Part of Staff Picks and programmed by Elle, who says: “My deepest appreciation for the most compelling evil vibe in cinema: a sexy witchy anti-Christian snake goddess vampire villain in iconic sunglasses.”
Terror ensnares a village in the British countryside when archeology student Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi) uncovers what looks to be the skull of a giant snake. Soon, Flint and Lord James D’Ampton (Hugh Grant) find themselves tangling with a bizarre cult worshipping a monstrous serpent that was believed to have been slain by one of D’Ampton’s ancestors. The predatory Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe) soon takes an interest in both Flint and the virginal Eve (Catherine Oxenberg), hinting that the vicious D’Ampton Worm may still live. Director Ken Russell’s offbeat blend of spine-tingling terror and campy comedy make this a folk horror flick of the highest order, based on Bram Stoker’s novel (and significantly less racist), worthy of its cult classic status.
35mm collection print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
