User Reviews

A look at the extraordinary world of Penthouse founder, visionary and provocateur Bob Guccione.

I love that right off the bat they identify Guccione as a "mama's boy", the last thing you would expect from a man who is known for pushing the envelope on pornography and the First Amendment. Indeed, he pushed the envelope more than Hefner and challenged both Playboy and other magazines on what could and could not be done. (Today, ironically, there is possibly too much sex!)

The film shows how he delighted in exposing the Christian Right, his attempts to invest in a casino and fusion technology. And some aspects of his downfall, including how he was bothered by the FBI. Personally, I did not know he was involved in Spin magazine, and that is quite a big deal in itself.

This 2013 documentary tells the story of the legendary founder and publisher of Penthouse magazine, the late Bob Guccione.

From his meager beginnings as a literally starving artist to international success with Penthouse, started in the United Kingdom in 1965 and brought to America four years later in 1969, this film chronicles Guccione's professional and sometimes personal relationships along the way, as told by his children, business associates, acquaintances,a couple of Penthouse Pets and other employees through a series of interviews. However, it seems no one has anything bad to say and considering his estranged relationships with his children (and apparently his mending of the ways before his death in 2010), I find it a bit odd.

The soundtrack is pretty good and actually in tune with the time period that Penthouse reigned supreme and would continue to do so into the mid eighties. Guccione had accomplished his goal: To compete with Playboy on home ground beat Hefner at his own game.

By now, everyone who grew up in the 70's and 80's (and some a bit later) realize the social and cultural impact history Penthouse made by a man who lived like a Roman emperor: He created an empire and he destroyed it.