User Reviews

Before Hugh Grant hit the big-time playing floppy-haired fops in rom-coms, he mostly played floppy haired-fops in costume period dramas; an exception to this was Ken Russell's The Lair of The White Worm (1988), in which Hugh went against type by playing modern-day floppy-haired fop Lord James D'Ampton, who teams up with archaeologist Angus Flint (played by the new Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi) and B&B owner Mary Trent (Sammi Davis) to defeat a pagan snake-woman (Amanda Donohoe) who worships a giant, ancient, subterranean wyrm (another name for dragon).

This being a Russell movie, there is plenty of surreal weirdness on offer, with psychedelic dream sequences, Christian-baiting blasphemous imagery, phallic symbolism, and cheap titillation courtesy of Donohoe, who spends a lot of her time naked, and Catherine Oxenberg, who is stripped to her undies as a sacrifice for the creature. However, what could have been extremely controversial actually proves to be rather amusing thanks to the director's tongue-in-cheek B-movie approach (some might call it 'camp') and the tacky special effects; ultimately, this is silly, harmless fun for the cult movie crowd.

6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the Concorde dream sequence, which is downright trippy.

Leave it to director Ken Russell to find an obscure Bram Stoker novel and take its most exploitive elements and turn it into a bloodfest of snakes, vampires, virgin sacrifices, phallic symbols, Christian symbolism and more. He throws in some comic book slashings along with some sly humor to create a tacky Gothic horror called THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. It kept me awake until the last shot where the dimwit hero HUGH GRANT is about to find out he's made another mistake before the screen fades to black. This must have been the film that first made Grant known to American audiences.

He plays an aristocrat who is attracted to a new neighbor whom he later learns is a woman (AMANDA DONOHOE) who is keeper of a giant worm waiting to devour people whole if she decides to feed victims to it. She's played with delicious relish by Donohoe, who picks up a scout trudging along a deserted country road and must quickly dispose of him in a bath when Grant knocks on her door.

It's weird stuff from start to finish, but try to look away! It's typical Ken Russell overkill--or should I say overbite--since much of the action involves vampirism and some friendly suburbanites who suddenly grow fangs. Handsomely photographed in color with attractive settings indoor and out, it provides a steady mix of laughter and fright while managing to be entertaining despite the overly weird material.

CATHERINE OXENBERG plays the virginal heroine who falls under the spell of the demonic woman, at her best when forced to assume a vacant expression. PETER CAPALDI is excellent as Hugh's friend who comes to her aid before the white worm can do its work and claim another victim.

Silly stuff, but if you like the work of Ken Russell, you should find it extremely interesting to watch.

Directed & written by Ken Russell and loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel, "The Lair of the White Worm" (1988) chronicles events in England when a young archeologist (Peter Capaldi) uncovers a skull of some unknown beast near a bed & breakfast run by two sisters (Sammi Davis & Catherine Oxenberg). These three and Eve's beau (Hugh Grant) soon stumble upon an ancient snake cult led by the eccentric Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe), who dwells at a lavish estate nearby.

The movie is a creative and entertaining creature feature reminiscent in tone & theme of "Squirm" (1976), but with Russell's well-known offbeat excesses. The "creatures" are vampire-like snake people plus a gigantic serpent at the close, both of which recall the snake worshipers & giant serpents from "Conan the Barbarian" (1982).

There are some iconic cinematic images, like Donohoe as the vampiric snake lady, not to mention a few well done horror scenes, like a snake woman who's cut in half, but still wiggles with furious intent.

The snake cult is diabolical in an anti-Christ way and I can see why some viewers might find the movie shocking and offensive, like the weird nun-raping flashback. Yet everything's so exaggerated and sometimes cheesy with a bit o' humor thrown in that the film can't be taken very seriously, which negates it from being shocking or disturbing. Fun in a horrific way? Yes. Disturbing? No. Also, keep in mind that horror villains/monsters are SUPPOSED to drip with ee-vil and be shocking. The question is, do they win or do the noble protagonists win?

