“HIP, SEXY AND THOROUGHLY ENTERTAINING!”
—Ira Sachs, The Village Voice

“A MILESTONE IN AMERICAN INDEPENDENT FILM and the inciting spark for what came to be known as the New Queer Cinema.”
—Dennis Lim, The New York Times

Winner of the 1991 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Todd Haynes’ controversial masterpiece is the most fervently debated film of the 1990s and a trailblazing landmark of Queer Cinema. The first feature directed by the Oscar®-nominated filmmaker of Far from Heaven, I’m Not There and the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce, this groundbreaking American indie is a thrilling work of immense visual invention.

Inspired by the writings of Jean Genet, Poison deftly interweaves a trio of transgressive tales that build toward a devastating climax: “Hero,” shot in mock tabloid-TV 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 gone awry; and “Homo” explores the obsessive sexual relationship between two prison inmates. A runaway hit which made national headlines when it was attacked by conservative figures including Dick Armey, Ralph Reed and minister Donald Wildmon, Poison is audacious, unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining.

- New HD transfer created from original film elements and enhanced for widescreen viewing
- 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
- Original poster concepts and collages by Haynes
- Rare on-set polaroids by filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (acclaimed director of Meek’s Cutoff and Wendy and Lucy)
- Last Address, an elegiac short film by Ira Sachs (award-winning director of Married Life)
- Original 1991 U.S. theatrical trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired (SDH)
- Collectible 20th Anniversary Digipak case and a 16-page booklet with archival press kit documents, J. Hoberman’s original Village Voice review and more