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The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

R  |   |  Comedy, Horror  |  21 October 1988 (USA)
5.8
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Ratings: 5.8/10 from 6,916 users  
Reviews: 70 user | 65 critic

Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint discovers an odd skull amid the ruins of a convent that he is excavating. Shortly thereafter, Lady Sylvia Marsh returns to Temple House, a nearby mansion,... See full summary »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Lord James D'Ampton
...
Eve Trent
...
Angus Flint
...
Mary Trent
Stratford Johns ...
Peters
...
P.C. Erny
Imogen Claire ...
Dorothy Trent
Chris Pitt ...
Kevin
...
Nurse Gladwell
Christopher Gable ...
Joe Trent
Lloyd Peters ...
Miranda Coe ...
Linzi Drew ...
Caron Anne Kelly ...
Edit

Storyline

Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint discovers an odd skull amid the ruins of a convent that he is excavating. Shortly thereafter, Lady Sylvia Marsh returns to Temple House, a nearby mansion, far earlier than expected. At a party in the village, Angus meets Lord James D'Ampton, who has just inherited his family's land right next to Temple House. Angus learns of the D'Ampton Worm, a huge dragon-snake that an earlier D'Ampton killed by cutting it in half. (There's a pretty catchy rock-folk song that tells the D'Ampton Worm legend.) As people begin disappearing and acting strangely over the next few days, the skull is stolen from Angus's room, and the watch of a missing person is found in a cavern that was the legendary home of the D'Ampton worm. Angus and James discover that there was an ancient cult that worshiped the worm as a god, and they theorize that the creature somehow survived its destruction, but it was trapped inside the cavern. The remainder of the movie shows Angus, James, ... Written by Alik Widge

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

worm | temple | cavern | skull | song | See All (193) »

Genres:

Comedy | Horror

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

21 October 1988 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

A Maldição da Serpente  »

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,189,315 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The skull of the pagan god Dionin used in the movie was constructed by adding sculpted sections to a real cow skull. The original teeth were pulled and replaced with fabricated ones to simulate the serpent look. Two skulls were fabricated for various scenes in the movie. See more »

Goofs

The snakes used in the film are not native to the United Kingdom nor are they venomous. See more »

Quotes

Lady Sylvia Marsh: Can I help you?
P.C. Erny: Oh, your ladyship, I've been stung by a snake.
Lady Sylvia Marsh: Snakes bite. Bees sting.
P.C. Erny: Yeah, it wouldn't be a bee this time of year.
Lady Sylvia Marsh: Hardly a snake either. It's probably a nettle.
See more »

Connections

Featured in Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

The D'Ampton Worm
Arranged and Performed by Emilio Perez Machado and Stephen Powys
Violinist Louise Newman
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

so bad, it's good
12 January 2002 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

This movie definitely belongs in the, "it's so bad it's good" category. However, the more times I see it, I'm thinking it's more like, "It's so bad, it's GREAT"! A good movie is in some ways is like a great plate of Italian food. It needs a firm base, some zesty sauce, and just the right amount of cheese.

I first heard about this movie when I was in high school. Everyone around me was catching it on cable except me. Everyone seemed to have the same opinion of the movie, "man, it's so weird". When I finally got to see the movie, we were over at a party at a practical strangers house in a town far from our own at 3 in the morning; an uncomfortable situation. But, when this movie came on, for some reason it made everything alright. I saw it years later in a bargain bin VHS rack and I had to get it. It was by far the best $5 I've ever spent. This is one of those movies that is great to watch late at night with a good buzz on. I'm sure it annoys the hell out of my wife, but this movie makes me laugh like a little kid.

Filmwise, the movie is terribly made (or, if you're a Ken Russel fan, wonderfully made). There's holes in the script, the acting is bad, the props even worse; but there are so many insanely bad puns in this movie that it gets more entertaining each time you see it.

I know I haven't said too much about the movie, but perhaps that's for the best. To sum it all up, it's a great flick if you're in the mood for a real cheesy B grade movie.


17 of 26 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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Recent Posts
This has nothing to do with Stoker's book, does it? marianp1
what was your */10 rating ? DawnRun
Does this film justify its place in the horror genre? chris_mb
Favorite Scene Discussion Slosh83
The Worm Song monkeybutt-1
Total rip off of the Lampton Worm stella_artois
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