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:

Val Kilmer, Lisa Kudrow, Kate Bosworth

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 Mariner)
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
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?

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Plot Keywords:

united states | police | murder | porn star | robbery | 

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Taglines:

With A Score This Dirty, Nobody Gets Away Clean.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Country:

Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Wonderland Murders

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$91,798, 5 October 2003

Gross USA:

$1,060,512

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,466,444

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO 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

Matt Dillon was the first choice to play John Holmes but dropped out to direct his movie City of Ghosts (2002).

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Goofs

Fox Plaza is visible in one of the montages. It wasn't built until 1987.

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Quotes

Ron Launius: Put it away, John. The whole party didn't come here to see your cock.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Edited from Exhausted: John C. Holmes, the Real Story (1981)

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Soundtracks

20th Century Boy
(1973)
Written by Marc Bolan
Performed by T. Rex
Published by Careers-BMG Music Publishing, Ltd. (BMI) o/b/o Wizard (Bahamas) Ltd.
Courtesy of Demon Music Group
Issued under license to Wizard (Bahamas) Ltd.

User Reviews

Once the summers of love ended .....

One of the most disturbing and tragic periods in American history began. The members of the Summer of Love culture, at the end of the seventies and onset of the 80's, were eventually too old for love beads and all night parties and evolved back into mainstream life, whatever that meant. For those who could not out grow their youthful and sometimes irrational exuberance, their's was the culture of Wonderland. A love for drugs and a sense of entitlement coupled with a distaste for authority, values and "the establishment".

The sixties were a time of revolution and violent change that tore the American "house" apart. Once the battles were over, we all had to deal with the aftermath of the carnage. The characters in the Wonderland house are icons of the misfits of the Seventies; part biker, part hippie, part crook, all outcast. No ideology to express, just a sense of dissatisfaction with everything and allegiance to nothing. Ron, Billy and David fancy themselves as some sort of Robin Hoods with dope. They talk of love and behave violently; they take from the rich and sell to the misbegotten; they steal from everyone.

Holmes and company are the end result of a strange collision of anti-matter like sex, and drugs and rock & roll, when the lab technicians get bored and move on.

The film is skillfully directed and paced and captures the frenetic world of the drug fiends in their element. The fact that Holmes is a porn star is almost irrelevant. That story was told in "Boogie Nights". This is a story of a transitional and forgettable era.