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== Production ==
== Production ==


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]]'' (eventually filmed in 1989). Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast [[Tilda Swinton]], but she turned down the role after reading the script. [[Amanda Donohoe]] was cast instead. Ireland also claims that Russell made the film partly as a tribute to [[Oscar Wilde]].<ref name="hell">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqe2brJTEFU |title=Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm ||website=Trailers from Hell on You Tube}}</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]
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>
Dan Yakir Toronto Star 18 May 1988: D1. </ref>


Donahue says Russell sent her a script with a note saying "I don't know if you'll be interested in this little bit of nonsense but please read it anyway." She read it and agreed to play Lady Sylvia because it gave her "the opportunity to play a woman who is basically a fantasy woman. There are no boundaries. Therefore, I could do exactly as I chose with that lady.... I didn't want her to be some sort of vampire bimbo. I really wanted her to be a sort of incredibly sophisticated and ageless woman."<ref>AT THE MOVIES
Donahue says Russell sent her a script with a note saying "I don't know if you'll be interested in this little bit of nonsense but please read it anyway." She read it and agreed to play Lady Sylvia because, she said, it gave her "the opportunity to play a woman who is basically a fantasy woman. There are no boundaries. Therefore, I could do exactly as I chose with that lady.... I didn't want her to be some sort of vampire bimbo. I really wanted her to be a sort of incredibly sophisticated and ageless woman."<ref>AT THE MOVIES
Gelder, Lawrence Van. New York Times 21 Oct 1988: C.10. </ref>
Gelder, Lawrence Van. New York Times 21 Oct 1988: C.10. </ref>

"I always admire someone who really dares to be bad," said Donohoe of Russell. "Even his actors - people like Oliver Reed - have always impressed me that way. They can be brilliant or perfectly dreadful, but they're never boring. I'm fairly serious about acting and integrity, that films should have some real vrumph to them and say something about life. And I'd just been on this string of films and television films in the last two years, all pretty heavy stuff, and I thought 'Well, why not do a film that doesn't mean anything at all?'"<ref>Amanda Donohoe had her doubts about doing a horror flick 'This is very peculiar'
Lacey, Liam. The Globe and Mail 12 Oct 1988: C.5. </ref>

The film shot in London in February 1988.<ref>THE MOVIE CHART: [Home Edition]
Los Angeles Times 28 Feb 1988: 38. </ref>

Dan Ireland said he felt the film was Ken Russell's homage to [[Osacr Wilde]]. It was one of Hugh Grant's first movies and Ireland says Grant was "embarrassed by it" in later years.<ref name="hell"/>

"I'm not sure if it was meant to be horrific or funny," Grant said shortly after the film was made. "When I saw it, I roared with laughter. As ever, I get to play a sort of upper-class young man. I have some exciting things to do: I get to slay a giant worm with a big sword, cutting it in half. Very, very symbolic stuff." <ref>IN PERSON 'It's frightfully good stuff' Actor revels in bon vivant role
Dabby, Victor. The Globe and Mail 13 July 1988: C.8. </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>


"Ken loves danger," said Donahue. "One day he came in and played a tape for me and Hugh Grant of a drawing room comedy with Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Afterwards, we just looked at him with blank faces and he said `That's the way I want you to play your scenes.' It was mad but inspired."<ref>Nothing to Hide: [Home Edition]
"Ken loves danger," said Donahue. "One day he came in and played a tape for me and Hugh Grant of a drawing room comedy with [[Noel Coward]] and [[Gertrude Lawrence]]. Afterwards, we just looked at him with blank faces and he said `That's the way I want you to play your scenes.' It was mad but inspired."<ref>Nothing to Hide: [Home Edition]
Klady, Leonard. Los Angeles Times 19 Nov 1988: 1. </ref>
Klady, Leonard. Los Angeles Times 19 Nov 1988: 1. </ref>


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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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lair_of_the_white_worm/ |title=The Lair of the White Worm (1988) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave it two stars out of four and called it "a respectable [[B movie|B-grade]] monster movie."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19881111/REVIEWS/811110304/1023 |title=Lair Of The White Worm :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews |last=Ebert |first=Roger |authorlink=Roger Ebert |work=rogerebert.suntimes.com |accessdate=28 July 2012 |date=11 November 1988}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "a rollicking, terrifying, post-[[psychedelia|psychedelic]] headtrip."<ref>{{cite journal |date=31 December 1988 |title=The Lair of the White Worm |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792433?refcatid=31 |accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lair_of_the_white_worm/ |title=The Lair of the White Worm (1988) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave it two stars out of four and called it "a respectable [[B movie|B-grade]] monster movie."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19881111/REVIEWS/811110304/1023 |title=Lair Of The White Worm :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews |last=Ebert |first=Roger |authorlink=Roger Ebert |work=rogerebert.suntimes.com |accessdate=28 July 2012 |date=11 November 1988}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called it "a rollicking, terrifying, post-[[psychedelia|psychedelic]] headtrip."<ref>{{cite journal |date=31 December 1988 |title=The Lair of the White Worm |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792433?refcatid=31 |accessdate=28 July 2012}}</ref>


