Ken Schatz

Finding Graceland -- An eccentric drifter claiming to be Elvis catches a ride with a grieving widower.

From the Oscar-nominated director of “Far from Heaven,” “I’m Not There” and the new HBO mini-series “Mildred Pierce,” this controversial masterpiece is the most fervently debated film of the 1990’s and a trailblazing landmark of Queer Cinema. Todd Haynes’ second feature—after the underground sensation “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story”—this groundbreaking American indie is thrilling work of immense visual invention. 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 conservative figures including Dick Armey, Ralph Reed and Minister Donald Wildmon, Poison is audacious, unforgettable and thoroughly entertaining.

This drama interweaves three stories, each dealing with the darker aspects of sexuality. In the chilling "Hero," a stunned community tries to uncover the reason for a 7-year-old boy murdering his father. "Horror" tells the macabre story of a scientist who accidentally drinks his Viagra-like potion and becomes a sex fiend. Taking place in the early 20th century, "Homo" is about a male prisoner's erotic obsession with a fellow inmate.

After being abandoned by her mother in a movie theater, Seo-lin learns to live life the hard way. She meets Jeong-il who suffers from chronic insomnia inside a cab and finds herself drawn to this quiet stranger.