Poison is the second feature directed by Todd Haynes, the Oscar®-nominated filmmaker of Far from Heaven and Carol. It is a groundbreaking American Indie and a trailblazing landmark of queer cinema. A work of immense visual invention, Haynes’ spectacular follow-up to his legendary Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is audacious, disturbing and thrillingly cinematic.
Inspired by the writings of Jean Genet, Poison deftly interweaves a trio of transgressive tales—“Hero,” “Horror” and “Homo”—that build toward a devastating climax. “Hero,” shot in mock TV documentary style, tells a bizarre story of suburban patricide and a miraculous flight from justice; “Horror,” filmed like a delirious ’50s B-movie melodrama, is a gothic tale of a mad sex experiment which unleashes a disfiguring plague; while “Homo” explores the obsessive sexual relationship between two prison inmates.
A runaway hit which made national headlines when it was attacked by right-wing politicians, Poison is unsettling,
unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining.
• New introduction by director Todd Haynes
• Sundance Q&A with Todd Haynes, producer Christine Vachon and executive producer James Schamus, for the 20th Anniversary of the film’s Grand Jury Prize
• Archival 1999 audio commentary by Haynes, Vachon, and star/editor James Lyons
• Booklet essay by Dennis Lim, Director of Programming at Film at Lincoln Center
• Last Address, a short film by Ira Sachs (2010)
• Original 1991 U.S. theatrical trailer