The Players Club

Ice Cube’s ambitious directorial debut is a comedic carousel of misguided consequences. Led by then-newcomer LisaRaye McCoy, its colorful cast includes Bernie Mac, Jamie Foxx, Monica Calhoun, and Chrystale Wilson, and the characters’ lives seem drawn from the real-life struggles of LA’s erotic dance scene. Stripping is work that pays well, but at a price. Its risque aesthetics and the hard-nosed storylines it suggests are sweeping today’s streaming services as binge-worthy TV, while the exercise industry touts it as the hottest way to empowerment. Yet, twenty five years after its first release, The Players Club remains the blueprint for Black striptease film discourse.

BAM, Alfreda’s Cinema, and Be Reel Black Cinema Club revisit Cubevision’s endlessly quotable cult classic—equal parts farce, heartwarming drama, and tell-all expose—with a rare 35mm screening for its 25th anniversary.

The evening also includes a pre-show short, Forever Your Girl (2022), directed by Ayanna Dozier, which is an inspired portrait of the loss of innocence through a crackling reflection, drawn from soft-core imagery. The night ends with a discussion with architect of contemporary strip club culture and co-host of Lip Service podcast Gigi Maguire, moderated by Stephanye Watts.