MovieChat Forums > The Minus Man (1999) Discussion > Poison

Poison

posted 14 years ago by lvcambot-2
5 replies | jump to latest

I checked out Amazon.. (cool that they let you "Peek" inside some books now)

The original story has the characters on the East Coast. The move to the West coast was for budget/indie film reasons.

My question. Does such a Poison exist?

Looking in the book. "Soft Cudgel" "sedgewort" and even how it is described. According to the Internet. Naw.. no such animal/Poison.

Having knowing a "Tad" about mycology. It doesn't read right. Like a minor fact that a book author would throw in. Like most people care what Poison is used. AND that the BOOK was on the EAST? Unique - rare fungi doesn't travel across the US like that.

Question..

Is there an Organic (or synthetic) poison that does what the Minus Man author reports it does. You just.. relax and go to sleep.

Anybody?

GENE

[–] Leelu76 14 years ago

I'm not an expert and I haven't googled it yet but while I was watching I kept wondering if the poison was digitalis. Digitalis is derived from foxglove and is very sweet. That's why he mixed it in Amaretto, a sweet liquor. Digitalis effects the heart. I think it is even used medically to treat heart patients. In high doses it can stop the heart and I think, if not looked for specifically in an autopsy, wouldn't show up. I don't know how long it takes to effect someone though. It's probably like Vann says, it depends on body weight and chemistry.
Just my thoughts....

-Lisa

Don't anthropomorphize God, Nancy.

[–] fliphop 12 years ago

there are thousands of poisons, natural and synthetic, but authors typically are not going to tell you the exact type, preparation, dosage, etc, because then some jackass will then go out and try to do it. not only will the author feel awful, the jackass and/or their victims will then probably try to sue the author for 'inspiring' the crime.

its the same reason you put fake phone numbers in films. a significant percentage of people are sociopathic and another significant percentage are just plain stupid.

[–] thingading 8 years ago

Just watched the film. Didn't know the original story took place on the East Coast. Interesting.

I think one part of the film that was easy to miss was that on the news after one of the killings they said the toxicology report revealed it was a poison from a fungus that only grew in the Pacific NW.

Well, earlier in the film, he is wearing an "Oregon A&M" sweater that Ferrin asks him about. There is no "Oregon A&M" in real life, but there obviously is an "Oregon" and he told her he went to college for a semester, presumably Oregon A&M.

If she or anyone else that saw and asked him about his "Oregon A&M" sweater were to put together all that these murderers started happening about the time he arrived and that he came from the Pacific NW, which was the only place the poison could be gathered (plus the piece of hair left for her, in case any was left at a crime scene), it might have been more difficult for him to avoid all suspicion.

But that would have been another storyline.....

[–] tabbycat 8 years ago

No.

[–] 8 years ago

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