On the female front, the chief snake lady thinks she's hotter than she really is as Donohoe amusingly hams it up. Meanwhile Catherine Oxenberg as Eve is a semi-highlight, particularly in the last act.

The film runs 1 hour, 33 minutes and was shot entirely in England (Hertfordshire; Manifold Valley, Staffordshire; Peak District National Park; and Derbyshire). Thor's Cave in Manifold Valley is magnificent.

GRADE: B-

I'm not going to strain my brain trying to work out just what Ken Russell was trying to achieve with 'The Lair Of The White Worm', but he ended up with a semi-classic slice of campy, sleazy trash that is full of nudge, nudge, wink, wink smutty humor. There's absolutely no way anyone could take this one seriously! I haven't read Bram Stoker's novel so I don't know how much the movie has to do with it, but Russell takes EVERY opportunity for to show a phallic symbol or a puerile gag, and that, added to the tongue in cheek performances from the cast (especially Peter Capaldi, Hugh Grant and the delicious Amanda Donohoe), makes this one of the silliest and most entertaining movies you'll ever see. Donohoe is just brilliant, the monster is cheesy, the blatant gags will make you roll your eyes and groan, and there are a few extraordinary Russell touches in the very brief, quasi-psychedelic "visions" experienced by a few of the characters. 'The Lair Of The White Worm' is certainly not for everybody, but there's nothing else quite like it, not even in Russell's very strange ouevre, and if you "get it" it's a complete hoot!

This is silly and not particularly well made, presumably due to budgetary restraints, but it is good fun. Bit slower to get going than I remember on video but some more explicit imagery also than I remember. Everyone seems to have had fun in the making and if the dialogue is a bit hit and miss there is some really nice stuff. I don't think this really fits, as some have suggested, into the , so bad it's good category, but I guess it's headed in that direction. Amanda Donohoe is splendid and Hugh Grant acceptable as ever. Special effects, like the dialogue are not always 'special' but there are great moments and it's always good looking, particularly Amanda Donohoe!

This film is great fun and has a host of well known British Thespians in the early part of their careers.

Production quality is not great, and the story is a little stretched, but it is very enjoyable. The Derbyshire scenery is wonderful and there are typical Ken Russell touches throughout.

Amanda Donahoe has never looked so good and HughGrant gives a performance in a style that hasn't changed since - and why should it! Peter capaldi as a Scottish archaeologist gives a manic performance that pre dates the time team, and on who they must base their dotty and populist approach to archaeology.

"I think we probably have another reptile loose on the premises."

My mistake in approaching this film was to start watching it as a serious horror film. I blame that on having just seen a good documentary about Bram Stoker and it appearing on the Horror Channel.

As a horror film it's pretty poor: terrible acting; dated video effects inserted into film; cliché ridden plot...

...but once you twig that it was Ken Russell having a laugh, it became very entertaining. The acting is all part of the joke; the video effects provide over the top kitsch; the cliché ridden plot is deliberate and the script full of fnarr fnarr moments to make you giggle.

The cast clearly were in on the joke. Amanda Donohoe is deliciously camp; Hugh Grant can be seen honing that stiff upper lip that would make his fortune and Peter Capaldi hit the Scottish stereotype perfectly twirling a reel on bagpipes for no real reason other than to give you a sly wink as to the true nature of the film.

It makes a fine companion piece to 'Carry on Screaming' in the British comedy horror genre.

I've rated it 5/10 as a film because that is how I unfortunately had watched most of it, but it has far higher entertainment value... as long as you start in the right frame of mind.

