When I first heard about "Wonderland," I was intrigued by this startlingly true story about porn legend John Holmes and his involvement in a mass murder. I almost forgot about it until I saw it at Hollywood Video and persuaded my parents to rent it. Upon watching the movie, I was a bit iffy about it at first. The plot is very choppy, jumps around a bit, and employs a lot of loud music. I was beginning to think this was going to be a disappointment if it was going to turn into a classic rock music video (nevertheless, the soundtrack is great!) Finally, the movie gets on track and we learn about the Wonderland murders from two different perspectives. It's a very interesting, intriguing story, and it makes me appreciate the comforts of my life.
Reflecting back on "Wonderland," I must say that I'm kind of baffled by the casting choices. Val Kilmer did a fine job portraying John Holmes, but I don't think they look very much alike. Mr. Holmes was a pretty homely-looking guy who could only get on film for his big you-know-what. I also found it kind of hard to watch two great television actors, Lisa Kudrow and Dylan McDermott, in mismatched roles. I think they both did fine, but it was kind of depressing to see the fun-loving Kudrow playing such a depressing role, that of John Holmes' ex-wife. As for Mr. McDermott, it was kind of awkward to see him playing such a tough thug after watching him for years as the head lawyer on "The Practice."
Other casting mishaps included Kate Bosworth & Carrie Fisher (I just didn't know what they were doing in this picture), Janeane Garofalo & Christina Applegate (I barely even noticed them), and the awful cameo by Paris Hilton (please stop hiring this girl!!). So I'm not really criticizing the acting, I'm just confounded by the person in charge of casting.
Even though it has its mishaps, "Wonderland" is still an interesting and decent picture. There's just something about movies based on actual events that I find fascinating.
My IMDb Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)
Reflecting back on "Wonderland," I must say that I'm kind of baffled by the casting choices. Val Kilmer did a fine job portraying John Holmes, but I don't think they look very much alike. Mr. Holmes was a pretty homely-looking guy who could only get on film for his big you-know-what. I also found it kind of hard to watch two great television actors, Lisa Kudrow and Dylan McDermott, in mismatched roles. I think they both did fine, but it was kind of depressing to see the fun-loving Kudrow playing such a depressing role, that of John Holmes' ex-wife. As for Mr. McDermott, it was kind of awkward to see him playing such a tough thug after watching him for years as the head lawyer on "The Practice."
Other casting mishaps included Kate Bosworth & Carrie Fisher (I just didn't know what they were doing in this picture), Janeane Garofalo & Christina Applegate (I barely even noticed them), and the awful cameo by Paris Hilton (please stop hiring this girl!!). So I'm not really criticizing the acting, I'm just confounded by the person in charge of casting.
Even though it has its mishaps, "Wonderland" is still an interesting and decent picture. There's just something about movies based on actual events that I find fascinating.
My IMDb Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)