Poison

Three interwoven, somewhat surreal, tales of sexual othering. Interesting in its own way, but more in concept than in the execution which is kind of flat and unfocused.

OK yeah yeah yeah it was at the epicenter of the NEA controversy back in the day. It still sucks. This is the purest example I have yet seen of Jubal Harshaw's statement in the classic book _Stranger in a Strange Land_: "A government-supported artist is an incompetent whore"

Inspired by the works of Jean Genet, it interweaves three stories, told in different cinematic styles. The separate parts comment on sexuality, violence, deviance and AIDS. But I'd have to say that, on first glance at least, it works better as a concept than as an actual film. However, it does end on a very unusual note that leaves a lot to the imagination. A thought-provoking work, even if it doesn't quite come together.

A mix of Z-grade science horror film throwback, faux talking heads style documentary, gay prison drama, criminal child on the run tale, AIDS allegory -- all of which culminates to nothing. The condemnation of gays and AIDS in this film (or three shorts films thrown together, as it should be referred to) is so exaggerated and ridiculous.

An inventive debut that thoroughly mocks and manipulates Hollywood convention like Haynes did in Superstar, but this time in a live-action mold. The results are of varying quality, but always wildly compelling, though-provoking and unique. It's not as groundbreakingly brilliant and artistically prescient as Superstar, but there are definite shades of what would become Haynes' trademarks.

Pretty scattershot but it works here. Every section has it's ups and it's down but all of them are more interesting than dull. Like usual for Haynes the look of the film is great.

Cleverly dealing with deviance, sexual and social, and inspired by the work of Jean Genet, it ranges in style from the risible to the repugnant.

Ugly, unpleasant, uninteresting. There are too many ideas here and they're all bad.

ugh, this felt like it was a pastiche of seventeen things at once and as a result was nearly unwatchable. actually it was, i stopped watching.

there's a lot of things about this that could be tighter, but for the emotional experience of trauma it is unlike any other

Supports the "just make a movie, any movie of any quality" strategy to kickstart a career

Haynes is, always, a remarkably and unusually concept-driven filmmaker (which makes him fascinating as often as he is frustrating). Accordingly, his films succeed of fail largely based on the manner in which their overriding concepts are executed. Here, as others have noted, the concept forms an uneasy though more or less successful partnership with what is actually on screen, which makes it one of his more watchable films.

A vaguely conceptualist, vaguely allegorical, extremely unpleasant and almost unwatchably muddled mess. I'm glad I didn't watch this until after watching Safe, or I would never have given Haynes another chance.

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#973