SHOCK discusses Ken Russell’s kinky masterpiece THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM and chats with its star, Amanda Donohoe.
Ken Russell -God rest him -was one of cinema historys great eccentrics. And though his controversial 1971 cinematic freak-out THE DEVILS still stands as one of the most important meditations on sin, lust and corruption, and though Russells pop culture pay-dirt hit with his hyper-kinetic 1975 adaptation of The Whos rock opera TOMMY, I think my single favorite Ken Russell joint is his 93-minute stretch of coiled, semi-offensive, quintessentially Russell immersion into funny, free-form perversion; the dirty-minded, blackly comic romp that is 1988’s THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM.
Loosely based on the considerably less saucy short story by mad Irishman (and of course, Dracula mastermind) Bram Stoker, THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM was part of a package deal of movies the wacky filmmaker produced and directed for the fledgling (now defunct) theatrical wing of Vestron Pictures, a lower budget but high-concept multi-genre freak-out that defied easy classification. The movie tells the tail eating tale of orphaned sisters Mary (the delightful Sammi Davis) and Eve (Catherine Oxenberg), two lasses who while away their days happily running their parents quaint country guesthouse and fritter away their nights flirting with bratty local Lord James Dampton (a charming, early turn by future megastar Hugh Grant) and visiting Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi). When hapless, kilt clad Indiana Jones clone Flint unearths an unclassifiable, monstrous reptile skull in a buried pagan convent near the girls property, a midnight visit is paid by their mysterious, reclusive and undeniably gorgeous neighbor Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe).
Seems the slinky Marsh isnt only an ultra rich, man hungry mama but a deadly, venom spitting, snake worshipping vampire hellcat too. Shes a high priestess of the cult of Dionin, a giant flesh eating serpent whose legions have plagued the village since Christ was a carpenter. After the cooing Marsh steals the ancient serpent noggin she soon learns that the beautiful Eve hasnt yet had her own treasures plundered, the depraved aristocrat sets out on a plot to serve her current, very much alive and starving, scaly, cave dwelling master virgin a la carte. In the meantime, Marsh makes do with vomiting poison on a cross, provokes mind blowing, theologically offensive hallucinations in the sweet, cheerful Mary (including a mass murder/sexual assault of a legion of nuns that echoes THE DEVILS), vampirizes a chubby beat cop and gives a halitosis-plagued boy scout the worst blowjob of his short, horny life.
There are so many dirty delights to savor in THE LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM. Its a virtual pig out of cheerfully rude, typically bad Ken Russell behavior (and this writer had the honor of seeing it with Russell in Montreal, shortly before his passing; we even sang the song ‘The Dampton Worm’ together in the theater!). But outside of the plethora of hallucinatory, eye-smacking imagery, oddball cast of characters and general yummy nastiness that smothers virtually every frame, its the presence of the lithe, sexually sophisticated Donohoe herself that truly hits this epic of raunchy shock out of the park. Whether brashly parading about town in knee kissing kinky boots, or baring her elongated, crotch positioned, venom tipped canines, or licking her damp lips seductively before inserting a massive phallus into her various victims naughty bits, Donohoe is nothing short of ribald royalty. Shes the quintessential campy Russell anti-heroine, all taboo sex and hypnotic, winking menace, the logical, blood hungry, supernatural successor to Kathleen Turners deeply troubled, animalistic dominatrix in Russells overheated X-rated 1985 melodrama CRIMES OF PASSION.
The lanky, toned and happily uninhibited actress would also appear in one more Russell/Vestron vehicle, the same years passionate DH Lawrence prequel THE RAINBOW in addition to the previous years incredibly underrated melodrama CASTAWAY, a film directed by another mad Brit auteur, Nicolas Roeg and co-starring a hirsute Oliver Reed. Eventually she would settle into a high profile role in TVs LA Law but it is with this deliriously madcap, one of a kind venture into deepest, darkest irreverent Russell-dom that Lady Donohoes persona would be irrevocably etched into horror and cult film cinema history.
