Some horror fans may not realise that Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi starred together in this hidden gem from 1988.
It is widely known that Hugh Grant and Peter Capaldi both starred in the 2017 movie Paddington 2, but their previous collaboration is definitely more of a hidden gem. Back in 1988, Grant and Capaldi both starred as the heroes in Ken Russell’s The Lair of the White Worm, a supernatural horror movie, which is widely recognized for its blatant absurdity.
With Halloween looming, The Lair of the White Worm will be on many people’s watch-list this October. Some hail the film as a Halloween classic, whilst others simply dub it as bizarre – so what actually is The Lair of the White Worm about? What Is The Lair of the White Worm About?
Directed by Ken Russell, The Lair of the White Worm is loosely based on Bram Stoker’s 1911 novel of the same name. Whilst The Lair of the White Worm never reached Dracula’s popularity, it still embodies Stoker’s love of gothic horror.
The movie begins with an archaeologist’s discovery of a strange skull which has a serpent-like appearance. However, once this skull has been unearthed, an ancient evil force reawakens. As a result, a sleepy English village is faced with a series of strange and supernatural occurrences. Villagers begin to mysteriously disappear, creating a terrifying mystery which is rooted in English folklore.
The Lair of the White Worm is heavily inspired by the legend of the Lambton Worm, in which a dragon-like creature terrorized villages in the English countryside. John Lambton, an heir of the Lambton Estate, became determined to kill the Worm after many others had failed to slay the supernatural beast. In order to succeed, Lambton enlisted the help of a local witch who offered him guidance on how to kill the Worm. However, the witch also tells Lambton that after killing the Worm, he must then kill the first living thing he sees, or else his family will be cursed for nine generations.
