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The dark, behind the scenes story of Chippendales, the ladies only clubs with the gorgeous dancing men that became such a phenomenon.

The dancers they led colorful lives. Interviews with some of the years later tell us that if you couldn't get laid at Chippendales, there was no hope for you. It went on everywhere in the club!

But the real story was one of greed, competition, death threats, and murder for hire.

You could never dream that behind the enterprise, the calendars, and all the glitz were all those slimy threats and underhanded dealings.

Though the story is padded to stretch to multiple episodes, it's still an interesting, entertaining, and absorbing story.

Directed by Harold Becker, this big budget floppola stars Al Pacino, John Cusack, Danny Aiello, Martin Landau, Bridget Fonda, and a host of others.

Al Pacino is the mayor of New York in this 1996 political drama. One night, a mobster meets a cop on the street - the cop is there to get information. They shoot one another, and a six-year-old boy is caught in the crossfire.

That's bad enough, but the mobster was on probation for a crime that demanded a 10 to 20 year sentence. How did that happen? Why did his supervisor sign the probation report and not his probation officer? Who was the judge?

As Cusack investigates, his belief system is challenged by what he sees - political favors, corruption, abuse of power- in other words, business as usual.

This is not a bad film. The performances are solid. Unfortunately, there just isn't anything special about it - not the story nor the way it was directed. What could have been an exciting drama leaves the viewer with the feeling that something is missing.

Really above-average tv movie with excellent performances by Shelley Winters, Tisha Sterling, John Randolph, Arthur Kennedy, and Ann Sothern.

Winters plays a mother who arrived in New York to support her daughter (Sterling) who has been accused of killing her boyfriend.

Though she is convinced of her daughter's innocence, evidence given during the trial lessen her confidence.

At 74 minutes, the material dictates it could have been longer.

Though all the actors are excellent, John Randolph as the father will break your heart. Ann Sothern, a last minute replacement for the ill Kim Stanley, probably took the role because Tisha Sterling is her daughter. She plays the victim's mother and has a terrific scene with Winters. Arthur Kennedy as usual is wonderful as the defense attorney.