Movies - Wonderland

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	Movies - Wonderland

Wonderland is 2003 film about the Wonderland Murders starring Val Kilmer, Kate Bosworth and Lisa Kudrow. It was directed by James Cox. Kilmer plays the role of John Holmes, the pornographic film star, the prime suspect in four grisly murders committed in an apartment on Wonderland Avenue in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles.

Plot summary

John Holmes and Dawn Schiller

We are first introduced to the underage girlfriend of John Holmes -- Dawn Schiller (Bosworth). She is on the streets and is picked up by a holy roller (Carrie Fisher) after she and Holmes break up. She eventually calls Holmes to come and get her. Holmes arrives at the apartment and they have sex and snort cocaine in the bathroom. While in a motel room, Dawn sees a newscast that states four people were murdered at a rowhouse on Wonderland Avenue, the same one she had been to with Holmes before.

David Lind's story

The next major character introduced is David Lind (Dylan McDermott.) He hears of the murders of his friends at Wonderland and soon discovers his girlfriend was there. While at the crime scene, he is picked up by L.A.P.D. Detectives Nico and Cruz. Through Lind's story (told in flashbacks), we are introduced to some of the people who party at Wonderland. They include Ron Launius (Josh Lucas), Billy Deverell (Tim Blake Nelson), Lind's 22-year old girlfriend Barbara Richardson (Natasha Gregson Wagner), Joy Miller (Janeane Garafalo) and Susan Launius (Christina Applegate). Ron has a fondness for antique guns and quite frequently shows them off. When Ron learns that Holmes knows Palestinian gangster Eddie Nash (Eric Bogosian), he gives Holmes a pair of stolen antique guns to take to Nash so that Nash can fence them and they can split the loot. Holmes takes the guns to Nash, but Nash says the guns are too rare to be sold; they would be recognized right away and everyone involved would be apprehended. Rather than give the guns back to Holmes, though, Nash keeps them for himself. He loses the guns when Holmes sells them to obtain money for drugs. Attempting to get back in the good graces of the gang, Holmes suggests robbing Nash's home. Ron is reluctant to go along with the roobery at first, but after Holmes gives him a rundown of what's there, he is quite eager for the big score. Holmes volunteers to draw them a map to plan the robbery, since he has been to Nash's house a lot. Holmes then visits Nash to buy drugs. On the way out, he leaves the door to the kitchen unlocked so the Wonderland gang can have easy access.

The Robbery of Eddie Nash

The next morning, the robbery is carried out. Neither Holmes nor any of the women are present when the robbery occurs. The Wonderland Gang gains access through the unlocked kitchen door and robs Nash at gunpoint. Lind accidentally shoots (but doesn't kill) Nash's bodyguard, Greg Diles (Faizon Love.) The gang walks away with over one million dollars in cash, jewels and drugs. They bring their loot back to the Wonderland apartment to divide everything up. Holmes is unhappy with the cut he is given, even though he did not take part in the robbery. Nash knows Holmes helped plan the robbery. He has Holmes beaten and finds his black book. He tells Holmes he will kill every person listed in the book, starting with his mother, if he does not give up the men who robbed him.

July 1, 1981

The retalliation for the robbery was swift and fatal. On July 1, 1981, a group of Nash's henchmen (including Holmes) led by Diles gained access to the apartment at Wonderland Avenue. Ron Launius, Deverell, Richardson and Miller were all brutally beaten to death with lead pipes. The film depicted Holmes being forced by Diles to deliver blows to Launius. It is unclear if this is historically accurate. Susan Launius was also beaten, but was not killed. She survived and was questioned by Nico and Cruz in her hospital bed. She told them (in a near comatose state), she did not remember anything -- only shadows. Lind was not present during the time of the attacks.

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