I've been watching dozens of Penthouse videos lately, and "Out of Control" stands out as by far the best. Even with a couple hundred yet to peruse, I think it will stand the test of time -having been reissued on Blu-Ray.
Story unfolds in the manner of a familiar cautionary tale, but director Kelly Holland aka Toni English subverts the genre. By the end, there is more serious thematic content here than in many a mainstream movie.
Riley Shy is perfectly cast as a mousy office worker, ordered around by her mean, chauvinistic boss Jake Jacobs (the great cameraman who also acts once in a while). She gives a co-worker a ride home and gets stranded in a bad neighborhood with car trouble, and no money -having left her purse back at the office.
What ensues is exposure of the innocent girl to a subculture which in a Hollywood movie (think: "Looking for Mr. Goodbar") would be merely a nest of depravity, but here turns out to be fun and educational. What makes the video work is that at first, playing on our expectations, Riley does seem to be in constant danger of being raped or killed or even shanghaied into white slavery.
But instead she's befriended at a nightclub by a pair of amusing drag queens (one of which, Lola, is a terrific actor) and a kindly blonde waitress Missy Monroe. She gets drunk on martinis, witnesses (hiding in a bathroom stall) plenty of sex, and then gets a makeover by Lola into goth/punk/fetish gear, all in time for her fabulous deflowering by the handsome stud Jean Valjean. Nothing "miserables" here.
The club backdrop spotlights a not-bad heavy metal band Uriah, led by singer Lucas Uriah. This content, with lots of extras cast in the club scenes, broadens the scope of the feature, not unlike Fred Lincoln's less successful foray into such crossover in his video "Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll".
I was especially impressed with the resolution of the story. Instead of the usual finger-wagging, teaching the protagonist a lesson - don't wander into danger, Riley returns to the office next morning after pulling an all-nighter, still dressed in latex, and tells off her mean boss, having been exposed to life in the fast lane and enjoying it. The theme of liberation, together with the anti-establishment setting, fits perfectly with the porno context.
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