WOnderland

Posted on Paul Katz's Place for Entertainment
5 September 2004

IN SUM: The movie shows a lot of sympathy for all the characters—a rarity in bad-boy flicks.

Wonderland, directed by James Cox, depicts the true story of porn star John C. Holmes—celebrated in the adult film world for his unusually large penis—and his implication in the brutal murders of four people in Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles. It succeeds in narrating two versions of his story together without lessening the importance of each one, despite the obvious lack of credibility in both. Credit the fantastic, tight editing: at one point, the Dylan McDermott character narrates and segues over the actual acting of the scene. It also shows a lot of sympathy for all the characters—a rarity in bad-boy flicks.

The DVD of the film contains “Life and Times of John C. Holmes” on Disc 2. The bonus is an added joy to the viewer as it narrates the story of Mr Holmes with decency and humanity. It is strange to note that Dawn Schiller's face was shadowed in this bonus but uncovered in the “Court TV” featurette on Disc 1, leading me to think that “Life and Times&rqduo; may have released previously.

I did not enjoy the “LAPD Crime Scene Video”: the forensic footage was too gritty, the violence too real for comfort. Nevertheless, the DVD of Wonderland, like the motion picture itself, is one superb production.