In one of the standout performances of a genuinely distinguished adult film career, Samantha Fox shines as Lisa, a jaded prostitute who catches the eye of a photographer named Paul, who promptly offers her a job. In record time, he turns her into a sought-after model, presenting her in vigorous and stylish scenes. Lisa's meteoric rise to fame captures the interest of the perverted editor (an indelibly creepy performance by David Pierce), who offers to install her in a luxury apartment for his own benefit. Accustomed to the money-making theater business, Lisa shows few qualms about entering into this relationship, even indulging her every whim. But the tables turn, and Lisa unravels psychologically, with dramatic results.
With its accessible narrative and unexpectedly powerful anti-drug message, "Her Name Was Lisa" is utterly compelling. One of the best fornication films of the late 1970s, high praise considering the genre had just reached its peak. The anecdote surrounding this film has to do with the producer, who made only two demands of director Roger Watkins: that the main character be called "Lisa" (since that was the name of his newborn daughter), and that there be a scene of the actress lying in a coffin. A touch of real dark humor that clashes head-on with the lack of comedy throughout the film.