Diagonaldi Very well executed

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

TOMASBBloodhound One of the most infamous crimes in the history of Los Angeles gets its day in the sun with this film by director James Cox. This is a fast-paced film that introduces the audience to several smarmy characters and presents their story in non-linear form. Anyone familiar with the actual crime will have no trouble keeping things straight, and I have spent some time this summer analyzing the events leading up to the gruesome early morning carnage, and the people whose lives were either taken, or forever damaged. This is a sordid tale dealing with some of the grimiest people imaginable. Would people still be talking about it if it weren't for the involvement of John Holmes? Perhaps not.Val Kilmer stars as the former porn icon, reduced to a shambling junkie by the early 1980s. His notoriety as a porn star, combined with his insatiable hunger for drugs causes some dangerous people he knows to cross paths. The most dangerous of these is nightclub owner and drug enthusiast Eddie Nash. Holmes, having partied at Nash's place before knows of the mountain of drugs and money he has in the house. Holmes also parties with a dangerous group of lower-level junkies and dealers known as "The Wonderland Gang". They occupy the raucous two-story stucco flophouse where the murders eventually take place. When Holmes finds himself in debt to this group, he lets it slip about Nash and allegedly encourages the group to rob the dangerous gangster. Desperate for more cash and drugs, the gang agrees, sealing their fates as the humiliated Palestinian immigrant vows brutal revenge. Sensing Holmes knows the men who robbed him, Nash tortures Holmes to learn their whereabouts. The rest is bloody history.Wonderland, as presented to us here, is a slick, shocking and, well-acted film. I don't think they did as many drugs in Scarface, and that movie is a lot longer. Since most of the characters in this film have died or faded away into places unknown, most of what we see has likely been put together from court testimony and the police reports. Most of the actors do their characters justice. Kilmer plays Holmes correctly as the conniving, fallen porn-star junkie he was. My only beef is Kilmer's physical appearance. (and NO, we don't see him with a fake penis like Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights) Kilmer had put on some weight by the time this was made, and Holmes was a much-skinnier man in 1981. Bosworth is exceptional as Dawn, his young girlfriend. Bogosian is a hoot as Nash. Since not much is really known about the Wonderland Gang members, actors Josh Lucas, Tim Blake Nelson, and Dylan McDermott were able to add their own touches to the characters. Lucas is particularly menacing as gang leader Ron Lanius. He was apparently the hothead leader while Billy Deverell (Nelson) was somewhat of a "voice of reason" and did what he could to keep things together at the house. The fact is, this film gives us an interesting story told from different perspectives of untrustworthy people. McDermott's character David Lind was lucky enough to have escaped the lead pipes and other blunt instruments wielded by Nash's goons, but he was hardly a credible witness. The first half of the film presents his version of events which sets Holmes up as the catalyst for the carnage. Then, Holmes tells his side to detectives after it looks like he will be charged with the murders. Who should the viewer believe? Hard to say, but this film will keep you entertained, and make you want to read more. The crime scene footage, included on most DVDs, will give you nightmares! 9 of 10 stars.The Hound.

LeonLouisRicci There are so many lurid, crazy, and interesting subjects injected into this movie that it carries you along, despite itself. It is muddled and energy driven and it fails to become totally absorbing. The real-life murders were bizarre and bloody, there's the "attraction" of an involved semi-celebrity, and it is all awash in sex and drugs. This is the type of tabloid tale that it is a guilty pleasure. It has a "Gong Show", and "American Idol" attraction, with a helping of "Unsolved Mysteries".But here we have all this sizzle, and the steak is a tough swallow. There seems to be a confusion of concept going on here. It is too much "MTV" and not enough "Law and Order". The cast yells and screams and are hyper-kinetic and zip around like a crazed experiment in an actor's workshop. The color and tone of this misfire is again, attractive so to speak, but is used to the saturation point and does nothing more than give the proceedings a "post-groovy" appeal.The movie, with no lack of style, is lacking in all that it inspires to interpret. The heinous murders, the drug taking/dealing lifestyle, the decadence, the celebrity cum bum, the "horror" of it all. In the end it is a cheap high, and the crash afterward is not at all pleasant.

howdoyouspellman My girlfriend and I bought this film from a second hand shop knowing nothing about the film or the subjects being depicted. I loved the sleazy feel to the film right from the start. Val Kilmer is perfect in this role you shouldn't believe a word he says but his charm pulls you in. My only problem with the film was just as I was starting to get in to the film it ended. I wish we had seen more of the Wonderland gang and more of the reasons for them hating John Holmes. The dynamic between Lisa Kudrow and Kilmer was very well acted. But I would of liked to have seen more evidence of why it turned and sour and why she was close to the Dawn character. Too many loose ends for my liking which after further reading on the subject made sense. Hard to believe that this film and Boogie Nights are based on the same person! Still Wonderland is a bargain at only £3!!!

fascination67 Excellent performances across the board, with an exceptional performance by Josh Lucas, as the psychopath Ron Launius. Although Kilmer does an excellent job of portraying an extremely desperate, drug addicted Holmes, I never really got the feeling I was watching the real John Holmes, who in my view, portrayed a much cooler demeanor, unless the drugs truly turn you into an absolute manic zombie. Dylan McDermott, also with an excellent performance, surprisingly, as the biker/gang member David Lind.Some of the negatives, probably the over-use of music (although I liked the music), at times, it seems like the music is being used as a crutch rather than using character/plot elements to drive the movie. I rather enjoyed Kate Bosworth's portrayal as the naive/gullible young girlfriend of Holmes.I do recommend the movie, based on the performances and a very interesting look at life in Hollywood, in the early '80's.Although you would think people like this would provide enough proof that the excesses of life (drugs/sex), we still these problems, and they're very pervasive in society. I do have recollections of the murders, and distinctly remember Holmes'involvement, even then, we all knew he was guilty and should have been sent to prison, along with Eddie Nash.STRONG POINTS: THE CUTTING/EDITING OF THE MOVIE GIVES IT A VERY QUICK FEEL TO IT, SO YOU NEVER GET BORED WATCHING IT, STRONG CHARACTER PERFORMANCES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE BY JOSH LUCAS. WEAK POINTS: PERHAPS THE "FEEL GOODY" ENDING, I DON'T THINK MOST COMMON PEOPLE WOULD SEE THIS THIS KIND OF LIFE LEADING TO SUNRISES AND HAPPINESS. PERHAPS TOO MUCH MUSIC INTERTWINED THROUGH OUT THE MOVIE, ALTHOUGH I LIKE THE 70'S/80'S MUSIC. ALL IN ALL, CERTAINLY AN EXCELLENT MOVIE TO BUY OR RENT, AND CERTAINLY BETTER THAN MOST OF THE GARBAGE BEING THROWN AT US BY Hollywood NOWADAYS.