Die Hard!!!
Yes, "Die Hard," which is one of the reasons I have a hard time recommending this book to anyone, fans of Russell or not, but . . .
One of the strengths of Ken's films is their "richness." For as many times as you see one of his films, there's always something new to see, or somebody points out something new to you. For example, film critic Ken Hanke points out, that while "The Devils" is the better of the two films, "The Lair of the White Worm" is the less controversial, because of its lighter tone. But I wonder if the tone of the two films is not closer than one suspects.
Looking at an extensive collection of stills from the film, while "The Devils" starts out as harrowing, the images become so exaggerated, that the film almost becomes comedic. Meanwhile, "The Lair of the White Worm" starts out as comedic, but becomes increasingly harrowing.
And I wonder if "The Lair of the White Worm" is not the more anti-Catholic of the two films. While the heroes are ineffective, they are likable and Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) is a "likable Catholic" despite his flaws, as are some of this parishioners. On the other hand the most "likable Catholic" in "The Lair of the White Worm" is Eve Trent (Catherine Oxenberg), and I don't know if she is all that likable.
And while the villains are effective in "The Devils," none of them are particularly likable. On the other hand, the villainess and anti-Catholic Lady Sylvia Marsh (Amanda Donohoe) is not particularly effective in "The Lair of the White Worm," but she is the most likable character in the film.
Next time: a book I can recommend for Russell's fans.