Review of The Lair of the White Worm (1988) by Morgan O — 05 May 2010
Like all Ken Russell films, LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM is over the top and damn good fun. You can watch it and tick off all the Russell prerequisite boxes as you go: Paganism? Check. Religious iconography? Check. Pop-psychology? Yep. Punishing, overtly sexual female figures? Oh yes...
Yes, they're all in there, topped off nicely with a heap of heavily stylised gothic broodiness and a wonderful sense of daft fun.
I really do enjoy seeing Russell's juxtapositions of tedious, tradition struck middle-England and it's pulsating paganistic origins. Even more so when Amanda Donohoe plays the ultimate homage to the femme fatale vamps of Hollywood yesteryear, and looks like sex incarnate.
The plot buzzes along nicely, never once stopping to take itself seriously or question the increasingly bizarre narrative turns of events. The cast all play up to their respective tropes admirably and manage to infuse the film with a charming camp sensibility which lasts right to the (totally ridiculous and overblown) finale and dénouement.
This movie got a lot of bad press and I can't help but wonder if the critics of the day would now enjoy it more with retrospect, and also having taken the sticks out of their arses.
This review of The Lair of the White Worm (1988) was written by Morgan O on 05 May 2010.
The Lair of the White Worm has generally received mixed reviews.
Was this review helpful?
