Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

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.

Scott LeBrun This hard hitting movie is effectively gritty and seedy and does reasonably well at delving into a true crime story, from two different perspectives: first, that of David Lind (Dylan McDermott, sporting a different look for him), a biker type who gets caught up in a heist and loses his girlfriend in a later massacre, on L.A.'s Wonderland Avenue, that was a result of that heist. The second perspective is that of fading porn legend Johnny Wadd, a.k.a. John Holmes (Val Kilmer), during a decline in his life in which he was also implicated in the heist and murders. Two detectives, Sam Nico (Ted Levine) and Luis (Franky G) do their best to investigate the crime(s).There's a lot of familiar faces here, but some of them have pretty small roles. Still, it's an impressive showcase for both Kilmer and McDermott, as Kilmer and filmmaker James Cox give us a glimpse into what the life of Holmes was like during the early 80s period. Kate Bosworth also does well in the role of Holmes's young girlfriend Dawn. Sometimes Cox's filmmaking is a little too high-style, and it may take a viewer out of the movie at those points. Ultimately, though, this may prove to be compelling for any person interested in real crime stories, as it introduces us to all of the key players involved, including a crime boss, played by Eric Bogosian in one of his better big screen roles. Also appearing are Carrie Fisher, Josh Lucas, Tim Blake Nelson, Janeane Garofalo, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Scoot McNairy, Christina Applegate, Faizon Love, Chris Ellis, Lisa Kudrow (as Holmes's estranged wife Sharon), M.C. Gainey, and Paris Hilton."Wonderland" is good stuff overall, and does leave one wondering in the end just how deeply the troubled, drug addicted Holmes was involved. It's good at serving as a portrayal of the sleazy side of L.A. at a specific point in time. Text at the end reveals the fates of the key players.Seven out of 10.

nixskits "Wonderland" is an ugly, hard to watch film that gives us so many bad people ruining their lives with drugs that you have to wonder why it's an important crime story. Probably because the acting is so intense, it's the cinematic equivalent of a crack pipe you can't put down, even though it's burning your hands and you can't get "high" anymore. Be thankful when this is over that you don't have a drug habit. And if you're using, get help now!Val Kilmer is so in tune with the broken down wreck of a porn legend who can't do much more than destroy himself and cut his ties with the straight world that his portrayal is truly horrifying. He meets his criminal match for out of control indulgence in the gang of dealers and robbers that live in or visit the house on Wonderland Avenue. Josh Lucas, Dylan McDermott and Tim Blake Nelson are the brazen trio willing to rip off anyone for a fix and the great Eric Bogosian is the ultimate prince of darkness gangster they foolishly cross. What happens next is not good!Detective characters based on Bob Souza and Tom Lange, the two men that had the dead end assignment of trying to solve this hell on earth of a case, try to separate the lies from the brutal facts. Ted Levine, playing the older partner, is especially intense, as in the words of director James Cox. "Look at that guy, man. That guy can make gum chewing interesting!" Yes, he does. If anyone plays a cop who's seen too much better than Levine does here, give them the award for best performance as an LAPD Robbery-Homicide veteran.Much of the script is verbatim from Holmes' and David Lind's (McDermott) own words. It becomes a duel of two sociopaths each trying to establish their version of events as the on the record account of what "really" happened back in the summer of '81.Holmes' one redeeming link to the truth is his soon to be ex-wife, Sharon, where Lisa Kudrow turns in her best work ever. She's a woman in a predicament. The man she still loves emotionally needs her to save him from his cocaine based purgatory and finds she won't end her life in normal society to enter the witness protection program with him and his girlfriend, Kate Bosworth. (Before Tina Fey became forever linked with Sarah Palin, I thought the role of Sharon would have suited her! She has a resemblance to the photos of the former Mrs. Holmes shown in the documentary "Wadd".)Why did Holmes live when so many others didn't? He didn't really escape, as AIDS related illnesses and his continuing drug abuse finished off the remaining years (he died at age 43 in 1988). An amusing urban legend about Holmes actually being "Leave It To Beaver" actor Ken Osmond was debunked many years ago by Osmond himself, who ironically became a cop after his acting days ended. But if Holmes ever had a "legit" acting career, "Eddie Haskell" is exactly the kind of role he would have naturally fallen into, the congenital liar who knew how to pacify authority figures with a gleam in his eye and dishonesty in his heart.

Kyle Hodgdon I rated this movie a seven, and was almost going to give it an eight. I really like movies like these. Straight up action / thrillers that are believable with good acting, interesting characters put in interesting situations with a plot that keeps you glued to the screen until the end. All very good stuff.This was not the most original story in the world; we've all seen drug related robbery / murder films before. But it was a very fun script and it was executed very nicely. I really liked the robbery scene. It is still a very memorable one for me. This is not a movie to be ranked among the top of someone's very top movies list, but it's definitely a good one and one that I would love to watch again someday.