Poison (1991 film)

Poison is a 1991 American science fiction drama horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes, starring Edith Meeks, Larry Maxwell, Susan Gayle Norman, Scott Renderer, and James Lyons.

Composed of three intercut narratives inspired by the novels of Jean Genet, the gay themes in Poison marked an emerging "queer new wave" in cinema.

Narratives
Three stories intertwine throughout the film, named in the closing credits:
 * Hero: A seven-year-old shoots his abusive father and then flies away, depicted in the style of a 1980s tabloid television news magazine.
 * Horror: A scientist isolates the "elixir of human sexuality" and, after drinking it, is transformed into a murderous leper, portrayed in the style of a psychotropic 1960s sci-fi horror B movie.
 * Homo: A prisoner finds himself attracted to another inmate, reunited after meeting as youth in a juvenile facility, with scenes alternating between a gritty prison film and recollections evoked as pastoral fantasy.

Cast
Segment: Hero

Segment: Horror

Segment: Homo

Release
After a world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 11, 1991, Zeitgeist Films acquired distribution rights, giving Poison a limited release starting April 5, 1991.

Reception and legacy
The film received generally positive reviews. It currently holds a 79% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads, "Claustrophobic and quirky horror, this is a decently dirty debut for director Todd Haynes".

Controversy
The film was not without controversy as culture wars conservatives like Senator Jesse Helms and head of American Family Association Rev. Donald Wildmon denounced the "explicit porno scenes of homosexuals involved in anal sex".

Awards and nominations

 * Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Award for Best Feature Film, 1991 (winner)
 * Fantasporto Critics' Award, 1992 (winner); International Fantasy Film Award Best Film, 1992 (nominated)
 * Independent Spirit Awards Best Director, 1992 (nominated); Best First Feature, 1992 (nominated)
 * Locarno International Film Festival Golden Leopard, 1991 (nominated)
 * Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival Special Prize of the Jury, 1991, "For keeping the subversive values inherent to any genuine poetry in force"
 * Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - Dramatic, 1991 (winner)