Russell later used Donohoe and David on ''The Rainbow''.<ref>Rainbow warrior: After twenty years Ken Russell films Lawrence again
Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian 18 Aug 1988: 23. </ref>

Donohoe says there was some talk of a sequel but none was made.<ref.{{cite web|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/748030-interview-amanda-donohoe-ken-russells-lair-white-worm|website=Coming Soon|title=Interview: Amanda Donohoe on Ken Russell’s THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM|first= Chris|last= Alexander|date=December 17, 2015}}</ref>
== References ==
== References ==


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* {{IMDb title|0095488|The Lair of the White Worm}}
* {{IMDb title|0095488|The Lair of the White Worm}}
*[https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/the-lair-of-the-white-worm-1200427786/ Review of film] at Variety

*[https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2014/mar/28/the-lair-white-worm-ken-russell-my-guilty-pleasure My Guilty Pleasre: Lair of the White Worm] at The Guardian
{{Ken Russell}}
{{Ken Russell}}


Revision as of 19:39, 7 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 (eventually filmed in 1989). Ireland says that Russell originally wanted to cast Tilda Swinton, but she turned down the role after reading the script. 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]

Donahue says Russell sent her a script with a note saying "I don't know if you'll be interested in this little bit of nonsense but please read it anyway." She read it and agreed to play Lady Sylvia because, she said, it gave her "the opportunity to play a woman who is basically a fantasy woman. There are no boundaries. Therefore, I could do exactly as I chose with that lady.... I didn't want her to be some sort of vampire bimbo. I really wanted her to be a sort of incredibly sophisticated and ageless woman."[4]

"I always admire someone who really dares to be bad," said Donohoe of Russell. "Even his actors - people like Oliver Reed - have always impressed me that way. They can be brilliant or perfectly dreadful, but they're never boring. I'm fairly serious about acting and integrity, that films should have some real vrumph to them and say something about life. And I'd just been on this string of films and television films in the last two years, all pretty heavy stuff, and I thought 'Well, why not do a film that doesn't mean anything at all?'"[5]

The film shot in London in February 1988.[6]

Dan Ireland said he felt the film was Ken Russell's homage to Osacr Wilde. It was one of Hugh Grant's first movies and Ireland says Grant was "embarrassed by it" in later years.[2]

"I'm not sure if it was meant to be horrific or funny," Grant said shortly after the film was made. "When I saw it, I roared with laughter. As ever, I get to play a sort of upper-class young man. I have some exciting things to do: I get to slay a giant worm with a big sword, cutting it in half. Very, very symbolic stuff." [7]

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".[8]

"Ken loves danger," said Donahue. "One day he came in and played a tape for me and Hugh Grant of a drawing room comedy with Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Afterwards, we just looked at him with blank faces and he said `That's the way I want you to play your scenes.' It was mad but inspired."[9]

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.[10] Roger Ebert gave it two stars out of four and called it "a respectable B-grade monster movie."[11] Variety called it "a rollicking, terrifying, post-psychedelic headtrip."[12]

Russell later used Donohoe and David on The Rainbow.[13]

Donohoe says there was some talk of a sequel but none was made.<ref.Alexander, Chris (17 December 2015). "Interview: Amanda Donohoe on Ken Russell's THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM". Coming Soon.</ref>

References

  1. ^ The Lair of the White Worm at Box Office Mojo
  2. ^ a b "Dan Ireland on The Lair of the White Worm". Trailers from Hell on You Tube. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ Outrageous movie director's wild about Oscar: [FIN Edition] Dan Yakir Toronto Star 18 May 1988: D1.
  4. ^ AT THE MOVIES Gelder, Lawrence Van. New York Times 21 Oct 1988: C.10.
  5. ^ Amanda Donohoe had her doubts about doing a horror flick 'This is very peculiar' Lacey, Liam. The Globe and Mail 12 Oct 1988: C.5.
  6. ^ THE MOVIE CHART: [Home Edition] Los Angeles Times 28 Feb 1988: 38.
  7. ^ IN PERSON 'It's frightfully good stuff' Actor revels in bon vivant role Dabby, Victor. The Globe and Mail 13 July 1988: C.8.
  8. ^ Wilkins, Budd (9 February 2017). "The Lair of the White Worm | Blu-Ray Review | Slant Magazine". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  9. ^ Nothing to Hide: [Home Edition] Klady, Leonard. Los Angeles Times 19 Nov 1988: 1.
  10. ^ "The Lair of the White Worm (1988)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  11. ^ Ebert, Roger (11 November 1988). "Lair Of The White Worm :: rogerebert.com :: Reviews". rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  12. ^ "The Lair of the White Worm". Variety. 31 December 1988. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  13. ^ Rainbow warrior: After twenty years Ken Russell films Lawrence again Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian 18 Aug 1988: 23.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lair_of_the_White_Worm_(film)&oldid=920118819"