The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

When an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in foreign land, the residents of a near-by town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable 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, ...

---

Plot Keywords:

female prisoner | white panties | lingerie | implied rape | snake monster | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Russell: [snake]

---

Goofs

The snakes used in the film are not native to the United Kingdom nor are they venomous.

---

Quotes

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

---

Connections

Referenced in Comic Relief Does University Challenge (2005)

---

Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

A great date movie!

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.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 October 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lair of the White Worm

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,155, 23 October 1988

Gross USA:

$1,189,315

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,189,315

Company Credits

Production Co:

White Lair

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 85 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1