I've now seen Ken Russell's adaptation of Bram Stoker's story about half a dozen times, each at different points in my life. This is one of those few movies that seems to age very well and get better with each viewing. Never a big fan of Russell, his over the top visual style seems right at home in this sometimes campy, sometimes scary, always entertaining horror film. But what makes this film stand far above others in its genre is the fact that it is in actuality a wicked black comedy. Every time I see it i pick up on something new that is in the background of a scene or some piece of dialogue I previously overlooked and I burst out laughing. The film features probably the single best line of any movie ever made, delivered with dead-pan foppishness by a not-yet famous Hugh Grant. "I believe we probably have another reptile on the premises." Watch it and you'll understand why it's so funny. It's all about context. While some may find many flaws in this production, I recommend just going with the flow and trusting Russel and his cast, who all also seem to be in on the joke. Amanda Donohoe as the evil serpentine priestess and Stratford Johns as Hugh Grant's butler are particularly on target with every line delivered. I'm going out on a limb and giving this a 10/10. In actuality it probably deserves and 8/10 at best. But it is one of my personal faves and seems to age like a fine wine.

Supposedly based on a novel by Bram Stoker, LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM is an exercise in high camp surrealism for maverick British director Ken Russell. Russell crafts a unique film that mixes a solid mystery narrative with some terribly crude symbolism, some outrageously bad taste moments, and more camp sequences than you can shake a stick at. Quality-wise it's very poor in places, but at the same time it's rather amusing and, dare I say it, fun.

DR WHO star Peter Capaldi plays a youthful Scots archaeologist who digs up the skull of a god in somebody's back garden - as you do. Meanwhile, Hugh Grant is a splendidly upper class toff - what else? - whose ancestor was the chap who killed the Lambton worm. And then there's dangerous seductress Amanda Donohoe, having a ball as a femme fatale hiding a dark secret in the depths of her country pile.

LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM certainly contains some unforgettable moments, most of them involving the moments when Donohoe's true form is revealed; the makeup appears to homage Barbara Steele's character in CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR. There are some fun special effects here, alongside THOSE unforgettable nightmare sequences which are the stand-out highlights for me. The ending is neatly achieved and there's a nice supporting role for character actor Paul Brooke playing the local copper. Truly this is a one-of-a-kind production that has to be seen to be believed.

'Dr. Who' actor Peter Capaldi plays Angus Flint, an archaeology student who unearths a strange skull from the grounds of a bed & breakfast, where a convent had existed once upon a time. Meanwhile, the seductively sexy young Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe) returns to her neighboring home, and more weird things are soon happening. It turns out, there is a local legend in the area, of a nobleman who'd vanquished a hideous reptilian beast - not literally a "worm" - centuries ago. Also mixed up in the plot are that noblemans' descendant, James D'Ampton (Hugh Grant), and lovely sisters Mary (Sammi Davis) and Eve (Catherine Oxenberg).

The director is Ken Russell of such classics as "The Devils", and he also produced and adapted the novel by "Dracula" creator Bram Stoker. So we know going in to expect a fair amount of outrageousness. Fortunately, this film never does get out of control, but it combines some sober drama with some very campy and sometimes hilarious horror. Clearly, it's not meant to be taken all that seriously, especially when we consider the crudely done fantasy sequences envisioned by the characters and the audience. (People who are easily offended will undoubtedly be put off by some of this imagery.) The makeup is amusing, but what's really a hoot is the beast itself, Dionin. Excellent location shooting adds atmosphere.

The actors, commendably, maintain serious expressions. Although he's reputed to refuse to talk about this film, Grant does a good, droll job. Capaldi is a decent hero who, at one point, attempts to attract a reptilian presence by putting on a kilt and playing the bagpipes. Oxenberg and Davis look appropriately scared, Stratford Johns is a solid presence as the butler Peters, and Donohoe, often dressed in very sexy outfits, does appear to be having some real fun as the villainess.

A truly frightening film this is not, but it's quite entertaining just the same.

Eight out of 10.

Hugh Grant started his acting career in 1982 (He was Hughie Grant then). After one movie, he went into TV for a few years, and emerged in 1987 with Maurice. He was in seven films in 1988, and this is one of those. Certainly not his greatest role, it is certainly one that is memorable for it's campy fun.

Bram Stoker is best known for Dracula, which has been made into countless films, but this film adaptation of one of his other novels is well worth watching.

Beside Grant, who I will watch in anything, there is the amazing Golden Globe winner Amanda Donohoe (C. J. Lamb from L.A. Law), and Catherine Oxenberg (Amanda Carrington from Dynasty). These two were recently united again in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder.

