This 1997 film was Helen Haxton and directed by Mike Sedan. It stars Blake Pickett, under the name Josie Hunter, as Erica. She’s an ex-drug addict who now works as a stripper. She’s clean and sober but still, to make extra money, she occasionally solicits her customers at the strip club to have sex with them for money. She has a young daughter that her parents have custody of and she is trying to regain custody but the court rules against her because of her job. So the primary story of this film is focused on Erica and her desire to change her life, despite the hopelessness she feels. The film has several scenes of her performing in the club, stripping on stage or giving lapdances, as well as scenes of her having sex with customers (mostly men, but also one scene with another woman). Pickett does a great job in showing the conflicting emotions that Erica goes through. Even during the sex scenes, when she’s acting as sensual as possible in order to turn the clients on, they show close-ups of her face where you can see the sadness in her eyes, making it clear that she doesn’t really enjoy what she’s doing (despite what she tells other people). Doug Jeffery plays Ron, Eric attorney, who’s been trying to help her custody case, even though he doesn’t approve of her stripping job, either. During the course of the film Erica and Ron begin to develop a relationship, and when they have sex it’s the only time Erica seems to enjoy it. But their happiness is threatened when Ron takes her to meet his best friend Karl (Daniel Anderson), who happens to be one of Erica’s regular clients. It’s even worse when Eric solicits a customer who turns out to be an undercover cop, and she gets arrested. Are Erica’s hopes for a happy personal life an reunion with her daughter dashed forever? Watch the film to find out!

A subplot of the film involves a woman named Jo (played by Amy Lindsay, credited as Lynsey Ames), who gets hired at the strip club as the new bookkeeper. She begins a relationship with Mark (James Patrick Keefe), which deepens over the course of the film, as he helps her deal with her jealous ex-husband who is stalking her. And we learn that Jo has a bit of a wild past herself.

XXX film star Nikki Nova plays Pamela, another stripper at the club, who has to deal with her jealous boyfriend (played by Ramon Swalit), although she’s kinda wasted in this film, as she doesn’t get a sex scene, although we do get one scene of her stripping on stage. Julia Kruis (using the screen name Gretchen Clinton) plays Claire, another stripper at the club, and there’s a scene of her stripping on stage, followed by her going to a hotel room with three men (James Cosgia, Devin Dailey, & Rich Menchio) and has sex with all three of them. That doesn’t add anything to the plot so I’m not sure why it was added. I’ll also not that softcore veteran Lisa Comshow plays the woman that Pickett has a scene with, as Comshaw plays a woman whose husband hires Erica to come have sex with her for her birthday (what a gift!).

A good film film overall, with plenty of sex to turn you on, while also telling a dramatic personal story. Cut out the sex scenes and this could have easily been a Lifetime Original Movie. Once again I have to single out Blake Pickett/Josie Hunter, who carries this film, with her riveting performance. Chacebook rating: 5 STARS

Buy the unrated DVD on Amazon