Hugh Grant, Amanda Donohoe, and Catherine Oxenberg star in this mix of heart-stopping horror and campy humor. James D’Ampton (Grant) returns to his country castle in England. Legend has it that James’s distant ancestor once slayed the local dragon — a monstrous white worm with a fondness for the sweet flesh of virgins. The young lord dismisses the legend as folklore, until archaeology student Angus Flint explores James’s property and unearths a massive reptilian skull and a pagan snake god’s ancient site of worship. When James’s virtuous girlfriend, Eve Trent (Oxenberg), suddenly disappears, James and Angus set out to investigate the foreboding cavern said to be the worm’s lair, where a centuries-old mystery begins to uncoil.
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Video Quality
The Lair of the White Worm returns to Blu-Ray in SteelBook form with a 1080p transfer that is identical to the standard version released in 2017. As with many releases from the Vestron line, the effort is decent overall but is not likely to dazzle. This is clearly derived from a dated master that has not had a significant amount of work done to it. There are intermittent specks of print damage present in the transfer that did not get cleaned up during any previous digital restoration pass.
Colors are mostly decent with many moments tapping into the lush palette, but there are scenes where the color timing feels a bit off or anemic. Black levels could use a refresh, but they are passable in their depth. Quality shifts depending on the location as the film can look either surprisingly clear and detailed or soft and lacking crisp edges. The transfer is naturally filmic with only minor processing and some decent detail in the landscapes, production design, and texture of the clothing. The film grain renders a bit chunky and swarming at points. We are at a point when a new 2K or 4K scan would be a welcome sight, but this disc still holds up well enough to enjoy.
Audio Quality
Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings us this Blu-Ray with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that capably reproduces the soundscape of the narrative. Dialogue emanates without concern, coming through clearly without being drowned out by the music or sound effects. There are no issues such as drop-outs, hissing, sibiliance, or anything of the sort. The environmental effects are defined well with the mythical creature creating unsettling sounds during the finale. The score holds up with a top-tier fidelity. This track accomplishes what it sets out to do without any major stumbling blocks. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
Lionsgate has provided The Lair of the White Worm with an optional sleek new SteelBook available exclusively at Wal-Mart that is truly lovely in person. You can see a video of the set at the top of this review. The on-disc content is as follows:
- Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks provided that delve into the creation of the film, adapting the Bram Stoker source material, the casting of various performers, the shooting locations, how the film draws from real-life traditions, and so much more. The Ken Russell track is very entertaining and the more lively of the two, but both are worth a listen.
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Ken Russell
- Audio Commentary #2: Lisi Russell, in Conversation with Film Historian Matthew Melia
- Worm Food – Interviews with Special Effects Artists Geoffrey Portass, Neil Gorton, and Paul Jones: A newer 27-minute interview with the special effects artists in which they discuss coming to the project, working with Ken Russell, the creation of different elements, memorable moments on set, working with the worm, and much more.
- Cutting For Ken – An Interview with Editor Peter Davies: A newer nearly 10-minute interview with the editor in which he discusses his background, working with Russell, the volatile nature of the experience, his feelings about the film, and more.
- Trailers From Hell featuring Producer Dan Ireland: A three-minute reflection of the film by its producer that gives insight into how the film was created.
- Mary, Mary – An Interview with Actress Sammi Davis: A 16-minute newer interview with the actress in which she reflects on the creation of the film, her relationship with Ken Russell, memories of her fellow performers, her fear of the snakes, shooting on a low budget, and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.
- Stilly Gallery: A Still Gallery is included here.
Final Thoughts
The Lair of the White Worm is a patently weird movie from the twisted mind of Ken Russell by way of Bram Stoker. The movie feels somewhat like a fever dream that has the horny point of view of Russell applied to it, and your mileage for such an endeavor will undoubtedly vary from audience to audience. Those who have an appreciation for performers like Hugh Grant will still want to think twice before settling in since this occupies a strange in his filmography. It’s a bold, ridiculous effort, and we are glad it exists. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray through their Vestron Video Collector’s Series featuring a decent A/V presentation and a great array of special features in new SteelBook packaging. If you like your horror to have a touch of the wild and weird, give this one a shot. Recommended
The Lair of the White Worm is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray in a Limited Edition SteelBook exclusively at Wal-Mart.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
