Pretty Good

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

I'm an avid believer that Val Kilmer is one of the best actors of his generation, and this role is him at his finest. This film could have easily been entitled, "Doors 2: it's all about Mr. Mojo Risin'". Kate Bosworth and Lisa Kudrow play their roles beautifully as well, and the Wonderland crew was perfectly cast. If you You will fall for these characters in one way or another. like drug rooted crime dramas you'll love this flick. If you love Val Kilmer you'll love this flick. If you don't like either of those then stay clear. This film will undoubtedly transport you to an exciting place and time, but how you react to the trip is up to you.

A hard film to judge owing to its complexity, "Wonderland" tells the real-life story of the 1981 Wonderland murders in Los Angeles, which involved two sets of sleaze peddlers, linked by legendary porn star John Holmes (Val Kilmer). The film can be frustrating because the script is a mess. The story's chronology constantly jumps back and forth in time. And, although Holmes is a major character, other characters are just as important, but they are poorly identified, early on.Even so, for viewers interested specifically in this case, the story is riveting. You have a two bedroom, split level condo, called Wonderland, that functions both as a party house and as a base of operations for illegal drug distribution. In the early morning hours of July 1, 1981, two or more people quietly invade the condo and, using lead pipes, kill four of the five sleeping occupants. Displayed violence and brutality are unnerving. The bodies are not discovered for twelve hours.Who were the killers? Was Holmes involved? What was the motive for the murders? These kinds of questions appeal to true crime buffs.With the exception of Holmes' wife, Sharon (Lisa Kudrow), none of the characters are remotely sympathetic; they're all hooked on drugs, including Holmes. As the plot progresses, we see that a drug-obsessed life can lead to a most horrible death.The film neatly places the story in the proper cultural context. Cinematography trends dark and a little gimmicky. Sound effects and mixing are effectively sinister. The film's tone is quite sleazy. Most scenes are suitable only for adults. Pace alternates between slow and frenetic in the first half, but settles into a pleasant pace in the second. Acting runs the gamut from poor to good.The main weakness of the film is its script, especially a convoluted plot structure. Yet to be fair, the real-life case was quite complex, which is not the fault of the screenwriters. Some casual viewers will find the film unappealing. But despite the film's problems, I liked "Wonderland" because of its gripping, true-life premise, and because of its cultural setting and built-in mystery.

Wonderland (2003) *** 1/2 (out of 4) On July 1, 1981, L.A. police respond to a distress call on Woodland Ave. The police arrive at the house and discover four dead bodies and describe the scene as something more violent and bloody than the Sharon Tate murders. Four bodies are lying around with their heads split open but thankfully one person has survived. Within hours the media has the story on every station and this is where ex-con David Lind (Dylan McDermott) hears the news.Lind rushes to the police where he says he wants to make a confession. Instead of confessing to the murders, Lind says he was at the house shortly before they happened and that he knows who the killer was. Out of nowhere Lind says that it was the legendary John Holmes (Val Kilmer) who killed his friends due to revenge after being cheated in a score. Lind claims that Holmes offered his drug buddies a house to rob but what they didn't know is that this house was the home of Eddie Nash, one of the biggest men in L.A. After the robbery, Holmes is left out of the cut and comes back for revenge. The police eventually pick up Holmes who is willing to make a deal with them however his story of the events are a lot different than that of Lind.I must admit that I've never seen a Holmes film nor have I ever heard anything on his life story. Outside of knowing his profession I knew nothing else about the man and hadn't even heard of this murder case until this screener arrived at my door. I'm not sure how true the film presents the facts and I'm not sure what's made up. What I am sure of however is that Wonderland is an extremely interesting film that somehow didn't find that much of an audience. Perhaps, like me, not too many knew of the case or perhaps the name John Holmes scared people off the film. Hopefully with this DVD release the film will gain the attention that it deserves.The two sides of the story are told through various flashbacks and we also get all sorts of scenes from different people's point of view. Not only do the two witnesses give stories but even the police chime in with their ideas of what really happened. With all these flashbacks it would be very easy to just lose interest or for things to become confusing but that never happens here thanks to the wonderful direction by James Cox. The testimony to the police is so well mixed with the flashback scenes that within the first word the viewing is thrown into this crazy story, which is nothing more than lies and backstabbing.Like the police, not for a single second do we know who's telling the truth and we don't even know who was killed or who survived the attack. The director goes to great trouble showing us every possible character and how they played a role in these murders. The directing and acting are so incredibly tight that we are drawn into the story, which is full of hated characters. The film never tries to show anyone as an angel nor does it try to make a hero out of Holmes. Instead, we get an ugly picture full of ugly people who we can't stand but on the other hand, the story is so riveting that we can't help but go along with the ride. Once the director grabs you he certainly holds on to the closing credits.There have been countless threads on various message boards asking what happened to Val Kilmer's career and I'd personally like to know that answer as well. I always enjoyed him as an actor and he returns here with a wonderful performance. We've seen coke heads in various films yet Kilmer adds a new angle to the story. He has many breakdown scenes, which are all very convincing and helps add to the suspense. Kate Bosworth has the typical girlfriend role but shines in what scenes she does have. Lisa Kudrow gives her typical lifeless performance, although fans of Friends might enjoy seeing her in a film of this type. Dylan McDermott steals the show however as the seedy drug dealer. McDermott brings such power to his performance that I really think he should have gotten an Oscar nomination. Ted Levine also turns in more fine supporting work.I'm not sure how those who already know this story will react but not knowing anything certainly helped me enjoy the film. There are a few minor problems including a scene at the end where Holmes is taking a bath and it appears the director is teasing us by hinting at showing his penis. Why this camera movement was there is beyond me so this could have been cut. The first ten to fifteen minutes are also pretty typical but once the police get involve and the case starts, hold on because there's a pretty fun ride ahead. The suspense is heavy and the mystery is truly fascinating. Wonderland is an ugly picture about ugly people and it's very rare today for a director to show everything as being ugly without painting a happy ending.

The violent climax of BOOGIE NIGHTS fictionalized the so-called Wonderland murders, as some drug crazies looked to make a big score by ripping off a feared gangster, resulting in a bloodbath of retribution. This energetic film tries and generally succeeds at re-creating the frenzied, deceit-filled, treacherous world that spawned those real events. Part of what made the story a headline grabber at the time was the alleged involvement of notorious porn celebrity John C. Holmes, and film looks at the events with an eye to determining his role. The viewer gets two versions of the tale, told in flashbacks, and is left to ponder the truth of them. Val Kilmer is almost perfect casting as amoral drug and person user / washed-up porn actor Holmes.