Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes

Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes
Directed by Cass Paley
Produced by Cass Paley
Christopher Rowland
Rodger Jacobs
Mike Sager
Written by Rodger Jacobs
Starring John C. Holmes
Ron Jeremy
Larry Flynt
Misty Dawn
Aunt Peg
Paul Thomas Anderson
Mike Sager
Cinematography Willie Boudevin
Edited by Christopher Rowland
Release dates
  • 1998 (1998)
Running time
 120 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes is a 1998 documentary produced and directed by Cass Paley,[1][2] about adult film icon John C. Holmes. It was the winner of Best Feature Documentary at the 1999 South by Southwest Film Festival held annually in Austin, Texas.[3]

Overview

Documentary about the enemies, friends and family of adult film icon John C. Holmes and their memories of him. It discusses the creation of the Johnny Wadd film series directed by Bob Chinn. It also covers the romantic relationships of John Holmes with first wife Sharon Holmes, his underage mistress Dawn Schiller, and his second wife, the porn actress Misty Dawn. Finally, it covers Eddie Nash and Wonderland murders, as well as Holmes death from AIDS. It is narrated principally by journalist Mike Sager, whose Rolling Stone story "The Devil and John Holmes" inspired the films Boogie Nights and Wonderland.[4] It has been reformatted in HD for redistribution by The Sager Group.

Wadd stars Ron Jeremy, Larry Flynt, Misty Dawn, Aunt Peg, Mike Sager, and Paul Thomas Anderson, among others, in addition to footage from the actor.

Interviews

Critical reception

Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "Often, there's a conspiracy aspect to lost legends, but terrific films do fall through the cracks. Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes, which played the Toronto film festival and then slipped away, is the ultimate searching - and shocking - exposé of the porn world."[5]

Richard Corliss of Time Magazine said of the film, "Like Holmes, Wadd is seedy, twisted, a bit on the long side--and creepily fascinating."[6]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote, "Wadd leaves us to ponder the difference between Holmes's special 'gift' and, say, another star's beautiful singing voice. When you come right down to it, they're pretty much the same thing, but distributed to different parts of the body."[7]

Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide commented, "Holmes's story isn't pretty, but it's fascinating, in no small part because the people Paley interviews offer a glimpse into a brief time when making porn was an act of rebellion that attracted a diverse and eccentric group of filmmakers and performers."[8]

Journalist J.C. Maçek III of PopMatters and WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "The thinking viewer probably won't like Holmes per-se, but they'll have a hard time not finding sympathy for him. And, yes, there are a couple of glimpses at Holmes' mighty saber for the curious and biologically interested."[9]

References

  1. ↑ Edward Guthmann, Wesley Morris (2001-04-13). "Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes". Sfgate.com. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  2. ↑ Amy Taubin. "Mopey Dicks and Boogie Nights". Village Voice. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  3. ↑ "Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes". IMDB. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  4. ↑ Steven Lemons. "Return to Wonderland". Salon. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  5. ↑ Owen Geilberman (2005-10-15). "Scenic Overlooked". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  6. ↑ Richard Corliss (2001-01-28). "Wadd: The Life & Times Of John C. Holmes". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  7. ↑ Stephen Holden (2001-01-12). "One Actor's Particular, Um, Talent". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  8. ↑ Maitland McDonagh. "Wadd: The Life And Times Of John C. Holmes". TV Guide. Retrieved 2010-09-12.
  9. ↑ J.C. Maçek III. "Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes". WorldsGreatestCritic.com. Retrieved 2010-09-12.

External links

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