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.
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.