The film is set in a small coastal community in New Jersey where the only action is a nightclub called The Pavilion. The owner, Pete, can barely make the payroll, so in an effort to bring in more business he hires a sultry stripper named Danny Lee. Her act soon turns the head of Ralph, which is not good news for his bed-ridden wife Luanne, whose nasty talent is her gift for gossip. When Luanne begins to suspect that Ralph has adultery on his mind, she starts spreading more ugly rumors that have just enough basis in fact to stick. Soon things spin out of control and a wave of violence set in motion.