Gary F. Taylor 2008-11-28

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

In the 1970s, when pornographic movies became increasingly available to mainstream consumers, John Holmes (1944-1988) parlayed his supersized endowment into stardom. Those who knew him well describe him as likeable but somewhat dim; when his stardom began to fade he had nothing on which to fall back, and he became just another drug-addicted has been, trading on what was left of his dubious celebrity for a line of cocaine here and a line of cocaine there. In 1981 Holmes tended to bounce between big-time drug dealer Eddie Nash and a group of smaller-time dealers who lived on Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles--and found himself greatly over his head.

Police described the Wonderland murder case as the most gruesome murder scene since the 1969 Manson family killing spree. Although theories differ in details, they are consistent in outline: Holmes set up Nash for robbery by the Wonderland dealers; Nash responded by having Holmes set up the Wonderland dealers for a mass hit, carried off by people weilding pipes. Four people died, one survived with serious injuries and without memory of the attack. The 2003 film WONDERLAND attempts to portray both the crimes and the conflicting stories that Holmes, Nash, a Wonderland insider, and others gave during the course of the investigation.

Val Kilmer is unexpectedly convincing as the whining John Holmes, unable to focus beyond the next score, coming up with one silly idea after another. Lisa Kudrow is particularly memorable in the role of Holmes' estranged wife, Sharon; Kate Bosworth equals her as Holmes' current girl, Dawn Schiller. Although the movie is littered with cameos that actually tend to distract--Paris Hilton and Carrie Fisher, among others--the supporting cast is also quite fine. But the script, editing, and overall concept lets them down: it begins well and finishes well, but the middle portion of the film is weak and the overall movie lacks emotional or psychological depth.

WONDERLAND's characters are not likeable, and director and co-writer James Cox doesn't even attempt to find a means of bringing us inside their heads and lives in a way that makes them understandable, much less sympathetic. The film instead attempts to jump from character to character and idea to idea while also sliding back and forth in time--and in the process never quite stays in one place long enough for you get a firm grip. Everything does eventually link up, but all the same you'd better not blink too often as the movie plays out: if you do, you'll be lost when the final credits role.

The film is also plagued by a lot of hand-held-camera cinematography, presumably in order to convey the drug-laden atmosphere through which the characters move; there are also quite a few graphics, split screens, and so on. I find that a little of this goes quite a long way, and between the camera tricks and the constant shifts WONDERLAND looses focus and at times becomes a little wearing.

Even so, WONDERLAND still manages to be an interesting film, the sort of film that you wish had been undertaken by a great artist instead of director and co-writer James Cox, who would be most gracefully described as somewhat unpolished. There are at least two DVD issues of the film, one that is the film alone, another which also includes a documentary on John Holmes that is actually more interesting than the movie itself; if you have to pick between the two, go with the latter. Recommended, just don't expect too much.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Frankie 2008-11-22

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

It was an interesting movie but If I didnt know so much about the subject matter I would have been lost in all the confusing back and forth scenes from earlier on in the month of July 1981 to a few days later. It was good overall. Liked the music and would like to buy the sound track.

Cosmoetica 2008-09-24

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Wonderland is a mediocrity with a poorly written central character. But
De Niro's performance as Max Cady, which could easily have gone over
the top, is the only thing that raises that trite thriller up to
mediocrity. Kilmer's Holmes does not elicit sympathy nor disdain, even
when he pimps his girlfriend Dawn to Nash, and later physically abuses
her. Yet, the scene where De Niro tries to seduce Juliette Lewis's
character still creeps a viewer out even as the written dialogue seems
absurd. THAT'S the difference!

To use a more contemporaneous actor, looking at Guy Pearce from Memento
shows the difference- as well. In Memento and The Salton Sea, both
actors shine, but compare them in lesser vehicles like The Time Machine
and The Saint. Pearce makes his character somewhat sympathetic & a
viewer almost empathizes with the hero of the unbelievable tale. Yet,
in The Saint, Kilmer lacks the suavity of Roger Moore's TV original,
and the role almost descends to parody with Simon Templar as a Lon
Chaney wannabe. He becomes a cartoon figure where Pearce's character
retains its integrity. This is why Kilmer has to be selective in roles
and films he chooses- he has a limited range and only when a role
niches in that role can his greatness shine. This is not so much a
criticism as a recognition, for Kilmer- as an actor- is like the 3
Bears' porridge. When he's in his range he's good- and he's very, very
good, but when he's not he's, well- a cool, tasteless grain-type
cereal.

Jonathan B. Rollins 2008-09-24

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Not expecting much upon viewing, the first 15 minutes of this film is fresh and the energy driven soundtrack suck you right into the under-belly of Hollywood and it's infamous history of multiple killings.
I remember hearing about the murders on t.v. and knew that John Holmes was involved somehow, but not to the extremes that the film makers took in giving us an up-close view of how brutal and deliberate the murders were.
Would recommend to anyone who doesn't mind the sex industry and a climatic and bloody ending. Very insightful.

Timothy W. Husbands 2008-06-10

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Basically, this film suffers from having been released after Boogie Nights. Where that film was loosely based upon the life and deeds of John Holmes, Wonderland attempts to detail the last public burst of attention Holmes received and why such came to pass. It is a Rashomon-like retelling of the Wonderland Avenue murders, from the viewpoints of Holmes and sometime accomplice David Lind. A third version of Holmes' involvement, that of a police detective investigating the murders, is briefly alluded to, but is relegated to an end-of-film "what if" thread. The viewer must be warned that a certain bit of dramatic license has apparently been taken by the creative team behind the film, as written and other documentary sources seem to allude to other specific details of the actual murders which either are not included in Wonderland or have been slightly altered. What is depicted, in all its sleazy, pathetic glory is the intersection of porn, drugs, and the cult of personality that grew around such "performers" as John Holmes. Where Boogie Nights leavened the first half of it's narrative with humor and a tongue-in-cheek viewpoint, Wonderland dumps the viewer headlong into a boiling stew of cocaine, prostitution, violence, guilt, and desperation. None of the acting performances can be faulted, but Val Kilmer's turn as John Holmes and Lisa Kudrow's as his estranged wife stand out in particular. Still, even with an unusually strong acting troupe and a compelling story, Wonderland just doesn't seem to come together as it should have. It's still a good film, and definitely worth a look, if only to see what the world of porn and drugs was really like at the turn of the Eighties. If possible, get the two-disc version, as it contains the documentary Wadd: The Life and Times of John C. Holmes as a bonus feature. This film documents Holmes' rise and fall in excruciating, heartbreaking detail. No matter what one's opinion of pornography is, Holmes' story is ultimately one of tragedy, and his collapse into himself is one of the cautionary tales of our time, one that should be passed on to anyone who thinks that they're going to become a "star" by following in his footsteps. This is only my opinion; yours on the subject may be far different. However, Wadd is a riveting documentary and alone is worth the price of admission.