Sex and Death 101
Encyclopedia
Sex and Death 101 is a 2007
dark comedy science fiction
film written and directed by Daniel Waters
released in the United States on April 4, 2008. This film marks the reunion of writer-director Daniel Waters
and Winona Ryder
, who previously worked on 1989's Heathers
, written by Waters.
) is a young man with a great job as an executive for 'Swallows', a high end fast food restaurant chain, and a beautiful fiancee, Fiona Wormwood (Julie Bowen
). On the day of his bachelor party, he is e-mailed a list of all the women he has slept with. Strangely, while the list has 101 names, his fiancee is only number 29. He assumes the list is a prank, courtesy of his best friends Zack (Neil Flynn
) and Lester (Dash Mihok
) - until he meets number 30, Carlotta Valdez, who is the stripper at his bachelor party. After sleeping with Carlotta, he realizes that the list includes all his sexual encounters, past, present and future.
Roderick cancels his upcoming wedding and begins to bed all the people on the list, including a centrefold's leprosy ridden grandmother, a Swallows drive-thru girl, a flight attendant, a reality TV lesbian power couple and a self help guru. Although he makes a connection with some of these women, he is unable to settle down until he has crossed all names off the list. His friends become concerned for his mental well being and convince him to bury the list. He falls for Lester's charming and quirky veterinarian (Leslie Bibb
), only to learn that she does not return his feelings. After her untimely death, he digs up the list and continues his mission.
Throughout all this, a female vigilante, nicknamed Death Nell (Winona Ryder
), has been taking revenge on men who have committed sexual crimes. Death Nell seduces these men and then uses various techniques to induce a permanent coma, leaving behind a line of feminist poetry spray painted on the wall. Roderick learns that his list was generated by a quantum-mechanical computer called the Oracle, and that the agency in charge of the Oracle are also trying to track Death Nell down.
Roderick's precarious mental state is compromised when he learns that the last name on his list, Gillian de Raisx, is in fact the notorious Death Nell. With twenty more names left on the list, he decides to abandon it altogether and takes up various hobbies to keep him from giving in to temptation. After an accident during a bike ride, he is found by a group of female students from a Christian college who believe that he has been sent to deflower them. Roderick is unable to resist and catapults himself from number 82 to number 100 in the space of an afternoon.
Knowing that Death Nell is the last person on his list (and that he may not survive a night with her) Roderick tries to change his destiny, first by becoming a shut in, and then by tracking down another Gillian de Raisx in Sydney
, Australia. But when he learns that the Agency are close to catching Death Nell, he has a sudden change of heart. Guilt stricken over his treatment of his previous conquests, he decides to face the consequences.
Roderick and Gillian meet in a diner, where they share a meal and conversation. Gillian reveals that she was a Poetry/Chemistry student who married young and was forced to perform degrading sexual favours with her husband, who also physically abused her. After his death, which was inadvertently caused by Gillian, she realised that she could dish out similar punishments to other men who treated women badly. At the end of the conversation, she reveals that she is exhausted from the whole ordeal and unsure if she still has the conviction to continue. Roderick and Gillian agree to take the sedatives together. After spending the night together, they take the pills and fall in to bed; 'The End' is spray painted on the wall behind them.
The epilogue reveals that Roderick and Gillian survived the pills - they married and had a child. Death Nell's comatose victims are revived and a brief scene at the Agency suggests that Roderick and Gillian's union was fated.
dismissed it as an "unfortunate comedy". Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 23% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 30 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 26 out of 100, based on 10 reviews.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
dark comedy science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film written and directed by Daniel Waters
Daniel Waters (writer)
Daniel "Dan" Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the older brother of director Mark Waters.-Screenwriting credits:...
released in the United States on April 4, 2008. This film marks the reunion of writer-director Daniel Waters
Daniel Waters (writer)
Daniel "Dan" Waters is an American screenwriter and film director. He is the older brother of director Mark Waters.-Screenwriting credits:...
and Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
, who previously worked on 1989's Heathers
Heathers
Heathers is a 1989 black comedy film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. The film portrays four girls in a trend-setting clique at a fictional Ohio high school...
, written by Waters.
