The Dryden will screen The Lair of the White Worm (Ken Russell, U.K. 1988, 93 min., 35mm).

James Card apparently had great affection for this campy horror directed by Ken Russell, the filmmaker known for classics like Tommy (1975) and Altered States (1980). Russell loosely based the film's screenplay on Bram Stoker's novel of the same name, but the film ultimately takes leave of its source material, going off in wild, unexpected directions. After Scottish archaeologist Angus Flint (Peter Capaldi) unearths the remains of what appears to be a giant snake, strange events begin to unfold in the Derbyshire countryside surrounding the excavation site. Flint soon learns of the legend surrounding this "worm," and eventually meets James D'Ampton (Hugh Grant), who claims to be the descendant of the knight credited with slaying the mythical creature. The Lair of the White Worm is jam-packed with Russell's trademark mixture of horror, sexual innuendo, and droll humor.

[source: Dryden website, 2015-Jun-15]