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IMDbPro

The Lair of the White Worm

  • 19881988
  • RR
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
13K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,747
877
Amanda Donohoe in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
Trailer for The Lair Of The White Worm
Play trailer1:38
1 Video
99+ Photos
ComedyHorror
When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in a foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable occurrences.When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in a foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable occurrences.When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in a foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable occurrences.
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
13K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,747
877
    • Ken Russell
    • Ken Russell(screenplay by)
    • Bram Stoker(adapted from the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Amanda Donohoe
    • Hugh Grant
    • Catherine Oxenberg
    • Ken Russell
    • Ken Russell(screenplay by)
    • Bram Stoker(adapted from the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Amanda Donohoe
    • Hugh Grant
    • Catherine Oxenberg
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 93User reviews
    • 103Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    The Lair Of The White Worm
    Trailer 1:38
    Watch The Lair Of The White Worm

    Photos123

    Amanda Donohoe and Catherine Oxenberg in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Hugh Grant, Peter Capaldi, and Sammi Davis in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Hugh Grant in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe and Chris Pitt in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe and Hugh Grant in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Amanda Donohoe in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Catherine Oxenberg in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Catherine Oxenberg and Sammi Davis in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
    Paul Brooke and Peter Capaldi in The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Amanda Donohoe
    Amanda Donohoe
    • Lady Sylvia Marsh
    Hugh Grant
    Hugh Grant
    • Lord James D'Ampton
    Catherine Oxenberg
    Catherine Oxenberg
    • Eve Trent
    Peter Capaldi
    Peter Capaldi
    • Angus Flint
    Sammi Davis
    Sammi Davis
    • Mary Trent
    Stratford Johns
    Stratford Johns
    • Peters
    Paul Brooke
    Paul Brooke
    • P.C. Erny
    Imogen Claire
    • Dorothy Trent
    Chris Pitt
    • Kevin
    Gina McKee
    Gina McKee
    • Nurse Gladwell
    Christopher Gable
    Christopher Gable
    • Joe Trent
    Lloyd Peters
    Lloyd Peters
    • Jesus Christ
    Miranda Coe
    • Maid…
    Linzi Drew
    Linzi Drew
    • Maid…
    Caron Anne Kelly
    • Maid…
    Fiona O'Connor
    • Maid…
    Caroline Pope
    • Maid…
    Elisha Scott
    • Maid…
      • Ken Russell
      • Ken Russell(screenplay by)
      • Bram Stoker(adapted from the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The skull of the pagan god Dionin used in the movie was constructed by adding sculpted sections to a real cow skull. The original teeth were pulled and replaced with fabricated ones to simulate the serpent look. Two skulls were fabricated for various scenes in the movie.
    • Goofs
      (at around 11 mins) As Mary and Angus walk home through the grove after the party, Lady Sylvia's Jaguar passes them. Startled, Mary comments on the car and mentions its headlights being off, though they were clearly on in every shot of the car.

      Mary later states that the headlights were "hooded". Hoods were used in Britain during the Blitz.
    • Quotes

      Kevin: I'm not really into headbanging.

      Lady Sylvia Marsh: Are you into any kind of banging?

    • Connections
      Edited into Bride of Monster Mania (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      The D'Ampton Worm
      Arranged and Performed by Emilio Perez Machado and Stephen Powys

      Violinist Louise Newman

    User reviews93

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Quirky, amusing, sometimes surreal horror about a snake cult in England
    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-
    helpful•7
    0
    • Wuchakk
    • Dec 22, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 1988 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Knebworth House, Knebworth, Hertfordshire, England, UK
    • Production company
      • White Lair
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 33 minutes
      • Dolby

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