Altered States, the Ken Russell work most people are familiar with, shows an artist in restraint. Russell has a large body of work, a good-sized portion of which consisted of musicals and comedies. Altered States was almost too heavy a film. Its somber plot and bleak tone was oddly offset by Russell's bizarre, almost lighthearted hallucination sequences. His return to the pseudo-horror genre shows us Ken Russell completely cutting loose, and giving us a delightfully absurd film that is sure to entertain.

Archaeology student and resident Scot stereotype Angus Flint digs up a huge reptilian skull on the property of young Lord D'Ampton (Hugh Grant), much to the interest of D'Ampton. It seems Lord D'Ampton is the direct descendant of a dragon slayer, a man who allegedly destroyed a great White Worm centuries before. D'Ampton even honors this accomplishment every year by holding a wacky party, complete with a Pogues-esque band and a giant replica Worm to antagonize his guests. Just like MY parties, ironically enough. We soon meet Lady Marsh (Amanda Donohoe...yes that's a tri-corner hat...don't ask me) who has taken her own interest in the skull of the Worm. It seems Marsh is a reptilian beastie herself, and she needs some tasty young virgins to feed her master, the not-quite-dead White Worm!

If Bram Stoker were alive today to see what Ken Russell had done to his novel, I could only IMAGINE the outcry. Somehow, I doubt Stoker's original vision involved stewardess catfights, monolithic strap-ons, nuns getting raped by Roman centurions, or penile sight gags. Not that it's a bad thing. Quite to the contrary, Lair of the White Worm works incredibly well despite its straying from source material. People often compare it to Evil Dead II, but that's grossly inaccurate. The humor is of the much sillier British variety, and there's much less slapstick involved. Oh, don't get me wrong, there's heaps of gore to be had, scads of skin, and other juicy bits. There's even Ken Russell's trademark bluescreen hallucinations in this puppy! It's ridiculous, campy, and a pure delight.

Picture quality was pretty nice, giving us nice color saturation and deep blacks, all tied up in an anamorphic frame (A shock, seeing as how Artisan seems to adore full frame) Sound is a nice clear Dolby 2.0 Surround, with virtually no distortions. But alas, there are no extras. None. Nil. Zero. I was disappointed, but I'll live, seeing as how I bought it at Best Buy for 9.99.

Needless to say, Lair of the White Worm rawks. It's a deliciously stupid, gleefully violent, and unapologetically goofy. While Stoker may not have approved, I think the movie works out better for it in the end. If you're not afraid of one of the most phallic dragons EVER, give it a look!