Amanda Donohoe

Hugh Grant

Catherine Oxenberg

Peter Capaldi

Sammi Davis

Stratford Johns

Paul Brooke

Imogen Claire

Chris Pitt

Gina McKee

Christopher Gable

Lloyd Peters

Miranda Coe

Linzi Drew

Caron Anne Kelly

Fiona O'Connor

Caroline Pope

Elisha Scott

Tina Shaw

Paul Easom

James Hicks

David Kiernan

Matthew King

Ross Murray

Andy Norman

Bob Smith

Jackie Russell

Ken Russell

Dan Ireland

Dick Bush

William J. Quigley

Stanisław Syrewicz

Peter Davies

Bram Stoker

Gail Stevens

Jack Lorenz

Laura Julian

Cordelia Hardy

Stuart St. Paul

Peter Elford

Ben Davis

John Chandler

Ray Merrin

William Tyler

Steve Parker

Rupert Ryle-Hodges

Robin Browne

Richard Wells

Richard Brierley

Bill Rowe

Lesley Cross

John Foster

Mark Ellis

Christopher Hall

Winnie Wishart

Sabina Fletcher

Sarah Lucraft

David B.A. Jones

Nick Heckstall-Smith

Ron Higgins

Geoffrey Portass

Stuart Conran

Jim Roddan

Eddie McMahon

Arlind Junkerman

Tom Bowyer

Rodney Pincott

John Cormican

Mark Coulier

Clive Coote

Karen Edwards

Diane Murphy

Joe Illing

William Petty

Paul Conway

Jenny Hawkins

Chris Townsend

Dave Keen

Kate Murray

Roy Puddefoot

Kate Kilroy

Neill Gorton

Wayne Smith

Simon Sayce

Cliff Wallace

Alan Hedgcock

Steven Painter

Mark Gay

Karen Winnery

Paul Jones

Tommy Westbrook

Robin Thistlethwaite

Steven Sallybanks

James Hunt

Alistair McPherson

Ronnie McKay

Graham Newton

Warwick Sayce

Con Murphy

Alastair Gow

Gary Ryan

Jim Coward

Steve Blake

Mary Roberts

Tommy O'Sullivan

Alan Whibley

Ken Hawkey

Daniel Vallancien

Ronaldo Vasconcellos

Michael Jeffery

Anne Tilby

Abbi Collins

Chrissy Monk

Ray Beckett

John Ralph

Pam Meager

Elizabeth Moss

Nigel Galt

Horror

Comedy

The Lair of the White Worm

White Lair

Vestron Pictures

United Kingdom

English

***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-

THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM Trailer [1988]

The Lair of the White Worm (1988) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]

The Lair of the White Worm ≣ 1988 ≣ Trailer

Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm

The Lair of the White Worm

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Актёрский состав 28:

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