Sex and Other Matters of Life and Death

It's always difficult knowing how to deal with obviously well-meaning videos on timely and important topics which ultimately miss the mark. Such is the case with Sex and Other Matters of Life and Death, which focuses on the work of the STAR Theater, a young adult performance group in New York, dedicated to promoting sexual awareness in an age of AIDS. We're given a b&w veritè look at the group as it tours various schools and youth agencies, spreading its high energy, good humor, and deadly serious messages. Candid conversations with cast members grappling with their own issues are interwoven with the story of Evan, daughter of the company's director and herself an AIDS patient. Evan's experiences provide a kind of horrific beacon for the group, shedding a touching urgency and light on their work. Although it has some affecting moments, this could have been a considerably stronger video had it tried to do fewer things in more depth. Instead, it leaves us hungry for more background on the individual lives of these remarkable young people and their director. Still, despite these failings, the video might be a useful addition to those school and public library collections that also include more focused works on teens and sexuality. There's a strong language warning up front, but get real, folks; these are the 90's. Aud: H, C, P. (G. Handman)