The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

When an archeologist uncovers a strange skull in foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further unexplainable occurrences.

Director:

Ken Russell

Writers:

Ken Russell (screenplay by), Bram Stoker (adapted from the novel by)

Stars:

Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant, Catherine Oxenberg

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amanda Donohoe	...	Lady Sylvia Marsh
Hugh Grant	...	Lord James D'Ampton
Catherine Oxenberg	...	Eve Trent
Peter Capaldi	...	Angus Flint
Sammi Davis	...	Mary Trent
Stratford Johns	...	Peters
Paul Brooke	...	P.C. Erny
Imogen Claire	...	Dorothy Trent
Chris Pitt	...	Kevin
Gina McKee	...	Nurse Gladwell
Christopher Gable	...	Joe Trent
Lloyd Peters	...	Jesus Christ
Miranda Coe	...	Maid / Nun
Linzi Drew	...	Maid / Nun
Caron Anne Kelly	...	Maid / Nun

Storyline

Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint discovers an odd skull amid the ruins of a convent that he is excavating. Shortly thereafter, Lady Sylvia Marsh returns to Temple House, a nearby mansion, far earlier than expected. At a party in the village, Angus meets Lord James D'Ampton, who has just inherited his family's land right next to Temple House. Angus learns of the D'Ampton Worm, a huge dragon-snake that an earlier D'Ampton killed by cutting it in half. (There's a pretty catchy rock-folk song that tells the D'Ampton Worm legend.) As people begin disappearing and acting strangely over the next few days, the skull is stolen from Angus's room, and the watch of a missing person is found in a cavern that was the legendary home of the D'Ampton worm. Angus and James discover that there was an ancient cult that worshiped the worm as a god, and they theorize that the creature somehow survived its destruction, but it was trapped inside the cavern. The remainder of the movie shows Angus, James, ...

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | cleavage | scantily clad female | topless female nudity | breasts | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Maldição da Serpente

Filming Locations:

Thor's Cave, Manifold Valley, Staffordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$1,189,315

Company Credits

Production Co:

White Lair

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Russell: calls out "Hello, Mary," he walks by her farm at the beginning.

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Goofs

When Angus has a mongoose thrown at his face, he clearly looses his glasses before falling down. In the next shot, Angus on the floor, his glasses are on his face, perfectly well positioned.

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Quotes

Kevin: I'm not really into headbanging.
Lady Sylvia Marsh: Are you into any kind of banging?

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Connections

Referenced in Whore (1991)

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Soundtracks

The D'Ampton Worm
Arranged and Performed by Emilio Perez Machado and Stephen Powys
Violinist Louise Newman

User Reviews

so bad, it's good

This movie definitely belongs in the, "it's so bad it's good" category. However, the more times I see it, I'm thinking it's more like, "It's so bad, it's GREAT"! A good movie is in some ways is like a great plate of Italian food. It needs a firm base, some zesty sauce, and just the right amount of cheese.

I first heard about this movie when I was in high school. Everyone around me was catching it on cable except me. Everyone seemed to have the same opinion of the movie, "man, it's so weird". When I finally got to see the movie, we were over at a party at a practical strangers house in a town far from our own at 3 in the morning; an uncomfortable situation. But, when this movie came on, for some reason it made everything alright. I saw it years later in a bargain bin VHS rack and I had to get it. It was by far the best $5 I've ever spent. This is one of those movies that is great to watch late at night with a good buzz on. I'm sure it annoys the hell out of my wife, but this movie makes me laugh like a little kid.

Filmwise, the movie is terribly made (or, if you're a Ken Russel fan, wonderfully made). There's holes in the script, the acting is bad, the props even worse; but there are so many insanely bad puns in this movie that it gets more entertaining each time you see it.

I know I haven't said too much about the movie, but perhaps that's for the best. To sum it all up, it's a great flick if you're in the mood for a real cheesy B grade movie.