Wonderland (2003)

In the police investigation of a brutal crime scene, one man was at the center of it all: legendary porn star John Holmes.

Director:

James Cox

Writers:

James Cox, Captain Mauzner,

Stars:

Kate Bosworth, Val Kilmer, Christina Applegate

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Bosworth	...	Dawn Schiller
Carrie Fisher	...	Sally Hansen
Val Kilmer	...	John Holmes
Kim Marriner	...	Reporter (as Kim Marriner)
Dylan McDermott	...	David Lind
Michael Pitt	...	Gopher (scenes deleted)
Alexis Dziena	...	Gopher's Girlfriend (scenes deleted)
Karen LaKritz	...	Bartender (as Karen Lakritz)
Steve Cox	...	Guy at Bar
Josh Lucas	...	Ron Launius
Louis Lombardi	...	Slim Jim
Franky G	...	Louis Cruz (as Franky G.)
Ted Levine	...	Sam Nico
Russell Sams	...	Cherokee
Chris Cioffi	...	Letterman Meathead

Storyline

John Holmes was a legend of the porn industry and revered in circles as a stud. But in 1981, years after his successful career and star fading, Holmes was a desperate man with his own internal demons to live up to. He's estranged from his wife, holding onto a relationship with his teenage mistress, and living as a junkie in search of his next fix. But one fateful night left four people dead and John as a key suspect in one of the most grisly murders in Los Angeles. Was he partly responsible for what happened at Wonderland Avenue?

---

Plot Keywords:

murder | police | robbery | porn star | police investigation | 

---

Taglines:

With A Score This Dirty, Nobody Gets Away Clean.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence/grisly images, pervasive drug use and language, some sexuality/nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Metro Films [fr]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wonderland Murders

Filming Locations:

L.A.P.D. Hollywood Station - 1358 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£84,345 (UK) (7 May 2004)

Gross:

£84,345 (UK) (7 May 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Emmett/Furla Films, Epsilon Motion Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christina Applegate grew up near the site of the Wonderland murders and remembers seeing the bloody mattresses on the street, which led to her agreeing to take a relatively small role in the film.

---

Goofs

Within the first few minutes of the film, a second generation Honda Prelude is seen passing in the street. In 1981 when the film takes place, the Prelude was still in the first generation (1979 - 1982).

---

Quotes

Louis Cruz: Wait a minute... John Holmes? Thee John Holmes? Johnny Wadd partyed at Wonderland?
David Lind: All the time. The guy is a fucking coke head. He's up to his neck in this shit.
Sam Nico: All right, who's John Holmes?
Louis Cruz: The porn king. Sam, the guy's a legend.
Sam Nico: Never heard of him.

---

Crazy Credits

"score recorded and mixed by Fredrik Sarhagen" is credited twice.

---

Connections

References Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (1968)

---

Soundtracks

"Satellite of Love"
(1972)
Written by Lou Reed
Performed by Lou Reed
Used by permission of Screen Gems-EMI Music, Inc.
Courtesy of The RCA Records Label, A Unit of BMG
Under license from BMG Film & Television Music

User Reviews

I've waited since 1988 for this!

I once read an article by Jonathon Ross about John Holmes, and in it he described a pathetic figure whose celebrity status in the arena of porn deteriorated into a life of drug abuse, betrayal, gang involvement and murder...oh, and his eventual death due to Aids. What a great premise for a film!

I enjoyed Wonderland and was gripped all the way though.It was Holmes' dependence on drugs that meant he was eventually dropped from the porn industry, he could no longer perform or 'get it up'. From there his life spiralled and this is where Wonderland starts.

The story is not only presented in a very factual way, ( nearly every police statement and event occurred as shown ), but the pace in unrelenting and the acting convincing. Kilmer does a good job on Holmes - a bit like his Jim Morrison, he gets the druggie, spaced out feel just right.

The re-telling of events through different perspectives is also impressive, if not original and although there is no real tension in the film this is not a criticism. This is not supposed to be a suspense film or a thriller, it is much better than that. It is a true account of lives which interest us and which most of us have difficulty comprehending - apologies to drug dealers, murderers and porn stars.

When the actual murders occur they are brutal and dramatic, interspersing real footage of the murder scene into the action. Gory and fascinating, and i'm sure most of you do the pause or slow-mo run after.

I'm a sucker for information being handed out at the end of films and Wonderland doesn't disappoint. We find out about all the main protagonists and of course we all know what happened to John. Full credit to the director, I was waiting for this film to be made since 1988 and am not disappointed!