Secrets of Penthouse

If you saw the documentary on Hugh Hefner and Playboy, it's déjà vu. It's strictly a different magazine with the same messages. The owners/publishers were emotionally and sexually abusive, and distant fathers. The difference with this one is there's more background from Guccione's children. Sadly, the son is stuck in the past and reminiscing about witnessing the hedonism first hand as a teenager. There's no real discussion of the mothers of his children; yet, only the "Iron Lady," his longtime partner, both personally and in business, is given background detail. Guccione ran his company into the ground more so than Hefner did, but that could also be due to the rise in access of more lascivious internet pornography.

If you want to get some sort of background of the magazine and its founder, it is adequately shared during the four episodes. Final take? Are Guccione and Hefner much different men? No... simply on opposite coasts. The only difference here is you'll get a little tidbit about Donald Trump.