies, culminating in an explosive climax of unsettled emotions. POISON is perhaps Todd Haynes most experimental, and most controversial, film. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Norman, Scott Renderer, James Lyons
DVD Info
Release:
Oct 26, 1999
DVD Features:
- Region 1 Encoding
- Keep Case
- Interactive Menus
- Scene Access
- Production Credits
- Filmographies
- Audio Commentary Track with Producer Christine Vachon, Actor/Editor James Lyons, and Writer/Director Todd Haynes
- Trailer
- Awards
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Reviews
A very tough, queasy film, but extremely powerful and a strong feature debut for Haynes.
Todd Haynes' first feature-length picture...is not a particularly good movie regardless of what the Sundance Film Festival says.
Haynes' brilliant feature debut is a triptych of visually divergent episodes, each set in a wolrd dying of panicky fright. Of the three tales, my favorite is "Horror," a poignant parody of b/w movies shot in slightly exaggerated noir vein.
A mysterious, funny, sexy, and scary triptych; each film works beautifully on its own, and even better in relation to the others.
The overall effect shows a born director following his creative instincts fearlessly.
The stories don't really work together, and Haynes attempts to compensate by intermingling them, trying to force viewers to see patterns.
Poison clearly establishes Todd Haynes as a major talent with a sharp eye for visuals and subtle and intelligent screenwriting skills


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