It also stars Oscar winner Peter Capaldi (Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life).

Besides some really fantastic cars, it has some scenes that are indescribable, and have to be seen to fully appreciate. It's almost like watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show at times.

Donahue was simply stunning as Sylvia and she delivered her lines with charm and wit, and her costuming was slithering skintight and scrumptiously slinky. We could mention that this is a "R" rated film, so there might be some discrete nakedness throughout, some bisexuality, and some Black Widow action as she kills after mating. Does this entice you?

Ken Russell was not a director associated with subtlety. No, Russell's films are well known for being over-the-top....and anything but subtle. This isn't exactly a criticism...just a comment about the style of the director. So, as I watched "Lair of the White Worm", I wasn't terribly surprised with all the silly phallic imagery--and there is probably more of this than in any other movie. In fact, it's a pity that Sigmund Freud didn't get to see this movie...he would have adored it. And, as far as the film goes, if you love Russell and his weird style, then there's plenty to enjoy here. 'Normals' on the other hand should probably avoid this one.

The film is very loosly based a Bram Stoker novel...very loosely. The story uses the existing myth of the Lambton Worm--changing it to the D'Ampton Worm. The Worm is a huge snakey-wormy thingie that is worshiped by weird Lady Marsh (Amando Donohoe) and it somehow has made her an immortal snakey-wormy-womany thing that seduces and murders people as a sacrifice to her god. So, it's up to a couple locals (Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi) to fight these menaces and save their respective girlfriends.

Describing this film and all its excesses really won't properly explain what you should expect to see when you watch the film....you just have to see it to believe it. Silly wienery scenes and some of the most LSD-like dream sequences you just have to see for yourself. Now did I like it? Not a lot...but it is watchable. I do suppose it might be fun to see with friends...provided they aren't offended by all the nudity nor dopey scripts. I say make sure they are Russell lovers first....ask them what they thought of "Tommy" or "Listzomania" and then proceed accordingly.

I've heard the complaints before, from men of all walks of life: "SHE wants to watch some syrupy romantic slush starring Hugh Grant, I want to watch something with hot, naked, snake-worshipping chicks!"

Well, complain no more! Here's a flick that's got both in one! That's right, England-cum-America's favorite foppish, eye-lid-fluttering sex symbol does battle with naked half-snake-half-human devil worshippers, giant white worms, and the forces of evil!

Well, actually Hugh only kills one snake-human hybrid, and it's an old lady. And he keeps pretty far away from the action-packed finale face-off, letting his odd shut-in pal Angus do all the fighting. But you DO get to see the star of "Notting Hill" slice an old lady in half with a broad sword, and that alone is worth the price of admission!

I enjoyed this movie, what with it's quaint, folksy atmosphere, it's kilt-wearin' heroes, and it's sexy villainess who seduces a hapless boy scout (!) into entering her hot tub of evil. There's even public-access-esque dream sequences where a Sid & Marty Krofft-type snake puppet molests Jesus Christ while nuns are tortured- and who doesn't want to see that?

A very strange movie, to say the least.

