The Lair of the White Worm (film)
Encyclopedia
The Lair of the White Worm is a 1988
film based loosely on the novel by Bram Stoker
of the same name and drawing upon the English myth of the Lambton Worm
. The film was written and directed by Ken Russell
and stars Amanda Donohoe
and Hugh Grant
.
), a Scottish archaeology student excavating the site of convent, at the Derbyshire
Bed & Breakfast run by the Trent sisters, Mary (Sammi Davis
) and Eve (Catherine Oxenberg
), unearths an unusual skull which appears to be that of a large snake. He ties the find to the local legend of the d'Ampton "worm", a mythical snake slain in Stonerich Cavern by John d'Ampton, the ancestor of current Lord of the Manor, James d'Ampton (Hugh Grant
). When the watch of the Trent sisters' father, who disappeared a year ago near Temple House, the stately home of Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe
), is found miles away in Stonerich Cavern, James thinks the legendary creature may have survived and still be alive deep beneath the cavern. The enigmatic Lady Sylvia is the immortal priestess to the snake god Dionin, which, as James suspected, still exists in the caves beneath her house which connect with Stonerich Cavern. She steals the skull and later abducts Eve to be the latest sacrificial offering to her god, but her actions are discovered and James with the help of Angus manages to rescue Eve and destroy both Sylvia and the worm, but both are unfortunately contaminated, and so will be carrying on the snakelike vampiric condition.
in Hertfordshire
and on location at Gaddesden Place
near the Gade Valley, Knebworth House
and in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire.
The Derbyshire house used as the location for Mercy Farm was previously used as the Gordon family Home in the 1970s TV series The Adventures of Black Beauty
.
gave it two stars and wrote:
"It provides you with exactly what you would expect from a movie named 'The Lair of the White Worm.' It has a lair, it has a worm, the worm is white and there is a sufficient number of screaming victims to be dragged down into the lair by the worm."
The film is rated R16 in New Zealand for its sexual violence.
1988 in film
-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice...
film based loosely on the novel by Bram Stoker
Bram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
of the same name and drawing upon the English myth of the Lambton Worm
Lambton Worm
The Lambton Worm is a legend from North East England in the UK. The story takes place around the River Wear, and is one of the area's most famous pieces of folklore, having been adapted from written and oral tradition into pantomime and song formats....
. The film was written and directed by Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
and stars Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe is an English film and television actress. She is known for her 1980s relationship with popstar Adam Ant and her later work on television — including L.A. Law and Emmerdale — and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.-Early life:Donohoe was born in London, the daughter...
and Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
.
Plot
Angus Flint (Peter CapaldiPeter Capaldi
Peter Dougan Capaldi is an Academy Award and BAFTA award winning Scottish actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
), a Scottish archaeology student excavating the site of convent, at the Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
Bed & Breakfast run by the Trent sisters, Mary (Sammi Davis
Sammi Davis
Sammi Davis is a British actress.She gained considerable praise for her performance in Ken Russell's The Rainbow...
) and Eve (Catherine Oxenberg
Catherine Oxenberg
Catherine Oxenberg is an American actress known for her performance as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s American prime time soap opera Dynasty. The daughter of HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Oxenberg is a descendant of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty.-Early life:Though born in New York City,...
), unearths an unusual skull which appears to be that of a large snake. He ties the find to the local legend of the d'Ampton "worm", a mythical snake slain in Stonerich Cavern by John d'Ampton, the ancestor of current Lord of the Manor, James d'Ampton (Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
). When the watch of the Trent sisters' father, who disappeared a year ago near Temple House, the stately home of Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe
Amanda Donohoe is an English film and television actress. She is known for her 1980s relationship with popstar Adam Ant and her later work on television — including L.A. Law and Emmerdale — and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.-Early life:Donohoe was born in London, the daughter...
), is found miles away in Stonerich Cavern, James thinks the legendary creature may have survived and still be alive deep beneath the cavern. The enigmatic Lady Sylvia is the immortal priestess to the snake god Dionin, which, as James suspected, still exists in the caves beneath her house which connect with Stonerich Cavern. She steals the skull and later abducts Eve to be the latest sacrificial offering to her god, but her actions are discovered and James with the help of Angus manages to rescue Eve and destroy both Sylvia and the worm, but both are unfortunately contaminated, and so will be carrying on the snakelike vampiric condition.
Cast
- Hugh GrantHugh GrantHugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
as Lord James D'Ampton - Amanda DonohoeAmanda DonohoeAmanda Donohoe is an English film and television actress. She is known for her 1980s relationship with popstar Adam Ant and her later work on television — including L.A. Law and Emmerdale — and her roles in successful movies including Liar, Liar.-Early life:Donohoe was born in London, the daughter...
as Lady Sylvia Marsh - Catherine OxenbergCatherine OxenbergCatherine Oxenberg is an American actress known for her performance as Amanda Carrington on the 1980s American prime time soap opera Dynasty. The daughter of HRH Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, Oxenberg is a descendant of the Serbian Karađorđević dynasty.-Early life:Though born in New York City,...
as Eve Trent - Peter CapaldiPeter CapaldiPeter Dougan Capaldi is an Academy Award and BAFTA award winning Scottish actor and film director. In 1995, his short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life won the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
as Angus Flint - Sammi DavisSammi DavisSammi Davis is a British actress.She gained considerable praise for her performance in Ken Russell's The Rainbow...
as Mary Trent - Paul BrookePaul BrookePaul Brooke is an English actor of film, television, and radio. He is the father of actor Tom Brooke.He and Ernie Fosselius played Malakili the Rancor Keeper in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. He played British Conservative politician Ian Gow in the 2004 BBC series The Alan Clark Diaries...
as Ernie
Filming
The film was shot at Elstree StudiosElstree Studios
"Elstree Studios" refers to any of several film studios that were based in the towns of Borehamwood and Elstree in Hertfordshire, England, since film production begun in 1927.-Name:...
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and on location at Gaddesden Place
Gaddesden Place
Gaddesden Place, near Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England, was designed by architect James Wyatt and built between 1768 and 1773, and was the home of the noted Hertfordshire Halsey family....
near the Gade Valley, Knebworth House
Knebworth House
Knebworth House is a country house in the civil parish of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England.-History and description:The home of the Lytton family since 1490, when Thomas Bourchier sold the reversion of the manor to Sir Robert Lytton, Knebworth House was originally a genuine red-brick Late Gothic...
and in the Peak District National Park, Derbyshire.
The Derbyshire house used as the location for Mercy Farm was previously used as the Gordon family Home in the 1970s TV series The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty
The Adventures of Black Beauty is a British children's television drama series produced by London Weekend Television and shown by ITV in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1974...
.
Critical response
The film received mainly lukewarm reviews. Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave it two stars and wrote:
"It provides you with exactly what you would expect from a movie named 'The Lair of the White Worm.' It has a lair, it has a worm, the worm is white and there is a sufficient number of screaming victims to be dragged down into the lair by the worm."
The film is rated R16 in New Zealand for its sexual violence.
External links
- Bram Stoker Online Full text, PDF and audio versions of The Lair of the White Worm.