After the pretensions of Salome’s Last Dance, Ken Russell is back – sort of – with this critically praised adaptation of Bram (Dracula) Stoker’s bizarre story.

Amanda Donohoe, so smoldering in Castaway, plays a kinky lady with vampiric tendencies who belongs to a pagan cult that worships a monstrous white serpent.  Seems like it’s time for a human sacrifice and Amanda has her eyes set on a beautiful young virgin who has uncovered an ancient skull while on an architectural dig.

Before she captures the young woman, Donohoe attempts to satisfy her sexual cravings.  These sequences involve all sorts of gruesome endeavors.  Director Russell – back to his outrageous ways – concocts some wild dream sequences featuring religious imagery, S&M and all sorts of worms, snakes, serpents, etc.

Although Lair is often sluggish and nonsensical, it is also stylishly crafted and keeps coming up with inventive angles on the vampire theme.  In her slithery lizard skin dress, the frenzied Donohoe is marvelously malevolent as a pagan queen in heat.  This is a movie that you can hiss at and it would be taken as a compliment.  Highly marketable for vidstores.