I've never been a great admirer of the oeuvre of Ken Russell (with the exception of "The Devils" which is a genuine cult classic), but I have always been a great admirer of utterly demented and nonsensical movies that are so far out there you won't believe your own eyes. And "Lair of the White Worm" is definitely as far out as it gets; rest assured. The film may very well have been inspired by Bram Stoker's novel, but I heavily suspect that Ken Russell improvised pretty much the entire script on the set itself. This movie is unimaginably random and really just jumps from one topic onto another without the slightest form of coherence or logic. "Lair of the White Worm" is a cheesy horror flick, but also an erotic fantasy as well as a provocative black comedy. I'm pretty sure half of the plot escaped me, either because I was too flabbergasted by the campy visual effects or simply because there wasn't much of a plot to follow. The film opens with a Scottish archaeologist – with an awesome accent - digging up a prehistoric skull that might be the ultimate proof that the local folklore legend of the D'Ampton Worn is true. The ancestor of Lord James D'Ampton allegedly killed the gigantic snake/dragon-like creature by cutting it into two halves and there are annual festivities to celebrate this bizarre historical event. But nobody knows that the sexy yet oddly behaving neighbor Lady Sylvia Marsh, who lives in the nearby Temple House, is actually an immortal cult sorceress who has the reincarnation of the White Worm living in a pit underneath her house. Okay, admittedly this synopsis doesn't make any sense, but – trust me – it'll make even less sense if you actually watch the movie. It doesn't matter, though, as there are far too many enjoyable and over-the-top absurd sequences in this movie to get upset about the shortcomings. The perverted sexual undertones in "Lair of the White Worm" are almost too incredible for words. Lady Marsh seduces an unsuspecting boy scout and gives him a bath (!) before killing him and her idea of virginal sacrifice is raping the poor victim with a gigantic put on phallic device. But the absolute greatest thing about this film is that it stars a very young but nevertheless recognizable Hugh Grant! So, who knows, maybe you can even trick your date/girlfriend/wife by telling her it's a romantic comedy! They might not appreciate the little joke, but this undeniably will be their only opportunity to watch Hugh hacking up an elderly lady with a sword. Basically, "Lair of the White Worm" is a very bad 80's movie with an incomprehensibly bizarre plot and laughably delirious special effects, but those also happens to be the exact same two reasons why it's such great fun to watch.

PS: brilliantly catchy end-credits and interlude song "The D'Ampton Worm" by Emilio Perez Machado and Stephen Powys is available on YouTube! Check it out!

The Lair of the White Worm is not going to please everybody, people will be thoroughly entertained throughout, others will find it ineptly done. Very like the controversial opinions for director Ken Russell too. For all its faults I fall into the former category. The special effects are not very good, the worm looks laughable and doesn't seem that much of a threat. Sammi Davis is embarrassingly bad too, veering towards both shrill and disengaged. And the ending is very abrupt, in all honesty though so was the book's ending. Even with those flaws, The Lair of the White Worm still improves hugely over the book. Odd to the point at times of incoherence and overly wordy with an ending that suffers from the cutting down the book got, it was a shock that Lair of the White Worm(Bram Stoker's least well-known book and for a reason) was from the same author who wrote Dracula, one of the most iconic pieces of horror literature. People will disagree with this though and that's fine. Back to the film, the locations are beautiful and atmospheric, it's decently shot and even the costumes are not bad at all, Donohoe's actually were pretty amazing. The music will entice even the least slithery of snakes, the dialogue is smart and hilarious(a campy element to it but considering this is a Russell film that shouldn't come across as too much of a shock) and the story is briskly paced with the fun factor rarely diminished. There are a lot of components brought in, but not in a muddled way thankfully like Lisztomania and Gothic were. Lair of the White Worm is not a scary film, but there is the odd moment that will make you jump. Russell's direction pulls no punches with a sense that he was having fun while knowing what he was aiming for, and the trademark excessive imagery is in abundance, luckily though apart from the rape scene- which will leave people disgusted- these images are not distasteful. The acting is not great but it's not that bad either apart from Davis. Peter Capaldi and Stratford Johns fare the best in support while Catherine Oxenberg is charming and even Hugh Grant in an unlikely role acts in a way that is not out of kilter. Best of all is Amanda Donohoe, whose brilliantly sexy performance is what makes the film. In conclusion, Lair of the White Worm not a great film but an enjoyable one while not pleasing all. 7/10 Bethany Cox

As a horror movie fan of many years I don't know why I haven't watched this before - probably because I can't stand the pseudo intellectual nonsense that pervades Ken Russell films. I was prepared to be proved wrong by this film, but alas it is the usual KR pretentious Micky-take. The first thing that strikes is some of the most inept acting in a big budget film. I'm not sure what accents Catherine Oxenberg and Sammi Davis are supposed to have but they are appalling. Hugh Grant is... well Hugh Grant really. It doesn't matter whether it horror or comedy (this is both) he plays the same role in every film. Then the trademark "imagery" starts to take over, which I'm sure delights those who like to think they can read significance into them, but is in reality just plain silly. Emperors New Cloths.

