Saturday, January 7th and Sunday, January 8th • 7 pm
Poison Ivy, Drew Barrymore’s breakout role as not-a-child-actor, is both uncomfortably horny and unavailable on any streaming service. Like, you can’t even buy it streaming. Your choices are to buy a DVD (or a VHS tape), get thy booty to Scarecrow Video (never a bad idea actually), commit some light piracy, or… see it on the biggish screen at Northwest Film Forum! It’s part of a series of screenings in collaboration with the column Unstreamable, formerly of The Stranger and now of Scarecrow’s blog, hosted by Jas Keimig and The Ticket’s own Chase Burns. (Relatedly, I, Sarah Anne Lloyd, take full responsibility for this pick.)
Barrymore stars as Ivy, a bad girl from the wrong side of the tracks who brings her entire mess to an erotically-charged friendship with Sylvie, a wealthy and troubled private school girl, in a tonally wild story that’s both incredibly pulpy and oddly earnest. The film, directed by Katt Shea, also stars Seattle film dad Tom Skerritt as Sylvie’s sketchy and nervous stepdad, vintage Charlie’s Angels alum Cheryl Ladd as her hot, dying mom, and Leonardo DiCaprio as literally just an extra.
Critics at the time were deeply confused, but if you’re into opulent 1990s fashion and queer villainy tropes, this is the movie for you! Just try not to think about how Barrymore was only 17 when this flick hit theaters. At the time, New Line Cinema wanted to bury this film, and you’re doing your civic duty when you insist on seeing it, anyway. NWFF requires masks indoors, so bring a comfy one and respect your fellow viewers, please.