Plot
Roderick Blank (Simon BakerSimon Baker
Simon Baker is an Australian actor. Since 2008, he has starred in the CBS television series The Mentalist.-Early life:...
) is a young man with a great job as an executive for 'Swallows', a high end fast food restaurant chain, and a beautiful fiancee, Fiona Wormwood (Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
). On the day of his bachelor party, he is e-mailed a list of all the women he has slept with. Strangely, while the list has 101 names, his fiancee is only number 29. He assumes the list is a prank, courtesy of his best friends Zack (Neil Flynn
Neil Flynn
Neil Richard Flynn is an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Janitor in the medical comedy-drama Scrubs. He currently portrays Mike Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle.-Early life:...
) and Lester (Dash Mihok
Dash Mihok
Dashiell "Dash" Mihok is an American actor.-Life and career:Mihok was born in New York City, New York, the son of actors Andrea and Raymond Thorne . He attended the Bronx High School of Science and was raised in Greenwich Village. While at the Bronx High School of Science, Dash played baseball as...
) - until he meets number 30, Carlotta Valdez, who is the stripper at his bachelor party. After sleeping with Carlotta, he realizes that the list includes all his sexual encounters, past, present and future.
Roderick cancels his upcoming wedding and begins to bed all the people on the list, including a centrefold's leprosy ridden grandmother, a Swallows drive-thru girl, a flight attendant, a reality TV lesbian power couple and a self help guru. Although he makes a connection with some of these women, he is unable to settle down until he has crossed all names off the list. His friends become concerned for his mental well being and convince him to bury the list. He falls for Lester's charming and quirky veterinarian (Leslie Bibb
Leslie Bibb
Leslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
), only to learn that she does not return his feelings. After her untimely death, he digs up the list and continues his mission.
Throughout all this, a female vigilante, nicknamed Death Nell (Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder
Winona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
), has been taking revenge on men who have committed sexual crimes. Death Nell seduces these men and then uses various techniques to induce a permanent coma, leaving behind a line of feminist poetry spray painted on the wall. Roderick learns that his list was generated by a quantum-mechanical computer called the Oracle, and that the agency in charge of the Oracle are also trying to track Death Nell down.
Roderick's precarious mental state is compromised when he learns that the last name on his list, Gillian de Raisx, is in fact the notorious Death Nell. With twenty more names left on the list, he decides to abandon it altogether and takes up various hobbies to keep him from giving in to temptation. After an accident during a bike ride, he is found by a group of female students from a Christian college who believe that he has been sent to deflower them. Roderick is unable to resist and catapults himself from number 82 to number 100 in the space of an afternoon.
Knowing that Death Nell is the last person on his list (and that he may not survive a night with her) Roderick tries to change his destiny, first by becoming a shut in, and then by tracking down another Gillian de Raisx in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia. But when he learns that the Agency are close to catching Death Nell, he has a sudden change of heart. Guilt stricken over his treatment of his previous conquests, he decides to face the consequences.
Roderick and Gillian meet in a diner, where they share a meal and conversation. Gillian reveals that she was a Poetry/Chemistry student who married young and was forced to perform degrading sexual favours with her husband, who also physically abused her. After his death, which was inadvertently caused by Gillian, she realised that she could dish out similar punishments to other men who treated women badly. At the end of the conversation, she reveals that she is exhausted from the whole ordeal and unsure if she still has the conviction to continue. Roderick and Gillian agree to take the sedatives together. After spending the night together, they take the pills and fall in to bed; 'The End' is spray painted on the wall behind them.
The epilogue reveals that Roderick and Gillian survived the pills - they married and had a child. Death Nell's comatose victims are revived and a brief scene at the Agency suggests that Roderick and Gillian's union was fated.
Cast
- Simon BakerSimon BakerSimon Baker is an Australian actor. Since 2008, he has starred in the CBS television series The Mentalist.-Early life:...
...Roderick Blank - Winona RyderWinona RyderWinona Ryder is an American actress. She made her film debut in the 1986 film Lucas. Ryder's first significant role came in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice as a goth teenager, which won her critical and commercial recognition...
...Gillian De Raisx/Death Nell - Robert WisdomRobert WisdomRobert Wisdom is an American actor. He is a graduate of Columbia University.-Biography:Wisdom was born in Washington, D.C. to Jamaican parents. He appeared in four of the five seasons of HBO program The Wire as Howard "Bunny" Colvin...
