The Lair of the White Worm

Probably the closest thing to a Scottish Evil Dead that we'll ever get.

You see when you do filth with a British accent it comes off classy as hell. Ken Russell just glaring at nuns.

A gothic horror directed by one of those Monty Python Gumbies - and that Gumby is Ken Russell smashing his head in between two bricks at the pitch meeting: "SO... there are tribal men in blueface running out of a snake woman's mouth, then they impale another woman with their dildos until her boyfriend Doctor Who sucks the venom into a brandy glass." "What the fuck, dude. ... Yeah, we'll give you a couple million, just don't spend it all on coke and shoot the hallucinations on VHS."

Russell assembles a wild parody that sends up the complete catalog of monster-movie cliches old and new in an outing further enhanced by his typically loopy overlay of demented erotic-religious imagery. He keeps a firm grip on the improbable ins and outs of his mock-serious story line. Deadpan visual and verbal puns abound, and the film is abetted by generous doses of gratuitous nudity and cheap but gaudy gore FX.

I don't know exactly why this film is so schlocky and has such an amateurish script. Presumably this is Ken Russell's take on the low budget horror film and is executed with pastiche and comedy as its aim. Anyway, it's a cult classic now. I love Amanda Donohoe's performance and the blatant overload of symbology crammed in everywhere. There are some funny effects scenes too which are inexpertly filmed. The overall result is surreal, funny, memorable, but hardly a scare-fest.

Possibly the best horror film ever to involve bagpipes AND a strapon.

Objectively, this is bad. Aside from Donohoe's enjoyably OTT turn, the perfomances are fairly naff, the script is dodgy, the plotting is rubbish and there are some really substandard visual effects. Of course, these elements combine to make this quite a lot of fun. Some surreal visions which should be shocking verge on the downright hilarious, and I get the impression that Russell was making this up as he went. You may be entertained, but perhaps not in the way that was originally intended.

Apparently Ken Russell has more Freudian issues than Stephen King on ecstasy. Man, that guy hates nuns.

I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a horror or a comedy, but it wasn't particularly funny or scary. Pretty predictable the whole way, and not terribly well done. Bad acting, stilted dialogue, and cheap effects (though it looks like a pretty low budget production to be fair). But, it has a big snake-god, and a couple of really interesting scenes where people are hallucinating under the influence of some kind of toxin. Weird, but not good.

The film's biggest problem is that although some scenes are obviously meant 2 be camp, there are plenty of others that only seem 2 be. You wonder if it's deliberate or just bad. 80's local cable special efx are striking but also look cheesy & some occasionally laughable staging doesn't help either. Despite all this, other parts play like a bizarrely original vampire flick & Donohoe almost always maintains a compellingly regal hotness no matter how many disturbing dildoes she has 2 carry.

Bee movie! After so good Russell flicks this was a clear put-down. Movie is terribly aged, characters silly and only Hugh Grant (!) survived more or less. And I do hate him! Symbolism was childish and there is lots of full frontal nudity, but horrible looking skiny girl. The dream scene in plane was the worst. If you do fancy naughty girls in sexy undergarment, check The Kenny Everett Shows. You know it makes sense.

Silly, but pretty darn amusing.

Objectively not a good film, but it's incredible fun. Hugh Grant playing the obnoxious upper-class twit he was born to play. Donohoe making Ursa from Superman II look like Mother Theresa and hamming her vixen role to ridiculous levels. A young Doctor Who battling snake priestesses with bagpipes and a live mongoose. Wobbly prosthetic snakes murdering Jesus on the cross. Nun rape. This film has everything.

Campy nonsense enlivened by an OTT performance from Amanda Donohoe.

Seven words: Hugh Grant's dream pen gets an erection.

Russell goes camp, but not in a gay way. The acting is, in general, pretty terrible and the visuals look like those of the dreamsequences from Altered States, filtered through the mind of a crack addict. And yet, somehow, it works. Kudos to Donohoe, who is excellent in this one.

My first Ken Russell film and it's this. By an "objective" criteria Lair of the White Worm is absolutely terrible, but that fails to get across how hilarious it is in parts. Most of it seems intentional (blue vamp snake lady wearing a fang shaped strap on dildo...), there's just not enough of it to really recommend. Something about a huge ancient serpent underneath an English manor house with an accompanying cult reminds me of The Invisibles.

What I hope for from Russell. A bit campy but also a whole lot of fun and occasionally scary, with a side helping of mythology and blasphemy. Also amazing use of imagery.

Re-viewed this recently, and I stand by the fact that its a poorly filmed, awfully acted, heavy handed piece of pomp.

A really mediocre movie that is memorable mainly for its beautiful rural English countryside locations and some psychedelic freak-out imagery. Other than that, it's a rather average story with tacked-on sex and lots of phallic symbols.

If this is self-aware, which I'm almost positive it is, then it's a lot of fun. As with "Altered States" the vision sequences are the highlight.

Wonderfully weird little horror film from Ken Russell. Love that theme song

Fairly good despite appearances.

Snake cults are always ruining everything.

Spanking ants

I watched and could not belive this movie, it's sooooo bad that you will remember it and cherish that memory to avoid movies that remind you of it. So, it's worth watching.

"Christianity and paganism clash in Ken Russell's campy The Lair of the White Worm." - Ed Gonzalez

Silly horror movie.

(STRAP-ONACONDA)

Bad Movie

It is quite surprising that this film remains so watchable being so bad.

Quite amusing.

This is just an absolute batshit acid trip in a quaint English countryside. I probably can’t tell you the ins and outs of what happens, but there is a young Hugh Grant, fangs, worms, and phallic imagery galore.

Upon rewatch this was not as bizarre, quirky or outrageous as I had remembered. Don't get me wrong this is an incredibly weird and goofy movie, as well as fun in a completely stupid way.

I love this tone of horror comedy where its not overly apparent if a particular moment is supposed to be funny. I think the snake and worm imagery is supposed to be phallic. I don't know for sure, though, may need to rewatch.

Trashy fun, even containing a few genuinely disturbing moments.

This movie has Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi teaming up to fight a vampire worm creature played to the hilt by Amanda Donohoe. What more do you want?

This was pitched to me as "British Evil Dead" and while I don't think it's as spectacular as those movies, it is still a pretty wacky good time. It's hard to hate any movie where Peter Capaldi heroically plays the bagpipes.

Fun and campy. Amanda Donohoe commands every scene she's in.