The 1988 film "The Lair of the White Worm" is loosely based on the 1911 novel The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker, the author of the novel Dracula and an English legend known as "The Lampton Worm". "Worm" or "wyrm" was an old English word meaning dragon or snake. Two sisters run a bed and breakfast hotel in rural England. They get to know an English lord and an archaelogist who is digging near the hotel which is on the site of a Roman fort. The archaelogist finds some ancient Roman coins and a large skull of an large animal or reptile. The two sisters, the lord and the archaelogist become involved with a modern version of an ancient snake cult run by a glamorous local noblewoman. Two fictional coins of the British Roman Emperor Marcus Carausius (reigned AD 286 to 293) are shown, one with a right facing head and the other with a snake curled around a cross. These coins must have been made for the film.

Angus Flint, an archaelogist, is staying at the Mercy Farm, a bed and breakfast hotel located in Derbyshire, England. Two sisters, Eve and Mary Trent, run the hotel. Their parents disappeared a year ago and are still missing. The hotel is on the site of an ancient Roman settlement and later a Christian convent.

The skull appears to be that of a large reptile or snake.

Angus shows Eve Trent two coins which he has also found.

Two fictional coins of the Roman Emperor Marcus Carausius are shown, the left coin reverse has a snake curled around a cross, and the obverse has a right facing head of the Emperor. These coins must have been made for the film as they appear too modern for ancient coins. Angus explains that the Romans sometimes adopted parts of the religions that they encountered and that in this area they continued the worship of Dionin, a snake god.

The newly established lord of the area is James D'Ampton, a young Royal Air Force (RAF) officer. His seat is a palace and every year the lord holds a celebration of his ancient ancestor John D'Ampton who supposedly killed a dragon or "worm" which was living in Stonerich Cavern, a large local cave.

While previous lords held drinking parties, Lord James holds a party with a modern rock band and and people costumed as the D'Ampton Worm. Lady Sylvia Marsh is a glamorous woman who lives in Temple House which was supposedly built on the site of the Roman temple of the snake god. While the sisters and the men are at the party she visits the hotel and looks around.

Lady Sylvia is the master of a modern incarnation of the snake cult and can turn herself into a snake woman with long fangs. If not treated with a snakebite antidote, her bite will turn the victim into a snake person. Back home Angus is back at work on a cold day at his dig.

He has uncovered some Roman art.

The mosaic displays the snake and cross emblem of the cult. Lady Sylvia picks up a hitchhiking boy scout whom she takes to her house.

She then bites him and the venom paralyzes him. She tells him that he is to be a sacrifice to Dionin.

They discuss snakes and she tells him that she is afraid of snakes. Back home James looks at a painting.

Some explorers have found a watch belonging to Eve and Mary's father in the cave and the four decide to explore the cave.

After they leave the cave Eve goes home but is intercepted by Lady Sylvia who takes her to Temple House to be another human sacrifice. James believes that there is a giant snake living in the caves which connect to Temple House, and from his house he uses loudspeakers to play Turkish snake charmer music in an attempt to lure a cult member to his house. Lady Sylvia responds.

Lord James' butler Peters relaxes.

Angus and Mary enter the Temple House where they find Mary's mother Dorothy is alive but has become a snake woman. Dorothy bites Mary and then leaves and heads for Lord James' house.

She first bites the butler Peters and then encounters James who cuts her in half with a large sword. Mary and Angus enter the cave below the Temple House and encounter Lady Sylvia and Eve. Lady Sylvia bites Angus and ties up Mary.

Lady Sylvia has Eve suspended over a tunnel prepared for sacrifice. Sylvia accidently falls towards the pit and grabs Eve's feet.

Angus severs the connection dropping Sylvia into Dionen's hungry mouth.

Angus then drops a hand grenade into Dionin's mouth and flees before the grenade explodes. He then injects himself with an antidote to Lady Sylvia's snakebite.

James and Angus celebrate their victory over the cult.

Unfortunately a nurse calls Angus and tells him that she actually sent him arthritis medicine and not the snakebite antidote. He realizes that he is becoming a snake person.

Amanda Donohoe as Lady Sylvia Marsh
Hugh Grant as Lord James D'Ampton
Peter Capaldi as Angus Flint
Catherine Oxenberg as Eve Trent
Sammi Davis as Mary Trent
Stratford Johns as Peters (the butler)
Paul Brooke as Police Constable Ernie
Imogen Claire as Dorothy Trent
Director: Ken Russell
Writers: Ken Russell
Based on the 1911 novel The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker