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Film: The Lair of the White Worm
Year: 1988
Director: Ken Russell
Writer: Ken Russell
Starring: Amanda Donohoe, Hugh Grant and Catherine Oxenberg
Review:
This is a movie that I first learned about through the Fangoria Top 300 movies issue. It went on a list of ones to check out to expand my knowledge base. This is also one that comes up on podcasts periodically, so it also went on a list there. What intrigued me is knowing that Ken Russell was the director. He is an interesting filmmaker. Also being based on a Bram Stoker novel is another part.
Synopsis: when an archaeologist uncovers a strange skull in a foreign land, the residents of a nearby town begin to disappear, leading to further inexplicable occurrences.
We start this in a pit that Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi) has dug. I believe he is from Scotland. He is an archelogy student who is there to look for bones. He has made an interesting discovery in the yard of Eve (Catherine Oxenberg) and Mary Trent (Sammi Davis). He found the skull to a large reptile. The flint layer he broke through is around 1000 years ago. There are Roman coins buried with it. This doesn't make sense as the eras aren't matching up, being that it looks like a dinosaur of sorts. It is then thought to potentially be a mythological creature called the D'Ampton Worm.
Angus goes with the two sisters to a party thrown by Lord James D'Ampton (Hugh Grant). He is the local nobility who just obtained his inheritance. He is seeing Mary. I should also include here that these two young women lost their parents. They disappeared without a trace. Angus walks Eve home. On their way, they notice a car driving with its lights off. They also arrive back at the Bed and Breakfast the Flints run to find P.C. Erny (Paul Brooke). He found a watch that belonged to Joe Trent (Christopher Gable), their father. It was found in Stoneridge Cavern, so a search begins the following morning.
Also, in the area is Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe). She is odd and obsessed with snakes. There is a situation where Erny didn't know she was home. He was on the grounds, investigating when he was bit by a something. He thinks it is a snake. She said more likely nettles. There is something off about her though. We get the first image when she steals the skull from Angus' room. She spits greenish liquid on a crucifix there and also has large fangs. Mary touches it and as a surreal, vivid dream of Jesus (Lloyd Peters) on the cross, the D'Ampton Worm, Sylvia as a snake woman and Romans raping women. James hears Mary call out and checks on her.
The other instance that Sylvia is off when she picks up Kevin (Chris Pitt). He is attacked at her place. James meets her and is invited in. Since he is the local nobility, he informs her that the snake that bit Erny will be found and dealt with. They get to know each other a bit and he sees she is hiding things. James then meets with Angus along with the Flint women. He wants to investigate the cave as there are things pointing to the D'Ampton worm being alive and that Sylvia is hiding dark secrets.
That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is an odd movie. I've already brought up that I expected it with Russell being the writer/director. My favorite movie from him is The Devils. I've also seen parts of Tommy and watched Altered States a handful of times. I get the idea that Russell doesn't believe in Christianity or at least has issues with it. I can appreciate that commentary. My last bit for this opening though would be that I'm curious to now read Stoker's original source material to see what was kept and what direction Russell decided to go.
Where I want to start is that I love the basis of this movie. The local nobility is the D'Ampton's. This white worm was supposed to have been slain by their ancestors. James also points out that this isn't a worm in the sense of what we find in the ground. This is closer to the wyrm which is another name for a dragon. We get to see this creature in the movie and the best way to describe it would be a giant white worm, looking more akin to a sperm whale. Going further though, they're bringing in a real Roman leader of Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius. I looked him up to learn that lead a revolt and named himself 'Emperor of the North' over Britian and Northern Gaul. Sylvia has a bust of him in her house. One of the visions that Mary has includes Sylvia, in a snake woman form, as well as Romans. Something else about Carausius is that he incorporated pagan ideas in their society. Sylvia despises religion and has her rituals she does. I'm a sucker for all this and it pulled me.
Now with all that back story, I love how this gets incorporated into what is told for the story. Angus points out that the skull of a creature like this shouldn't be found in the same era as the Romans. Then we get visions that fill in that Sylvia and her beliefs could be involved. I do need to bring up something here that is cheesy, she references snakes or terms associated with them throughout this movie. It comes off as puns that made me chuckle and roll my eyes. To end this idea on a positive though, I love the fact that this local legend of the D'Amptons also factors into how things play out.
Since there isn't more to go into for the story, I'll shift to the acting. Donohoe is great as our villain. She doesn't even try to hide it. There is a sexuality she brings to the role though that would make you tempt the fates. We do see her mostly nude if you are curious. What surprised me was Grant's performances. He is someone that I think works for romantic comedies, but don't find him normally that strong. I do like him as this rich guy who is tries to figure out what is going on in his area. Oxenberg, Capaldi and Davis are all fine as his counterparts. I do have an issue with Capaldi as he plays it a bit too tongue-in-cheek and almost a caricature. Stratford Johns is solid as Peters, the butler to James. Brooke adds a bit of levity. I'd say that Pitt and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.
All that is left then is filmmaking. Let me go to the cinematography first. This has the feel of a B-movie with how cheesy the dialogue and the jokes are. How this is shot though is better than that. I'll also pull in the effects here. They don't look the best. The look of Sylvia as a snake woman is creepy. There is also an odd sensuality to it. The nightmare images are creepy while also being good at filling in backstory. This is something that Russell used in earlier movies he's done. I'll say again, it is naff while still working. The soundtrack is odd as well. They use an Indian snake charmer song that made me laugh. The sound design works for what was needed as well.
In conclusion, this is an odd movie. I love the lore that is used. There are real elements incorporated in it and a bit of folk horror to go with it. That works for me. There is a bit too much levity with the dialogue and music used though. That did hurt the final product. I do like the cult and ritual stuff we get though. There is an element of vampirism, but not in the traditional sense. Outside of the issues I've given, the acting works for the most part and this is made well enough with the effects, cinematography and editing. This one won’t be for everyone. This is a B grade, arthouse film that has a bit of sleaze to it. If that works for you, I'd recommend at least a viewing.
My Rating: 7 out of 10