Review of The Lair of the White Worm (1988) by Detective_Lindy — 11 May 2021

Roger Ebert saved his most savage paragraph ever written for this film, which isn't as good as my score indicates, but has its fans who are right about it. Did Ebert get up and go to the bathroom during the fantasy/dream sequences? They demonstrate a surrealist ethic that would make Salvador Dali himself jealous.

Based on one of the worst horror novels ever written (of the same name by Bram "Dracula" Stoker, no less), Ken Russell hits his stride with an adaptation that finds a perfect balance between desire and repulsion, dumb jokes and disturbing scares. A pre-famous Hugh Grant gives us a nice view of his range, while Amanda Donohoe gives us the last great female villain since Cruella DeVille. If you don't find the latter equal parts sinister and sexy, then you are probably dead. With marijuana legalization sweeping the nation, this film should rightfully claim its mantle as a cult classic (cough cough, looking at you Denver...wow...look at the colors!) Seriously (and I was being serious), if you liked Peter "Lord of the Rings" Jackson for his spectacular work in his zombie sendup "Braindead," stop reading this review and give this movie a shot.