The Players Club

Dear Reader, I think the movie Players Club had a good story line. The situation that Diana was in can be related to many young women's situation in today's world. So many women in search for independence like Diana have used Strip Clubs as a means to an end. However many ignorant individuals think that all strippers are whores and forget that maybe this job is a temporary position for some of these women. I think Lisa Raye did a good acting job and I hope Hollywood considers her for other roles. Ice Cube should be applauded for an exciting movie.

I had pretty low expectations for "The Players Club". It was directed by Ice Cube, who I never knew had been behind the camera, and it's the only movie he ever made, suggesting that it wasn't particularly successful.

My expectations were well and truly surpassed. "The Players Club" does get off to a rough start. It has a generally amateurish feel to the shots and edits, or perhaps just a low budget feel. Also the pacing seems strange - quite a lot seems to happen very quickly, and I felt the need to come up for breath.

But I persevered. There's just so much to like about "The Players Club". It's got a great ensemble cast, many entertaining characters, and quite a few unexpected twists and turns.

I say check it out.

In an ideal guided tour about freakishly bad movies from 1977 onwards, The Players' Club should deserve a stop. It's got a terrible storyline that, along with the not-so-subtle clinging onto (or blatantly ripping off) the tradition of blaxploitation, makes up for a trite, short-living revival of that genre. But also it's one of those bad movies that are so bad you can't take your eyes off of it. Watch out for the (so fake it hurts) catfight scene between the "good" stripper Lisa Raye and the "bad", lesbian, vicious, bleached blonde, whatshername stripper. The small part of Ice Cube himself as the stereotype bad guy and the obvious "you can make all the money you want, but don't let money make a slave out of you" message (you're gonna hear it so many times throughout the movie it's gonna ring in your head like a f***ing bell for hours afterwards !) top it all. Rent it, but only if you know how much it's gonna suck.

Unremarkable but ambitious story from writer-director Ice Cube. A young woman recalls her emotionally wrenching experiences while working at a raunchy black strip club, specifically having to appease the sleazy customers, her skirmishes with reprehensible rivals, and wild parties on the side, all while maintaining her dignity as she strived for a better life. Intriguing story is accompanied by a talented cast, powerful moments, and some fine performances, but too often resorts to familiar plot twists and lame stereotypes. Not a bad piece of work for first-time director Cube, but would've benefited from more creativity. **

This film is actually interesting at several levels. It is serio-comical so it has good contrast. Lisa Ray is delicious with her obvious attributes, mesmerizing eyes, and just perfect voice. Dollar Bill, the character played by Bernie Mac is simply funny.

To the extent that there is a theme, it is one of black exploitation by other blacks, the operative color being the green of money, and it was refreshing to see the absence of non-African Americans so that the themes and action were not framed within the usual, tired aria of white economic oppression, and rather the interactions between the characters are the focal point. The criminals portrayed with the guns are more cartoonish than not, yet the real and abhorrent predators become apparent as the ones victimizing Ebony.

Not an academy award winner, but good entertainment. Gets a 7 in my book.