Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes
Encyclopedia
Wadd: The Life & Times of John C. Holmes is a 1998 documentary
directed by Cass Paley, written and produced by Rodger Jacobs
and starring John C. Holmes, Ron Jeremy
, Larry Flynt
, Misty Dawn
, Aunt Peg, Rodger Jacobs and Paul Thomas Anderson
.
of Time Magazine said of the film, "Like Holmes, Wadd is seedy, twisted, a bit on the long side--and creepily fascinating."
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."
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."
J.C. Maçek III of 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."
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
directed by Cass Paley, written and produced by Rodger Jacobs
Rodger Jacobs
Rodger Jacobs is an American journalist, writer, author, film producer, columnist, playwright, editor and screenwriter.Jacobs has been a journalist for publications such as Eye Magazine, Hustler and PopMatters...
and starring John C. Holmes, Ron Jeremy
Ron Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
, Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt
Larry Claxton Flynt, Jr. is an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications . In 2003, Arena magazine listed him as the number one on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list....
, Misty Dawn
Misty Dawn
Misty Dawn is the pseudonym of adult film actress Laurie Rose.She was married to the late adult film actor John Holmes from 1987 until his death from complications from AIDS on March 13, 1988. In addition to Misty Dawn, she also used the name Laurie Diamond...
, Aunt Peg, Rodger Jacobs and Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
.
Overview
Documentary about the enemies, friends and family of adult film icon John C. Holmes and their memories of him.Critical reception
Richard CorlissRichard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
of Time Magazine said of the film, "Like Holmes, Wadd is seedy, twisted, a bit on the long side--and creepily fascinating."
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
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."
Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
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."
J.C. Maçek III of 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."