'Wonderland' less than wonderful

Remember that boring stretch toward the end of "Boogie Nights" when all the hophead morons try to pull off a big heist? "Wonderland" is a two-hour film dedicated to that. After "Porn King" John Holmes' star faded, he bumped around LA with low life hustlers and thieves. In early July of 1981, four people were brutally murdered in a house on Wonderland Ave. and John Holmes was either tangentially or directly involved with the murders, depending on whose version of the story you believe. \nDirector James Cox (no relation to Calli Cox) gives us both versions in a stylish nightmare of a film that lacks the wit and compelling characters of fictional caper films like "Snatch." Cox uses real news footage of the crime scene and mock newspaper pages with moving picture frames to set the scene, but Val Kilmer is so totally unconvincing as Holmes that his efforts are wasted. The ensemble cast turns in solid performances, but the people they portray lack any redeeming qualities. The DVD is a worthwhile rental if for nothing more than the extras, which include the documentary, "Wadd." "Wonderland" is about bad people doing bad things for the wrong reasons -- take it or leave it.