...Alpha - Tanc SadeTanc SadeTanc Sade is an Australian actor, writer and director. Sade worked in several theater productions in Australia before landing a recurring role on Gilmore Girls in 2005...
...Beta - Patton OswaltPatton OswaltPatton Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actor and voice actor. He is best known for portraying Spencer Olchin in the popular sitcom The King of Queens, voicing Remy from the film Ratatouille and Thrasher from the Cartoon Network original series Robotomy.-Early life:Oswalt was born...
...Fred - Mindy CohnMindy CohnMindy Heather Cohn is an American actress, comedian known for her role as Natalie Green, the smart, overweight student of Edna Garrett , on the TV show The Facts of Life, and also being the current voice for Velma Dinkley in the Scooby-Doo franchise, which she has held since 2002.She currently...
...Trixie - Keram Malicki-SanchezKeram Malicki-SanchezKeram Malicki-Sánchez is a Canadian actor, singer, writer, new media guru, and music and film producer.-Early life & acting career:...
...Master Bitchslap - Julie BowenJulie BowenJulie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
...Fiona Wormwood - Neil FlynnNeil FlynnNeil Richard Flynn is an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Janitor in the medical comedy-drama Scrubs. He currently portrays Mike Heck in the ABC sitcom The Middle.-Early life:...
...Zack - Retta...Ethel (as Retta Sirleaf)
- Corinne Reilly...Lizzie
- Cindy PickettCindy PickettCindy Lou Pickett is an American actress best known for her 1970s role as Jackie Marler-Spaulding on the CBS soap Guiding Light; her role as Dr. Carol Novino on the hugely popular television drama St...
...Roderick's mother - Winter Ave ZoliWinter Ave ZoliWinter Ave Zoli is an American actress and model, best known for her role as Lyla Winston in FX's TV series Sons of Anarchy.-Early life:...
...Alexis - Dash MihokDash MihokDashiell "Dash" Mihok is an American actor.-Life and career:Mihok was born in New York City, New York, the son of actors Andrea and Raymond Thorne . He attended the Bronx High School of Science and was raised in Greenwich Village. While at the Bronx High School of Science, Dash played baseball as...
...Lester - Jessica KiperJessica KiperJessica Michele Kiper is an American actress and singer. Kiper was also a runner-up contestant on Survivor: Gabon where she placed third. She was more commonly known to the viewing audience during her run on Survivor as Sugar. She returned to Survivor to compete on the show's 20th season:...
...Carlotta Valdes - Sophie MonkSophie MonkSophie Charlene Akland Monk is a London-born Australian pop singer, actress and model. Monk was a member of female pop group Bardot and released a solo album Calendar Girl...
...Cynthia Rose - Marshall BellMarshall BellArchibald Marshall Bell is an American actor. He has appeared in many character roles in movies and television. His best-known movies are probably A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge , Stand by Me , Twins and Total Recall .-Early life:He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived until...
...Victor Rose III - Amanda WalshAmanda WalshAmanda Walsh is a Canadian actress and former VJ for the Canadian television station MuchMusic.-Career beginnings:Walsh was born in Rigaud, Quebec. She went to Hudson High School, in Hudson, Quebec...
...Kathleen - Leslie BibbLeslie BibbLeslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and former fashion model. She transitioned into film and television in late 1990s. She appeared in television shows such as Home Improvement , before she appeared in her first film, the comedy Private Parts , which was followed by her first show The Big Easy...
...Dr. Miranda Storm - Zachary GordonZachary GordonZachary Adam Gordon is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Greg Heffley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films which are based on Jeff Kinney's #1 New York Times best seller Diary of a Wimpy Kid....
...Barbecue Brat - Indira VarmaIndira VarmaIndira Varma is an English actress. Her first major role was in Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. She has gone on to appear in the television series Rome and Human Target.-Early life and background:...
...Deven Sovor (uncredited)
Critical reception
The film received generally negative reviews from critics. The review in The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
dismissed it as an "unfortunate comedy". Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 23% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 30 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 26 out of 100, based on 10 reviews.