Not for everyone. But for the curious, the adventurous, and the depraved of spirit, Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy is a bizarre, beautiful, and utterly unforgettable trip. Just remember: you can’t un-drink the tea. Rating: ★★★★☆ (Four stars for what it is; zero stars for what it isn't.) Where to watch: Available on Blu-ray from AGFA/MVD, and streaming on several cult film platforms (check your local listings for the uncut version).
For fans of oddball cinema, for students of the "porno chic" movement, and for anyone who has ever wondered what the Cheshire Cat’s grin would look like if it were carved into a smiling, ejaculating penis ( yes, that happens ), this Alice is essential viewing. It is the dream you had after too much wine and a head cold. It is a rabbit hole you enter at your own risk. Alice In Wonderland An X Rated Musical Fantasy 1976
But cult film fans never forgot. The film was an influence on everyone from John Cameron Mitchell ( Shortbus ) to the band Puscifer, who sampled its dialogue. In 2021, AGFA and MVD Entertainment released a stunning 2K/4K restoration. The result is revelatory. Photographer Joseph Mangine (who shot Forced Vengeance and dozens of TV movies) bathed Alice in a warm, soft-focus, dreamy glow. The restoration recovers the bubblegum pinks, neon greens, and velvety purples of the production design. Suddenly, the film looks less like a smut film and more like a lost Russ Meyer musical. The question is meaningless. Is Alice in Wonderland: An X-Rated Musical Fantasy "good" cinema? By any conventional metric: no. The acting is wooden, the pacing sags in the middle, and the hardcore inserts are hilariously awkward (the film cuts from DeBell’s face to the body double’s genitalia with all the subtlety of a hammer). The jokes are mostly puns that would embarrass a fourth-grader. Not for everyone