The Lair of the White Worm (REGION 1) (NTSC) [DVD] [US Import]

Scottish student of archaeology Angus Flint(Peter Capaldi) is excavating the ruins of a convent in the Derbyshire hills, when he uncovers a large skull of an unknown animal. Angus is puzzled to its origin as he finds Roman coins and a mosaic portraying a giant snake in the same site. When attending a party in the village, Angus encounters James d'Ampton(Hugh Grant), a descendant of a previous Lord of the manor who slayed a fearsome snake like dragon by cutting it in two. The current d'Ampton believes the skull to be related to the legend. Meanwhile Lady Sylvia Marsh(Amanda Donohue) returns unexpectedly to her stately home called Temple House. Soon, the skull has been stolen and the two sisters that Angus is lodging with are put in terrible danger, as an ancient evil reaches out to the present day, needing a human sacrifice to ressurect a powerful pagan god from its slumber.
When a was a young boy I was given a book about mysterious beasties of legend. One of my favourite stories in that book concerned the legend of the Lambton worm. This legend formed the basis of a story written by Dracula author Bram Stoker, which was in turn adapted into this barmy film by Ken Russell.
Of course, with this being a Russell film, theres not much subtlety on dispay, but quite a lot of naked flesh can be found here. Also present are the usual trippy dream sequences involving religious and sexual imagery. Its also completely bonkers, but you would have to be a complete killjoy not to be drawn into its crazy splendour. Grant is even posher than usual here, but he gives a very likeable performance. Donohue hardly underplays her role either, delivering every line with camp relish. Capaldi is great as heroic Angus, who even has a mongosse lurking under his kilt in case of emergencies, and its great to see Stratford Johns at his pithy best as d'Ampton's butler. Sammi Davis is also great as gutsy Mary Trent, and the only letdown is Catherine Oxenburg's performance as Mary's sister Eve, a pivotal role, but a limp performance. The other main points of note are some excellent cinematography and an excellent dreamlike music score.
Anyway, this is a great tongue in cheek horror, hugely entertaining and really quite unique. The German DVD release has a very nice picture transfer, removeable German subtitles, but no real extras, apart from a couple of trailers and a chapter menu. 5 out of 5 for the film though.

Bit of an old one, some quite good imagery including a graphic nun and roman gladiator sequence and a dream sequence involving Hugh Grant’s girlfriend and Amanda Donohoe dressed up as Air Stewardesses rolling round on the floor while he sits there watching and getting a tad hot under the collar. Well worth the money. The end sequence is hilarious with the dispatching of the said white worm.

It's hard to imagine in these days of mega-violence and stomach-turning gore just how contentious and controversial Ken Russell's films were back in his day.
He's stated in interviews that all his films are comedies and you can take him at his word on that, but critics just don't get it. He hit one with a rolled up newspaper on a tv show, which prompted the self-same critic (and renowned Russell-basher) to famously proclaim in print: "Get me an elephant gun, this man must be stopped!"

It's easy to see why these people detest Russell. He's been goading them for decades. Grabbing what little money he could from the ever-so-worthy British film industry and making mad, tragi-comic films about VERY serious and highbrow composers and artists taking drugs, getting drunk, taking their clothes off and running screaming around beautifully lit country houses in eye-bulging fits.

Russell doesn't like factual bi-opics and faithful adaptations, he likes making it up as he goes along - believing the spirit of the person or work in question is far more important than insignificant details - ie, facts. Your standard Time Out reading intellectual and particularly the classical world cognoscenti don't see the funny side of this AT ALL.

If you're in on the joke though, you're in for a treat. 'LOTWW' is seen as a 'lesser' Russell work but I think it's one of his best. Based on a story by Bram Stoker, it's a hoary old tale of vampires/reptiles/pagan gods etc, but you've never seen it done like this before.
The cast are obviously in on the joke, particularly dishy Amanda Donahoe as the chief villainess. Slinky and seductive (with a wardrobe to match!) she slithers her way magnificently through scene and scenery in her characters admirable quest to resurrect an age-old pagan snake god by means of human sacrifice.
Hugh Grant (in a fantastic coat) gives his best performance as the playboy lord of the manor who's ancestor originally slew the titular beast and sees himself similarly responsible to 'scotch the bugger' again.

Jokes/homage/pastiches come thick and fast: a 'Citizen Kane' reference; a 'Tommy' joke involving Grant and a drum kit; Hammer Films; David Lean; 'Cleopatra' etc etc ~ in fact, like most of Russell's films, it's a movie-buff's dream - and, like the man himself, a complete one-off.

And yes, there's gore and shocks as well. Mass impaling (of nuns); Roman pillaging (of nuns); some sadistic dialogue paraphrasing 'the Devils' (about nuns!); a brilliantly low-budget eye-gouging (no nuns..!?), and a dream sequence on a plane, with Donohoe and Catherine Oxenberg dressed as air-hostesses, who..well, you'll have to see that for yourselves. Enough to say, Russell's firmly on home turf and doesn't disappoint.

Also starring the excellent Sammi Davis, brave heart Peter Capaldi, a startlingly good cameo from the late Stratford Johns as a snarky butler, as well as a smattering of Russell stock regulars from his 70's heyday snaked in for good measure. All superb.

It's a shame Russell didn't do more stuff like this (his revered 'Dracula' script is without doubt the script I'd most like to hear he's finally filmed) and it does show what can be achieved on a low budget if you have some-one with vision and imagination in the cockpit.
'LOTWW' makes a great double-bill with the same directors 'Gothic', another gem damned by faint-praise, but a rattling good ride despite it all.

Stoker could never have envisaged his creation being presented this way, but secretly, in his starched-collar, stoic Victorian way, I think he would approve.