Heres an interview SHOCK conducted with Donohoe for your reading pleasure.
Meet Lady Sylvia Marsh
SHOCK: The first time I saw you was in Nicolas Roegs CASTAWAY. What are your memories of that haunting, dreamlike picture?
DONOHOE: CASTAWAY was only the second movie I had made and my first leading role so I was still a complete novice and I was overwhelmed and delighted to be working with two of my heroes of cinema, Nic Roeg and of course Oliver Reed. I had no idea, however, how difficult it would be dealing with a leading man who, upon reflection, was well on his way to becoming a chronic alcoholic. The rest is history, as they say.
SHOCK: Was it a difficult shoot, then?
DONOHOE: Well, filming in the Seychelles could be grueling at times, but we always managed to have a lot of fun and Oliver was always extremely professional; it was the times in between filming that were rather more challenging. One more day in fucking paradise was the daily motto.
SHOCK: Its such an odd, beautiful and underrated film
DONOHOE: I havent watched the movie for years, but yes Id agree it is indeed strange and beautiful as was Lucy Irvines book from which the screenplay was adapted.
SHOCK: How did you land on Ken Russell’s radar for those two incredible Vestron pictures?
DONOHOE: Ken Russell saw CASTAWAY and, of course, he knew Nic Roeg very well. They were the enfant terribles of the British film industry at one time, after all. I think thats how it happened, anyway.
SHOCK: Was Ken as charmingly bizarre to work with as his words and his work would lead us to believe?
DONOHOE: Oh yes! Absolutely Ken was one of the most delightfully strange artists Ive worked with. And you know, his body of work, is still more interesting, provocative and challenging than 90% of the movies made in the last three decades. As are Roegs in my humble opinion
SHOCK: Did anyone on the set of LAIR OF THE WHITE WORM actually read the original Stoker text?
DONOHOE: Im not sure if they did or not but I know that I did not read the Stoker novel and well, lets face it, it was a Ken Russell film so it really didnt matter! (Laughs)
SHOCK: Im absolutely in love with the film, but I dont know of many others who are as devoted to it as I am. Am I wrong?
DONOHOE: Well, I think it depends which kind of a movie fan you talk to. Apparently its heavily downloaded on in the UK as are clips of me as Lady Sylvia on You Tube.
SHOCK: Why wasnt there a sequel to LAIR? I remember hearing something about the possibility
DONOHOE: There was talk, years ago, of a sequel, but I wanted to move on. And I think Hugh Grant was a little too busy with other things by then!
SHOCK: Your dedication to socialism and your sexuality have always been a strong part of your public identity. But have any of the edgier scenes you’ve done in these early works – like the gleefully perverse hallucinations in LAIR, the frequent nudity in CASTAWAY, ever put you in a position where you’re called to defend your devout, equally well publicized, feminist stance?
DONOHOE: Its true that I was breaking taboos in those days but it seems that nothing is shocking to the public anymore, least of all extreme violence as entertainment, which saddens me. Im rather pleased though, that sex and sexuality in general are so much more accepted and talked about. As far as defending my work from a feminist point of view, feminism, in its purest sense, means, quite simply, that one supports the concept of the equality of the sexes; An extended recognition of the claims (equal rights) of women as defined by the Oxford Concise Dictionary. This has nothing to do with nudity in art, or cinema. It is a political point of view and a strong personal belief that is thankfully now, enshrined by law.
SHOCK: From your early work with Adam Ant, to Roeg to Russell – you seem to gravitate towards eccentric artists and they seem to bring out the best in you. Can you comment?
DONOHOE: Yes, and I still gravitate toward eccentric artists in cinema as well as other creative fields. After all the glitz, glamour and artifice of living in Hollywood, I find them refreshingly direct and irreverent. In fact I live with one such artist now. His field of expertise is sound and some of his stuff is pretty radical which of course I love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG3p4rhL6g0
(Note: portions of this interview were previously printed in Chris Alexander’s ‘Blood Spattered Book’, from Midnight Marquee Press)
