Wonderland

Val Kilmer has played Jim Morrison and Elvis Presley, so why not a rock star of the pron industry, John Holmes.And he did just that in 2003's Wonderland.

Now if you're expecting a behind the scenes look at the porn world, like Boogie Nights, you might be disappointed. Wonderland is a true crime story about the Wonderland murders that took place in 1981. If you've never heard of the Wonderlands murders, it was a cold case where four people were brutally murdered in the middle of the night in an apartment on Wonderland Avenue in Laurel Canyon. Holmes, who was no longer in the porn biz at this time, was a frequent visitor to this home and one of the prime suspects.

Kilmer turns in another terrific performance, but Holmes kind of feels more like a supporting character in this. This is what I think hurt the film when it was released. It was advertised heavily as a John Holmes movie, so audiences were probably expecting a bio pic or an in depth look at the adult film industry. Which this film doesn't deliver on either accounts.

What it does deliver on however is a fascinating look into an unsolved crime. Writer/Director James Cox, now there's a porn name if I've ever heard one, paints an insightful portrait on how things might have went down on that grisly evening.

Kilmer is aided by a great cast that includes Josh Lucas, Kate Bosworth, Lisa Kudrow, Tim Blake Nelson, Dylan McDermott, Carrie Fisher, Eric Bogosian, and Ted Levine. I will say however that McDermott's fake beard and wig are kind of distracting. They look like something that was picked up at the Halloween store.

If you are looking for a movie about pornography, look elsewhere. But if you are looking for great true crime drama, then Wonderland might be up your alley.

It's available on dvd and blu ray.