Poison

media release: USA | 1991 | 35mm | 85 min.

Director: Todd Haynes

Cast: Edith Meeks, Scott Renderer, James Lyons

Notoriously renowned for the bevy of right-wing protests sparked by its initial release, Haynes’ first feature strings together the brutally sadistic tales of a father gunned down by his 7-year old son, a mad-scientist’s STD-inducing love potion, and a berated homosexual prisoner hopelessly enamored with his fellow inmate. While all three tableaus are linked together through their corrupting portrayals of sex, Haynes imbues each separate vignette with a distinct style that recall television newsmagazine stories, '50s horror films, and the work of Jean Genet.

Admission is free, seating limited. No admission 15 minutes after scheduled start times.

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Since 1988, New York-based distributor Zeitgeist Films has played a crucial role in the landscape of American arthouse cinema. Following the mantra “The Spirit of the Times,” Zeitgeist has introduced audiences to some of cinema’s most exciting new voices, releasing the first features of future masters Christopher Nolan, Todd Haynes, and Guy Maddin, while also championing long-running auteurs such as Abbas Kiarostami, Derek Jarman, Agnes Varda, and Peter Greenaway, as well as far-out animators like Jan Svankmajer and the Brothers Quay. Drawing on a collection donated by Zeitgeist co-founders Nancy Gerstman and Emily Russo to the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research in 2024, our series showcases some of the most daring and enduring highlights from Zeitgeist’s catalog. And don’t miss Zeitgeist’s latest 2026 release, How to Divorce During the War, screening in our Premieres section.