DVD REVIEW: SEX AND DEATH 101 (2008)

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Simon Baker gets a list of 100 names. It is a list of everyone he has slept with, and will sleep with for the rest of his life. Since his fiance is only number 29, he decides to track down the other 70. Meanwhile, Death Nell (Winona Ryder) is a feminist vigilante, putting into a coma men who have wronged women.

WHO MADE IT?

Writer / director Daniel Waters is best known for writing the screenplay for HEATHERS. His previous writing / directing effort was the little seen HAPPY CAMPERS.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

HEATHERS is sort of the 80's film equivalent to CATCHER IN THE RYE. Everyone of a certain age has to worship it. I certainly do.

Since this is Waters reteaming with Winona Ryder for the first time since that classic film, it was intended to be a big event. I couldn't wait for it.

But no one saw it theatrically. It never even opened in my area. I would have been there opening day, but I didn't get to see it at all.

Now that it is on DVD, we can finally see it for ourselves.

First off, it isn't HEATHERS.

Let's be fair though, there will never be another HEATHERS. That is a one of a kind, classic film.

This is, however, a very good film.

As Baker runs down his list, the film has some very funny, sometimes shocking, always very adult, (and I have so admit sometimes predictable) situations. His dialogue may not be at the HEATHERS level, but no one's is.

One of Waters strengths is in the casting as it is filled with great actors.

Aside from Baker and Ryder (who only has a supporting role) there is Julie Bowen as Baker's fiance. As a big ED fan, I'm still waiting for her to get a good role. She only has a small role in this one. Leslie Bibb (from the series POPULAR and also looking for a good post TV role) is excellent. The always reliable Patton Oswalt appears. Neil Flynn (the best thing about SCRUBS, where he plays the janitor) is Baker's friend. And I never thought I'd say this but where has Mindy Cohn been? Best known as Natalie from FACTS OF LIFE, she is VERY funny as Baker's assistant.

If the film has one problem, it is in the pacing. It is a bit slow at times. Not that anything should have been cut, but it feels a bit too lackadaisical.

Maybe if Dan had let his brother Mark Waters (the director of FREAKY FRIDAY and MEAN GIRLS) direct it, it could have been a classic, as Mark is one of the great comic directors working today. As it stands, it is a good film, but not a great one.

Still, I watched this as one of five I got from Netflix. All the others were big studio films, with big ad buys just for the DVD release. This was the best of the bunch.

It deserves to be seen.

3 1/2 stars out of 5