Jump to content

The Lair of the White Worm (film): Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Monkbot (talk | contribs)
Bots
3,119,769 edits
m →‎Production: Task 16: replaced (1×) / removed (0×) deprecated |dead-url= and |deadurl= with |url-status=;
add
Line 57: Line 57:


The movie was made as part of a four-picture deal Russell and producer [[Dan Ireland]] had with [[Vestron Pictures]]. 1986's ''[[Gothic (film)|Gothic]]'' had been a big success on video, and Vestron told Ireland that if Russell could come up with a horror movie, they would finance his planned prequel to ''[[Women in Love (film)|Women in Love]]'', ''[[The Rainbow (1989 film)|The Rainbow]]''. Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast [[Tilda Swinton]], but she turned down the role, and [[Amanda Donohoe]] was cast instead. Ireland also claims that Russell made the film partly as a tribute to [[Oscar Wilde]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trailersfromhell.com/blog/2012/05/15/dan-ireland-on-the-lair-of-the-white-worm/ |title=Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm |last=Melville |first=Marty |date=15 May 2012 |work=The Trailers From Hell! Blog |accessdate=28 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120715013812/http://trailersfromhell.com/blog/2012/05/15/dan-ireland-on-the-lair-of-the-white-worm/ |archivedate=15 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
The movie was made as part of a four-picture deal Russell and producer [[Dan Ireland]] had with [[Vestron Pictures]]. 1986's ''[[Gothic (film)|Gothic]]'' had been a big success on video, and Vestron told Ireland that if Russell could come up with a horror movie, they would finance his planned prequel to ''[[Women in Love (film)|Women in Love]]'', ''[[The Rainbow (1989 film)|The Rainbow]]''. Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast [[Tilda Swinton]], but she turned down the role, and [[Amanda Donohoe]] was cast instead. Ireland also claims that Russell made the film partly as a tribute to [[Oscar Wilde]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://trailersfromhell.com/blog/2012/05/15/dan-ireland-on-the-lair-of-the-white-worm/ |title=Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm |last=Melville |first=Marty |date=15 May 2012 |work=The Trailers From Hell! Blog |accessdate=28 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20120715013812/http://trailersfromhell.com/blog/2012/05/15/dan-ireland-on-the-lair-of-the-white-worm/ |archivedate=15 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Russell said "It's very similar to Dracula, but instead of being gothic, it's a very English story . . . Instead of bats, it has a snake, and instead of a man, a woman."<ref>Outrageous movie director's wild about Oscar: [FIN Edition]
Dan Yakir Special to The Star. Toronto Star; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]18 May 1988: D1. </ref>


Referring to aspects of the movie's visual style, [[Slant Magazine|Slant]] wrote: "Russell layers visual elements—faces, bodies, flames—into the video footage using [[Chroma key|chroma-key compositing]], achieving a disorienting [[Surrealism|surrealist]]-collage effect".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/the-lair-of-the-white-worm |title=''The Lair of the White Worm'' <nowiki>| Blu-Ray Review |</nowiki> Slant Magazine |last=Wilkins |first=Budd |date=9 February 2017 |website=[[Slant Magazine]] |accessdate=15 May 2018}}</ref>
Referring to aspects of the movie's visual style, [[Slant Magazine|Slant]] wrote: "Russell layers visual elements—faces, bodies, flames—into the video footage using [[Chroma key|chroma-key compositing]], achieving a disorienting [[Surrealism|surrealist]]-collage effect".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/review/the-lair-of-the-white-worm |title=''The Lair of the White Worm'' <nowiki>| Blu-Ray Review |</nowiki> Slant Magazine |last=Wilkins |first=Budd |date=9 February 2017 |website=[[Slant Magazine]] |accessdate=15 May 2018}}</ref>

Revision as of 03:56, 5 October 2019

The Lair of the White Worm
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKen Russell
Screenplay byKen Russell
Produced byDan Ireland
William J. Quigley
Ken Russell
Ronaldo Vasconcellos
Starring
CinematographyDick Bush
Edited byPeter Davies
Music byStanislas Syrewicz
Production
company
White Lair
Distributed byVestron Pictures
Release date
14 September 1988
Running time
93 min.
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2,500,000 (estimated)
Box office$1,189,315 (US)[1]

The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988 British horror film based loosely on the Bram Stoker novel of the same name and drawing upon the English legend of the Lambton Worm. The film was written and directed by Ken Russell and stars Amanda Donohoe and Hugh Grant.

Plot

Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi) is a Scottish archaeology student excavating the site of a convent at the Derbyshire bed and breakfast run by the Trent sisters, Mary (Sammi Davis) and Eve (Catherine Oxenberg). He unearths an unusual skull which appears to be that of a large snake. Angus believes it may be connected to the local legend of the d'Ampton 'worm', a mythical snake-like creature from ages past said to have been slain in Stonerich Cavern by John d'Ampton, the ancestor of current Lord of the Manor, James d'Ampton (Hugh Grant).

When a pocket watch is discovered in Stonerich Cavern, James comes to believe that the d'Ampton worm may be more than a legend. The watch belonged to the Trent sisters' father, who disappeared a year earlier near Temple House, the stately home of the beautiful and seductive Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe).

The enigmatic Lady Sylvia is in fact an immortal priestess to the ancient snake god, Dionin. As James correctly predicted, the giant snake roams the caves which connect Temple House with Stonerich Cavern. Lady Sylvia steals the skull and abducts Eve Trent, intending to offer her as the latest in a long line of sacrifices to her snake-god. Before Lady Sylvia can execute her evil plan, Angus and James rescue Eve and destroy both Lady Sylvia and the giant snake. However, Lady Sylvia bites Angus before she dies, and Angus finds himself cursed to carry on the vampiric, snake-like condition.

Cast

Production

The movie was made as part of a four-picture deal Russell and producer Dan Ireland had with Vestron Pictures. 1986's Gothic had been a big success on video, and Vestron told Ireland that if Russell could come up with a horror movie, they would finance his planned prequel to Women in Love, The Rainbow. Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast Tilda Swinton, but she turned down the role, and Amanda Donohoe was cast instead. Ireland also claims that Russell made the film partly as a tribute to Oscar Wilde.[2]

Russell said "It's very similar to Dracula, but instead of being gothic, it's a very English story . . . Instead of bats, it has a snake, and instead of a man, a woman."[3]

Referring to aspects of the movie's visual style, Slant wrote: "Russell layers visual elements—faces, bodies, flames—into the video footage using chroma-key compositing, achieving a disorienting surrealist-collage effect".[4]

Critical reception

The film has received a mixed critical response. On movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 65%, based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[5] Roger Ebert gave it two stars out of four and called it "a respectable B-grade monster movie."[6] Variety called it "a rollicking, terrifying, post-psychedelic headtrip."[7]

References

  1. ^ The Lair of the White Worm at Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ Melville, Marty (15 May 2012). "Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm". The Trailers From Hell! Blog. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  3. ^ Outrageous movie director's wild about Oscar: [FIN Edition] Dan Yakir Special to The Star. Toronto Star; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont]18 May 1988: D1.
  4. ^ Wilkins, Budd (9 February 2017). "The Lair of the White Worm | Blu-Ray Review | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. ^ "The Lair of the White Worm (1988)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  6. ^ Ebert, Roger (11 November 1988). "Lair Of The White Worm :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  7. ^ "The Lair of the White Worm". Variety. 31 December 1988. Retrieved 28 July 2012.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lair_of_the_White_Worm_(film)&oldid=919685116"