On the Block

This film tells the story of an ex-junkie who wants to be a real dancer and her experiences as stripper on Baltimore's notorious red-light district known as the block. This film by Baltimorean Steve Yaeger, who later managed to build a successful career making documentaries about fellow Baltimorean John Waters, is technically proficient, but comes up short in the script and editing departments. It is also a little schizophrenic when it comes to themes. On one hand, the block is a dehumanizing place littered with low-lifes, hookers and drug addicts, but on the other hand, it is a place that deserves to be preserved. This is also one of the few films about a stripper featuring a actress who never shows any skin. Howard E. Rollins Jr. appears for a few minutes, and, if I'm not mistaken, we see more of his skin that we do of lead actress.