Just Can't Get Enough

Given the subject matter, you expect this independent film by director/writer David Payne to be full of naked bodies gyrating to the beat of club music--certainly not a serious movie with plenty of bite. But JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH scores in both directions, and in spite of the abundance of skin on display it is the story rather than the bodies that linger in mind after the movie ends.

As seen through the eyes of club worker Chad (Johnathan Abue, playing a role loosely based on real-life Dan Peterson), JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH is surprisingly dark and surprisingly factual. Steve Banerjee (Shelley Malil) is just another club owner until he stumbles into the idea of male strippers playing to a women-only audience, and the ringing cash register attracts ambitious and obnoxious choreographer Nick Denoia (Peter Nevargic). Once Denoia gets wise to Banerjee's shady dealings he quickly blackmails the club owner into signing away the touring rights to the show. But when it comes to underhanded manipulations, Banerjee proves Denoia's equal and then some: the sex, drugs, and rock and roll atmosphere of the club quickly gives way to a headlong rush into murder, and the ride is straight down all the way.

Payne's script isn't as tight as it might be, and it sometimes goes off on tangents that add little to the overall impact of the film, but the actors are first rate all the way and increasingly convoluted nature of the conspiracies and counter-conspiracies make for a fascinating ride. And to up the ante, Payne endows the entire film with an unexpectedly dark humor and sense of irony that rings true even in the movie's weaker moments.

Yes, there are plenty of naked bodies (both male and female) on display, but ultimately JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH is less about sex than it is about an extremely unsavory and seldom acknowledged side of the American dream, a drive for success that flattens every moral obstacle it meets. In one particularly memorable scene, Banerjee snarls that Joe Kennedy built his fortune on illegal bootleg liquor and even sitting President Reagan lied to congress to finance a secret war; bending the law is the American way. But not every one can get away with it--and even for those who do there is a price. In this instance the price ranges from emotional deadness to drug addiction to accidental incest to blood. And every one has to pay.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

This sweaty, fun, rocking true-life story of the murder of the Chippendale Dancers founder gives us all the fleshy pizzaz that we never got in Mighty Mike (MM). Released straight to video in 2001, this dynamic indie production never got the exposure (pun intended) nor acclaim it deserved. This B-movie is brilliantly photographed, choreographed, edited with a cast of the most juicy males to ever strip before the cameras--and the major standout whose jaw-dropping sexiness will leave you breathless is the long-forgotten Jonathan Aube. I had never heard the name of this extraordinary Adonis. He has a sweet innocence and little boy charm that enhances the sizzle-quotient of his spectacular torso. Curiously, Aube never once drops his britches. We do see his magnificent chest but although his prancing cohorts live in their G-strings, Aube denies us the thrills of seeing him unclothed. Perhaps there was a stipulation in his contract that he would only go nude from the waist up. Still, what you see bared is memorable. I wonder if the producers of Magic Mike didn't borrow from this forgotten entertainment? In this movie, our adorable Chad becomes obsessively in love with the most colorless, sexless, dreary woman in the world. Naturally, she is horrified that he is a--stripper! At the end, just when the hunky Chad has agreed to strip as a replacement at his club (pant, pant!), his girlfriend appears again and says how proud she is that he's not one of those naked boys. Our hero is so shattered by her observation that he rushes to the toilet to barf. Then he dramatically puts his clothes on and announces that he is no longer a bad boy. He will now be a respectable businessman because he has an MBA! I wish that one day some bright, free-spirited film maker would remake this dazzling little gem, discard all the dialogue, throw in as much gratuitous nudity as possible and somehow induce our glorious Jonathan Aube to do a cameo as a mature, hunky strip boy--and watch the millions roll in! I'll be sitting there on the front row!

The incredible story, great music, and tight pacing almost makes you forget the few uneven performances and limited production value. This is a gem in the rough. One of those brilliant little movies you hope to discover whenever you stumble upon a "I've never heard of this one" title on tv or in the video store.

I rented this DVD because a guy I knew from college is in it. It's entertaining, but can be best described as somewhat campy.

Apparently, the film is based on true events surrounding the Chippendale's scandal of the 1980's, which includes murder for hire, lots of corporate backstabbing, even a suicide, but it's all portrayed in a very comical way. Most of the acting is laughable; my assumption is the director told the whole cast to be as exaggerated and over-dramatic as possible. The script is ridiculous; just very poorly written (so to be fair to the actors, they didn't have much to work with). The soundtrack is terrific and it has some really colorful moments. There's lots of sex and hard-bodied men gyrating around, so if you're into that, you'll have a ball.

I hope "Just Can't Get Enough" wasn't trying to be a drama because it wound up as a vivid yet clumsy comedy.

What this movie has done is brought an already remarkable story to the next level. The use of relatively unknown actors to tell an relatively unknown story really works. The tone, locations, and camera work fit right in to the "darkness" of the story. Everyone associated with this move should be commended. Dave Payne has a style all his own(Addams Family Reunion, Alien Avengers 2 etc.)and it's a style of which I just can't get enough.