Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Poison

  • Every Todd Haynes Movie, Ranked

    Director Todd Haynes attends Netflix's 'May December' Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
    Director Todd Haynes attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

    Filmmaker Todd Haynes is one of the most acclaimed directors of his generation.

    In addition to making critically acclaimed movies like ‘Velvet Goldmine,’ ‘Carol‘ and ‘Dark Waters,’ Haynes has also made several movies with Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore including ‘Safe,’ ‘Far from Heaven,’ ‘I’m Not There,’ and ‘Wonderstruck.’

    Their new movie together, ‘May December,‘ which also stars Natalie Portman, will be released in theaters on November 17th before premiering on Netflix December 1st.

    In honor of his latest film, Moviefone is ranking every feature film that Todd Haynes has ever directed, including his documentaries and ‘May December.’

    Let’s begin!

    10. ‘Poison‘ (1991)

    Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In “Hero,” Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. After the event, a documentary in cheesy lurid colors asks what Richie was like and what led up to the shooting. In the black and white “Horror,” a scientist isolates the elixir of human sexuality, drinks it, and becomes a festering, contagious murderer; a female colleague who loves him tries to help, to her peril. In “Homo,” a prisoner in Fontenal prison is drawn to an inmate whom he knew some years before, at Baton juvenile institute, and whose humiliations he witnessed. This story is told in dim light, except for the bright flashbacks.

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    9. ‘Wonderstruck‘ (2017)

    The story of a young boy (Oakes Fegley) in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl (Millicent Simmonds) in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.

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    8. ‘Dark Waters‘ (2019)

    A tenacious attorney (Mark Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world’s largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.

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    7. ‘The Velvet Underground‘ (2021)

    Experience the iconic rock band’s legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.

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    6. ‘Carol‘ (2015)

    In 1950s New York, a department-store clerk (Rooney Mara) who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman (Cate Blanchett).

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    5. ‘May December‘ (2023)

    Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of 'May December.'
    (L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

    Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.

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    4. ‘Safe‘ (1995)

    Carol (Julianne Moore), a typical upper middle-class housewife, begins to complain of vague symptoms of illness. She “doesn’t feel right,” has unexplained headaches, congestion, a dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Her family doctor treats her concerns dismissively and suggests a psychiatrist. Eventually, an allergist tells her that she has Environmental Illness.

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    3. ‘Velvet Goldmine‘ (1998)

    Almost a decade has elapsed since Bowiesque glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) escaped the spotlight of the London scene. Now, investigative journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is on assignment to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic Slade. Stuart, himself forged by the music of the 1970s, explores the larger-than-life stars who were once his idols and what has become of them since the turn of the new decade.

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    2. ‘Far from Heaven‘ (2002)

    In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife (Julianne Moore) faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.

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    1. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

    Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.

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  • Female Filmmakers in Focus: Rock Docs ‘Rockfield’ & ‘Decline of Western Civilization II’

    Female Filmmakers in Focus: Rock Docs ‘Rockfield’ & ‘Decline of Western Civilization II’

    Welcome to Female Filmmakers in Focus, where you will find recommendations for films directed by women to seek out each week. The new film this week is Hannah Berryman’s ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm,’ and the recommended older film for the pairing is Penelope Spheeris’ ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.’

    Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm (directed by Hannah Berryman)

    Ozzy Osbourne being interviewed for ‘Rockfield - The Studio on the Farm’
    Ozzy Osbourne being interviewed for ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm’

    Hannah Berryman is a documentary filmmaker who specializes in contemporary historical documentaries. Her work is known for mixing new sit-down interviews, archival footage, and animation. She studied social and political science at Cambridge before turning her focus to filmmaking. She has produced and directed the documentaries ‘A Very English Education’ and ‘Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal’ for British television, and the feature documentary ‘Miss World 1970: Beauty Queens and Bedlam.’ The latter tells the story of the controversy-laden 1970 Miss World competition, which was also the basis for Philippa Lowthorpe’s 2020 film ‘Misbehaviour’ starring Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jessie Buckley.

    Berryman’s latest documentary ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm’ tells the story of Rockfield Studios in Wales, known as the very first residential recording studio. The film traces how brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward turned their Welsh pig farm into the recording studio where rock bands like Black Sabbath, Queen, The Stone Roses, Oasis and Coldplay recorded some of their biggest hits. Berryman traces how the brothers first discovered rock and roll, a rather unfateful meeting with EMI’s George Martin, and their early attempts to soundproof part of their farm to record local Welsh bands. This early part of the studio’s history is brought to life through archival photography and imaginative animated sequences.

    Along with spirited interviews with the studio’s founders, the film also features some incredible new interviews with many of the musicians who recorded albums on the farm. This includes delightful stories from Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne, whose accent has finally hit the nadir of charming yet unintelligible garble. Robert Plant shares how the farm helped him launch his post-Zeppelin solo career in the 1980s. As an Oasis fan, I particularly enjoyed the blunt and self-reflexive stories behind the recording of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? as told by Liam Gallagher and Bonehead (Paul Arthurs). Coldplay’s Chris Martin tells how recording there was like a balm for the band in the midst of chaos of putting out their first album Parachutes.

    Another section I found particularly interesting was how the studio was beginning to struggle financially in the late-1980s and then The Stone Roses spent 14 months in residency recording their first and second albums. Gallagher tells of stealing a plow or something to sneak on the farm in an attempt to get a peek at the troublesome band.

    Fans of any era of rock and roll are likely to find a parable or two about their favorite band somewhere in this doc, and will likely come away with a deeper appreciation for how this Welsh farm became instrumental in the creation of some truly iconic albums.

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    The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (directed by Penelope Spheeris)

    Ozzy Osbourne in a scene from 'The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years'
    Ozzy Osbourne in a scene from ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years’

    What can you even say about THE Penelope Spheeris? If you ever get the chance to see her at a Q&A before a screening of one of her films do not hesitate. I’ve seen her speak many times, and she is always a hoot, raw and unmerciless about her time in Hollywood. Spheeris put herself through UCLA film school working as a waitress at Denny’s and IHOP. She made short films and interstitials featuring Albert Brooks for SNL before making her feature-length debut with the punk-rock doc ‘The Decline of Western Civilization.’ She followed these up with a handful of films in the 80s, including the essential coming-of-age thriller ‘Suburbia.’ She’s probably best known today for 1992’s ‘Wayne’s World’ starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as their SNL characters Wayne and Garth. A filmmaker with an unwavering vision, despite much studio interference, Spheeris’ deeper cut films are well worth seeking out.

    Inspired by Ozzy’s interview in ‘Rockfield’ – in which even with subtitles I had trouble deciphering his thick Birmingham, English accent, I suggest you pair the film with the second film in Spheeris’s Decline trilogy: ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years’. In it Ozzy is interviewed while making eggs, and it is truly a delightful piece of documentary filmmaking. Other bands interviewed for this volume include members of Aerosmith, Poison, Alice Cooper, Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P., Paul Stanley from Kiss, Lemmy from Motörhead, and more. The film also features interviews with fans of the LA hair metal scene, an interview with L.A. club owner Bill Gazzarri, live performances by bands like Lizzy Borden, Faster Pussycat, and Megadeth, and some truly stunning looks at the nightlife of the Sunset Strip in the late-80s. A time capsule of an era like none other.

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