MOVIE

In a remote corner of England's Peak District, a mysterious skull is unearthed. But even weirder is that Lady Sylvia steals the skull for use in worshiping – very erotically – her pagan god, The White Worm, who hungers for the taste of virginal flesh.

Adult Status :
Movie ID : 11347
Movie Language : en
Original Title: The Lair of the White Worm
Popularity : 15.048
Release : 1988-09-21
Movie Title : The Lair of the White Worm
Rate : 5.9
Vote Count : 176
Genre IDs : 27,35,14
Genres : Horror, Comedy, Fantasy
Tagline :
Revenue : 1189315
Runtime : 93
Status : Released

Movie Collection

Collection ID :
Collection Name :

Movie Production Studio

Company Name : White Lair
Budget : 2500000
HomePage :
IMDB ID : tt0095488
Country Code : GB
Country Name :
Spoken Language : English
Company ID : 14221
Company Logo : [COMPANYLOGO]
Company Country :

Video

[VIDDEO]

Casts and Crews

Cast

1. Amanda Donohoe ( Amanda Donohoe ) Acting as Lady Sylvia Marsh




2. Hugh Grant ( Hugh Grant ) Acting as Lord James D'Ampton




3. Catherine Oxenberg ( Catherine Oxenberg ) Acting as Eve Trent




4. Peter Capaldi ( Peter Capaldi ) Acting as Angus Flint




5. Sammi Davis ( Sammi Davis ) Acting as Mary Trent




6. Stratford Johns ( Stratford Johns ) Acting as Peters




7. Paul Brooke ( Paul Brooke ) Acting as Erny




8. Chris Pitt ( Chris Pitt ) Acting as Kevin


9. Imogen Claire ( Imogen Claire ) Acting as Dorothy Trent


10. Christopher Gable ( Christopher Gable ) Acting as Joe Trent




11. Gina McKee ( Gina McKee ) Acting as Nurse Gladwell




12. Linzi Drew ( Linzi Drew ) Acting as Maid / Nun




13. Tina Shaw ( Tina Shaw ) Acting as Maid / Nun




14. Miranda Coe ( Miranda Coe ) Acting as Maid / Nun


15. Caron Anne Kelly ( Caron Anne Kelly ) Acting as Maid / Nun


16. Fiona O'Connor ( Fiona O'Connor ) Acting as Maid / Nun


17. Caroline Pope ( Caroline Pope ) Crew as Maid / Nun


18. Elisha Scott ( Elisha Scott ) Acting as Maid / Nun


19. James Hicks ( James Hicks ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor




20. Andy Norman ( Andy Norman ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


21. Ken Russell ( Ken Russell ) Directing as Police Radio (voice)




22. Paul Easom ( Paul Easom ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


23. David Kiernan ( David Kiernan ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


24. Matthew King ( Matthew King ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


25. Ross Murray ( Ross Murray ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


26. Bob Smith ( Bob Smith ) Acting as Soldier / Witchdoctor


27. Jackie Russell ( Jackie Russell ) Acting as Snakewoman

Crew

1. Bram Stoker ( Bram Stoker ) Writing, Job: Novel From Department of Writing




2. Nigel Galt ( Nigel Galt ) Editing, Job: Sound Editor From Department of Sound




3. Peter Davies ( Peter Davies ) Editing, Job: Editor From Department of Editing




4. Ronaldo Vasconcellos ( Ronaldo Vasconcellos ) Production, Job: Line Producer From Department of Production




5. Michael Jeffery ( Michael Jeffery ) Costume & Make-Up, Job: Costume Designer From Department of Costume & Make-Up




6. Ken Russell ( Ken Russell ) Directing, Job: Screenplay From Department of Writing




7. Ken Russell ( Ken Russell ) Directing, Job: Director From Department of Directing




8. Ken Russell ( Ken Russell ) Directing, Job: Producer From Department of Production




9. Dick Bush ( Dick Bush ) Camera, Job: Director of Photography From Department of Camera




10. Dan Ireland ( Dan Ireland ) Directing, Job: Executive Producer From Department of Production




11. William J. Quigley ( William J. Quigley ) Production, Job: Executive Producer From Department of Production




12. Stanislas Syrewicz ( Stanislas Syrewicz ) Sound, Job: Original Music Composer From Department of Sound




13. Ray Beckett ( Ray Beckett ) Sound, Job: Sound Mixer From Department of Sound




14. Abbi Collins ( Abbi Collins ) Crew, Job: Stunt Double From Department of Crew




15. Elizabeth Moss ( Elizabeth Moss ) Costume & Make-Up, Job: Makeup Artist From Department of Costume & Make-Up




16. John Ralph ( John Ralph ) Art, Job: Art Direction From Department of Art




17. Chrissy Monk ( Chrissy Monk ) Crew, Job: Stunt Double From Department of Crew




18. Pam Meager ( Pam Meager ) Costume & Make-Up, Job: Makeup Artist From Department of Costume & Make-Up




19. Anne Tilby ( Anne Tilby ) Art, Job: Production Design From Department of Art




20. Anne Tilby ( Anne Tilby ) Art, Job: Set Designer From Department of Art

Movie Review

• ( Wuchak ) give rating 6
*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-