Alice In Wonderland (Arrow) Review

Reviewed by fu_q  on  9/26/2015

**Note – This review is based upon a VHS version of the film. As such, any bonuses haven’t been given a rating here, and there could be some discrepancies between this version and other releases.**

Review:
A trippy, sex-fueled journey to a bizarre land populated by dancing, singing (...and fucking...) denizens finds a young, repressed librarian, Kristine DeBell, reevaluating her priorities in life in "Alice in Wonderland". An overall-good, Golden Age release from Caballero and Bud Townsend, this 1976 production is certainly something of a curiosity. It plays very much like a Broadway musical, complete with multiple song and dance numbers and original costuming throughout...but with sex. Adding intrigue to the story is the presence of Ms. DeBell, who went on to a mainstream career, and whose prior knowledge of the film's content is somewhat in question. (The Rialto Report conducted a thorough investigation into the release earlier this year that shouldn't be missed--link.) Regardless, the production remains one of the more interesting and bizarre offerings of its era, and its existence highlights how the adult industry--near its inception--was hovering much closer to the boundary with the "legit" film world than it is today. For those interested in the history of adult films, the oddity of Kristine DeBell having appeared in a porn flick, and / or porno past in a more general sense, this one's worth taking a look at.

In terms of the sex, Scene One finds Kristine DeBell lightly masturbating out by a stream after carrying on a conversation with a rock upon which she's seated. She's certainly a looker.

In Scene Two, Kristine briefly blows and jerks the Mad Hatter (Alan Novak) to a pop on her face whilst at his tea party.

Scene Three finds two nude and naughty nurses, the brunette Terri Hall and the blonde Nancy Dare, frolicking and softly fucking in a grassy field.

In Scene Four, the pantless pair, Tweedle Dum (Bree Anthony) and Tweedle Dee (Tony Richards), go for a quick suck-and-fuck on an open bed in a field. Alice is there, but this doesn't bother the duo, as they make quick work of one another. Tony ultimately pops on Bree's tummy and trimmed bush in capping things off.

Scene Five is entirely softcore and doesn't feature nudity, with Gila Havanna riding Bruce Finklesteen in the woods, all as Kristine and company sing about them.

In Scene Six, a celebratory orgy breaks out in Wonderland among a variety of characters after Kristine stands trial. There's oral and vaginal action among the participants (Nancy Dare, Kristin Steen, Astrid Hayase, Terri Hall, Bree Anthony, Tony Richards, Ed Marshall, John Lawrence, and Bruce Finklesteen) in rapid succession and at least one pop-shot.

Scene Seven has Terri Hall and Nancy Dare cleaning Kristine up and then going to work on her for some softcore lesbianism. The Queen, Juliet Graham, interrupts them and takes over, with Kristine going down on her briefly (...and explicitly).

In Scene Eight, Kristine has escaped from Wonderland, her epiphany complete, and wakes in the arms of Ron Nelson. The two get down to business, with Ms. DeBell ultimately sucking him off a bit and riding him. It's difficult to determine if the insertion shots in the latter and the correspondingly jerked off cum-shot that follows are truly of Kristine.

In all, this film is most certainly bizarre and incredibly atypical when compared to more modern-day fare. It is a true porno musical, complete with original music, costuming, choreography, etc. Regardless, in its uniqueness, it finds a sort of niche appeal...even in a contemporary context...as it serves to demonstrate how fine the line truly was between the mainstream and the adult worlds in the early days of the latter. For the correct audience--Golden Age fans, porn historians, fans of Kristine DeBell--this one is worth a look.


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