Supposedly based on a novel by Bram Stoker, LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM is an exercise in high camp surrealism for maverick British director Ken Russell. Russell crafts a unique film that mixes a solid mystery narrative with some terribly crude symbolism, some outrageously bad taste moments, and more camp sequences than you can shake a stick at. Quality-wise it's very poor in places, but at the same time it's rather amusing and, dare I say it, fun.DR WHO star Peter Capaldi plays a youthful Scots archaeologist who digs up the skull of a god in somebody's back garden - as you do. Meanwhile, Hugh Grant is a splendidly upper class toff - what else? - whose ancestor was the chap who killed the Lambton worm. And then there's dangerous seductress Amanda Donohoe, having a ball as a femme fatale hiding a dark secret in the depths of her country pile.LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM certainly contains some unforgettable moments, most of them involving the moments when Donohoe's true form is revealed; the makeup appears to homage Barbara Steele's character in CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR. There are some fun special effects here, alongside THOSE unforgettable nightmare sequences which are the stand-out highlights for me. The ending is neatly achieved and there's a nice supporting role for character actor Paul Brooke playing the local copper. Truly this is a one-of-a-kind production that has to be seen to be believed.

When you watch this Ken Russell movie "The Lair Of The White Worm" you will know why he got the nickname Kinky Ken. Of all the Ken Russell directed movies that I have seen this is definitely the kinkiest of them all. There are dream sequences in this horror movie that border on the depraved, so much so that you wonder how it got past the censors. Maybe they had all gone out for a cup of coffee!. Like most Ken Russell films it is visually imaginative & fascinating viewing. Amanda Donahue plays a very sexy kind of Countess Dracula & she is just great fun to watch. We see her in all manner of kinky costumes & nudity. After she picks up a boy hitch-hiker she takes him to her home, baths him & then dispatches him with a love-bite. Hugh Grant plays an R.A.F. pilot neighbour who knocks on her door & is invited in. During drinks he innocently asks her if she has any children. "Only when there are no men around", she answers. I think you probably get the drift of all this by now. This is definitely a weirdo movie but nonetheless interesting viewing.

The Lair of the White Worm is not going to please everybody, people will be thoroughly entertained throughout, others will find it ineptly done. Very like the controversial opinions for director Ken Russell too. For all its faults I fall into the former category. The special effects are not very good, the worm looks laughable and doesn't seem that much of a threat. Sammi Davis is embarrassingly bad too, veering towards both shrill and disengaged. And the ending is very abrupt, in all honesty though so was the book's ending. Even with those flaws, The Lair of the White Worm still improves hugely over the book. Odd to the point at times of incoherence and overly wordy with an ending that suffers from the cutting down the book got, it was a shock that Lair of the White Worm(Bram Stoker's least well-known book and for a reason) was from the same author who wrote Dracula, one of the most iconic pieces of horror literature. People will disagree with this though and that's fine. Back to the film, the locations are beautiful and atmospheric, it's decently shot and even the costumes are not bad at all, Donohoe's actually were pretty amazing. The music will entice even the least slithery of snakes, the dialogue is smart and hilarious(a campy element to it but considering this is a Russell film that shouldn't come across as too much of a shock) and the story is briskly paced with the fun factor rarely diminished. There are a lot of components brought in, but not in a muddled way thankfully like Lisztomania and Gothic were. Lair of the White Worm is not a scary film, but there is the odd moment that will make you jump. Russell's direction pulls no punches with a sense that he was having fun while knowing what he was aiming for, and the trademark excessive imagery is in abundance, luckily though apart from the rape scene- which will leave people disgusted- these images are not distasteful. The acting is not great but it's not that bad either apart from Davis. Peter Capaldi and Stratford Johns fare the best in support while Catherine Oxenberg is charming and even Hugh Grant in an unlikely role acts in a way that is not out of kilter. Best of all is Amanda Donohoe, whose brilliantly sexy performance is what makes the film. In conclusion, Lair of the White Worm not a great film but an enjoyable one while not pleasing all. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This was simply a delightful trinity of comedy, horror, and Christian blasphemy. Ken Russel's deviation from the norms of humanity are a treat as this almost campy flick only gets better with age. The actors are all in on the gag, making the humor that much more gut-wrenching. Production values are pretty weak, but this is somehow transmogrified into one of this flick's strengths. The story itself is pretty solid, with maybe a hole here and there, but the viewer can hardly be bothered with such things. Being horribly sexy and funny, this wonder will occasionally shock its audience with a poison-laden psychedelic journey that will surely offend our Christian friends. If blasphemy is not too offensive then this flick is probably for you. Late.Evil Eye Reviews