Wonderland

Having recently had the opportunity to review Wadd – The Life and Times of John C. Holmes), fears were held that Wonderland, the dramatisation of Holmes' final few years, would fail to measure up. Thankfully, this was not the case, and Wonderland is well worth a look, not only for those familiar with Holmes’ story, but for anyone who enjoys a well constructed murder/mystery, especially one based on actual events.

"What a night!"

John Holmes was possibly the biggest porn star the world has ever known (in more ways than one), and while that in itself might have been enough to ensure him fame everlasting, it was his off-camera life that holds as much interest.

Wonderland (named after the street address central to the film) begins at a stage where the movie career of Holmes (Val Kilmer) has peaked (I was going to say climaxed, but it sounded so tacky) and, while still a celebrity, his personal life had become one of constant partying, drugs (namely cocaine and alcohol) and mixing with some of LA’s sleaziest and least desirable citizens. It is clear that Holmes had few, if any, close friends, not even his mistress, Dawn. If Holmes loved and trusted anyone, it was probably his long-suffering and estranged wife, who eventually divorced him.

Holmes was used by most of those around him. People saw him as a short cut to women, drugs and the party lifestyle, or they saw his company as a novelty. He was on the fringe of the inner sanctum of several drug and crime gangs purely for who he was, but was never close enough to feel truly important.

Smoking in bed? Bad, bad bad.

When one group of his hang-out buddies rips off another during a drug deal (one that Holmes himself managed to screw up), they seek a revenge attack, and successfully take back what is theirs, plus more. Naturally the victims, headed by infamous LA club boss Eddie Nash (Eric Bogosian), are less than thrilled at being treated this way, so they set about getting revenge, using Holmes’ close association with the other gang as its weakness.

The Wonderland gang (as I shall call them) were found brutally murdered on July 2 1981, and it was pretty obvious to all that this was indeed a revenge attack. It was soon established that Holmes was the common link, but his role in both attacks is less than clear to this day. There is little doubt that he was involved, but whether as a murderer or simply an accessory is the question.

Wonderland does not provide the answers in black and white, as the case was never satisfactorily solved, but it makes it pretty clear what the probable chain of events was. There is nothing more intriguing than a murder/mystery where the answer should be so obvious, yet isn’t. It’s quite possible that, had this happened in 2001 and not 1981, DNA testing would have proved beyond much doubt just who was responsible for the four murders.

This is a great little story in its own right, beautifully pieced together leaving enough doubt as to what actually happened, but putting forward a more than reasonable solution. There is a hint of Tarantino in style, with several threads tying up as the film progresses, and some great camera work and interesting editing.

Costuming and sets are distinctly of the period, and Kilmer does a great job as Holmes, Lisa Kudrow turns in a great ex-wife, Sharon, and Kate Bosworth as Dawn is likewise excellent. The chief suspect of the murders, Eddie Nash, is beautifully played by Eric Bogosian. Those looking for a sleaze-fest or expecting endless titillation will be disappointed by the amount of substance in Wonderland. As a bonus, watch for cameos and small roles from Carrie Fisher, Janeane Garofalo, Christina Applegate and Paris Hilton.

"I said, 'NO ANCHOVIES!'"

The important thing to remember when viewing Wonderland is that things such as the grain, earthy colours, dark rooms and various other elements that give this film an ‘aged’ look are deliberate. Colouring, for example, has that really ‘70s–‘80s look, where they're quite pale in places and rather bold in others. Contrast and skin tones are also slightly tinged at times, just to give it some more authenticity.

The aspect ratio of 1.85:1 is 16:9 enhanced, bringing us back to the digital age, and things look generally sharp and clear. Black levels are good, while shadow detail is generally acceptable. There is some evidence of noise, but nothing too severe.

Everything else seems to be in order, and there is little to no aliasing or shimmer, nor any edge enhancement, but there are a few film artefacts that quickly flash by that should bother no one. Even the layer change just after the 82-minute mark is all but instant.

Limited to the English Dolby Digital 5.1 track, punters should be more than pleased at the result. Overall, the audio is pretty good with no major flaws. The fidelity is fine, with appropriate highs and lows, and no problems with the basics such as volume, clarity or synchronisation.

The surrounds are used for ambience, mostly, with the odd sound effect deliberately placed for effect. The subwoofer is mostly noticeable during the score, which features many popular songs of the time and some older tunes as well. Dialogue is mostly placed front and centre, with some panning and separation noticed.

A few interesting extras make up the package. The four deleted scenes are certainly brief at a combined running time of less than six minutes, and are bookmarked by scenes to give you an idea of where they would have been. They are all in a non-enhanced 1.78:1 ratio with Dolby stereo.

Another five minutes is chewed up by the interesting but brief cast interviews with Val Kilmer, Josh Lucas, Tim Blake Nelson and Eric Begosian.

Of morbid fascination will be Crime Scene Investigation, which presents almost half an hour of actual video footage of the murder scene with bloodied and butchered bodies in glorious, over saturated and fuzzy colour. Not for the squeamish, this is sure to hold your attention as the camera moves around the house on Wonderland Avenue, narrated by Mr. Plod.

Lastly, Court TV: Hollywood at Large is a brief, six-minute television show report triggered by the release of this film, including interviews with the cast, footage of the house in question and archival footage.

Even if it were pure fiction, Wonderland is a well-constructed film with interesting characters, great cast, sets and costumes, along with a well-paced storyline that holds your attention with ease. That it is based on a real set of events makes it even more interesting. The inclusion of some actual crime scene footage as an extra merely ups the stakes in terms of piquing interest and fascination.