 | |
List Price: $29.97 | | Label: Anchor Bay - ITN
Salesrank: 12284
Released: July 1, 2008 |
| Our Price: $7.99 |
| Used Price: $3.28 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
SEX AND DEATH 101 (DVD MOVIE)
Description of Sex and Death 101:
Sex and Death 101 presents an intriguing premise: If you were given a list of all the people you were destined to sleep with, would you give up what you currently have to fulfill that prophecy? That's exactly what happens to Roderick Blank (Simon Baker, The Devil Wears Prada, The Mentalist), who is engaged to a beautiful woman. But when he receives an anonymous message stating that he will sleep with 101 women in his lifetime--and she is but 29th on the list--he throws his life into turmoil. A dark comedy from Daniel Waters, who also penned the superb Heathers, Sex and Death 101 doesn't have the effortless flow of Waters' breakthrough film. His muse Winona Ryder returns as a disturbed woman with a jones for Roderick and a penchant for the darker side of life. But she is given too little to do to make much of an impact on the meandering plot. Much of the dialogue does little to help the matter. "Life is a lot like death," Roderick says. "It happens to everyone, whether they like it or not." The problem with Sex and Death 101 is that the line between life and death often isn't discernible. Baker and Ryder have both fared better in stronger projects. The bright spot in this movie is Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life), who plays Roderick's put upon assistant Trixie. She proves to be more interesting and endearing than the leads, and adds wry humor to what could've been a thankless role. --Jae-Ha Kim
Sex and Death 101 Reviews:
Twist on Expectations 
2008-09-19 - What if you could know the future? Maybe not everything in your future, but enough so that you know when to, well, stop?
Rod Blank is a playboy. He likes the ladies.
One day he gets an e-mail. In this e-mail is a list of every lady he has slept with. Sounds frightening, right? His darkest illicit secrets seem to have been revealed.
But the e-mail goes on to list every lady he ever will sleep with! Now, this sounds interesting. In fact Rod's belief is that if he avoids the last name, well, he might avoid death!
And the movie goes on to to show how he just has to say the word or make the look and ladies tumble into bed with him.
Until the snag comes. The last name on the list sleeps with Rod way before her time on the list.
What does this all mean? Is it death--or marriage?
The movie was somewhat interesting, although sophomoric. The movie found it difficult to be serious (with a message about relationshis) or campy. It tends to lean toward campy. That doesn't make it a bad movie. It's just more of a light-hearted movie for those times you might want a good laugh.
Low Budget Campy Fun
2008-09-18 - I went into this film with zero expectations. I hadn't heard of it before the DVD was put in front of me, and I think this is why I was so pleasantly surprised with the film.
The movie follows the misadventures of a man who one day is mysteriously emailed a list of all the women he is going to sleep with within his lifetime. But the biggest catch is that the last name on the list is a serial killer. The film is produced on a tight budget but being a situational commentary not much is lost in the process. Although the film does run a little long at 117 minutes.
Both Simon Baker and Winona Ryder put forth pretty good acting jobs. After all the problem's Ryder has had the last couple of years, its good to finally see her back in movies.
The special features include Deleted Scenes, a Making-of, and a Commentary.
A decent concept collides with sterile production values 
2008-09-18 - In what barely feels like a true film, more like a made for pay-cable adult movie at best, Simon Baker plays "prantagonist" Roderick Blank, a man gifted with looks and money. Unfortunately his monologues don't feel like they are really coming from his character much of the time, and the attempts at deep moral consideration are shloughed off. To be fair its obvious the script is taking biting stabs at male chauvanists and the like, it just has such a good time wallowing in its shallow excesses (the babes, gratuitous sex scenes) that its hard to listen. The complex set of side characters and subplots that intertwine with the main storyline frankly don't, this feels like two seperate movies for a good chunk of the running time and thats not right. To its credit SEX AND DEATH 101 is fairly unpredicatable in its contrivances and offers a few genuinely objectionable laughs but it would have been better served as a more complex look at one man's psyche, instead of the pastiche of viewpoints it serves.
Excellent film, ignore the critics 
2008-09-14 - I can't understand why there isn't more 5 star ratings for this film. All of the dark humor of Heathers, plus great dialog and a compelling story line. Excellent insights on dating, the ups and downs of casual vs 'committed' relationships. The second time through, I appreciated the story line and how they tie all the little things together even more.
Can't say anything else, for fear of spoilers. But, ignore the cynics, this is a funny sex-comedy that deserves to be seen (and rented, and purchased, and cherished).
Death on two legs...and a DVD 
2008-09-07 - A mildly amusing dark comedy from Daniel Waters who created the cult classic "Heathers", "Sex and Death 101" features Simon Baker as Roderick who owns a prosperous fast food franchise who receives an anoynmous email listing all the women he's had sex with as well as those he WILL have sex with. On that list at the very end is a black widow of a woman--Death Nell (Winona Ryder)and after going on a wild sex filled ride, Roderick must figure out someway to avoid Nell.
The main problem with "Sex and Death 101" aside from the fact that Waters is unable to create/maintain the consistent, dark comic tone, is Baker who is completely miscast in the role. He's good the looks he just can't deliver the comic goods here. I don't know if that is Waters fault or Baker's but if you have a central character that can't deliver the darkly comic lines effectively without the necessary sex appeal, you're...err..dead.
The commentary track with Waters in comic mode is more entertaining than the film itself. He knocks everything from those who take credit for their films as if they created everything for the project without collaborating to riffing on the 70's films like "What's Up Doc?" that provided a touch of inspiration for his film.
"101 Perversions" is a by-the-numbers featurette that does little to illuminate the film and is really little more than a PR piece.
Although it has its moments, "Sex and Death 101" fails to ignite. It's a pity because Waters demonstrated a brilliant comedic depth with "Hathers" he just hasn't been able to match that high point in his career again.
