Cheers! Portland, the Strip Club Capital of America

Really enjoyed this film. Disclaimer, I worked in a Portland strip club for about 7 years (not as a stripper). The filmmaker portrays the strip club culture of Portland artfully and accurately.

The deep dives into who the dancers, owners, workers and patrons are ~ is spot on. There's a Portland vibe that's unique to the city ... not just in the clubs, but in the bars, restaurants & on the streets as well. The film manages to broadcast that PDX mojo vibe nicely.

The film also shows some of the legal history that allows the city to get naked and frisky.

The film is paced well. It's informative and emotional ... and shows beautiful women displaying their art and bodies. What's not to love?

Have no idea if the claim the producers make -- Portand has more strip clubs than anywhere else in America -- is true. I don't even live in Portand and from what i hear from people who have to go there on business, it's really unsafe these days so I wont be going.

But it seems really unlikely. The doc starts with a stripper at home going thru all the notes she's kept from guys who have gone to see her. She clearly does not like any of them at all, so you have to wonder why she chose this career besides the money.

She really thinks she's above all this. The movie follows the basic theme of a documentary. They get a few strippers and profile them and frankly, not one of them is interesting. I was bored out of my mind.

I've lived in Portland for 10 years and yes, it is indeed the strip club capital of the USA by per capita. People give directions and locations by where it is in relation to the nearest strip club, it's ubiquitous in our culture.

It was fun to see some performers I had met or seen throughout my years here and hear more of their stories, as well as the histories of the most iconic strip clubs.

The filmmakers focused a lot on humanizing the performers and clients which was excellent to see when the industry is so loaded with pre-conceived notions.

Overall, it was an interesting watch for someone who has even a passing interest in exotic dancing or Portland strip culture. The pacing and structure was a bit muddled, keeping me from giving it a higher score.