Avoid if a horror fan.

Lair Of The White Worm is a great British made horror movie filled with English style black humor. It is based off the Bram Stoker novel and directed by English director Ken Russell (Gothic, Altered States). It is about a small English country town, that celebrates the centuries old slaying of a giant snake god that once lived there with an annual party extravaganza, hosted by Lord James D'Ampton, who's family slayed the giant serpent centuries earlier. But some of the co-eds have now discovered a giant snake skull in their excavated yard and are about to find out that the legend of the snake god and its human sacrifice is still very much alive today, and they are about to find themselves a part of it.

Whereas the Bram Stoker novel is a very serious and creepy turn of the century story, the movie version of Lair Of The White Worm took a lot of liberties from the book. The emphasis is still on scares, but with a late 80's twist full of horror-comedy, great one-liners and wicked, naughty fun.

Hugh Grant is at his finest as the young and friendly wealthy English gentleman landlord D'Ampton, who has returned from an Air Force tour of duty, and now leads his friends to unlock the mystery they are now apart of. His girlfriend, played by attractive Catherine Oxenberg is well cast, as is Amanda Donahue as the mysterious and alluring Lady Silvia Marsh who may very well be connected to the ancient snake legend.

Ken Russell fans will be in for a real treat with his usual blending of eerie and fantasy dream sequences inter-cut with reality. Ken Russell does a great job as a visual director here making the camera help tell his story with talent moving in and out of wide angle lenses to emphasis the weirdness and unreality of the subject manner. Dick Bush's colorful night lit cinematography full of shadows adds to the story's atmosphere. The viewer also will see more in the movie each time with repeated viewings. Highly recommended.

This was simply a delightful trinity of comedy, horror, and Christian blasphemy. Ken Russel's deviation from the norms of humanity are a treat as this almost campy flick only gets better with age. The actors are all in on the gag, making the humor that much more gut-wrenching. Production values are pretty weak, but this is somehow transmogrified into one of this flick's strengths. The story itself is pretty solid, with maybe a hole here and there, but the viewer can hardly be bothered with such things. Being horribly sexy and funny, this wonder will occasionally shock its audience with a poison-laden psychedelic journey that will surely offend our Christian friends. If blasphemy is not too offensive then this flick is probably for you. Late.

Evil Eye Reviews

(40%) A film that only Ken Russell could have gotten away with as it's so campy, over-the-top, and silly, yet it's still oddly worthy of a look, which for a film staring Hugh Grant is really quite rare. The plot works as well as an inflatable pin cushion and is best just letting it go in one ear and out the next, the characters are have little to no depth, while on the other hand the performance from Amanda Donohoe is worthy of a watch alone as she largely semi-nakedly vamps the movie up to eleven. For a horror film this isn't frightening in the slightest, and I doubt it was ever really made with the sole intention to scare, rather to entertain. This really isn't a must watch at all, but there is some fun to be had here if you can catch it.

The other comments have captured the essence of the movie perfectly. When you combine snakes, semi-nude vampires, Hugh Grant and Ken Russel, the results are going to be unusual. Although the dialogue is at times a bit lame, the special effects (such as they are) very un-special, the film is a hoot to watch. Ken Russel loads it with all sorts of not so subtle symbolism, and besides, having the lead vampire chick verify the heroines status as a virgin (the only really tasty treat for the snake god) with a large pointed statue and you know this is not your typical low budget horror flick!

A surprisingly restrained showing of Hugh Grant (as noted in other reviews, he is not the white knight rescuing the damsels in this flic) is actually to the films benefit, as his classic "Hughy" mannerisms wouldn't work in this genre. The snake/vampire priestess is often semi-nude, and certainly leads one to improve ones opinions on reptiles. The overall effect if to combine Ken Russel weirdness with Bram Stoker gothic to good effect.

Slither out and see it if you get a chance. The film is subtitled, so that the mute button is a useful tool when the dialogue gets too leaden.

5 out of 10