The Omen [Blu-ray]

The Omen was a good four star horror film that I saw in 1976 which had an excellent story and good special effects. The gated cemetary guarded by hounds from hell was fantastic, and as far as atmosphere and pure horror this scene was on a par with the old Universal movies. The musical score was very effective at establishing the mood for the film.

What I don't understand was the absolute rave that came out of Hollywood for this film at the academy awards which had dozens of dancers on stage and vocalists chanting in Latin. This was entertaining but didn't really make any sense. All of Hollywood turned out to say this film was the best thing for horror since Universal's Frankenstein. I thought it was good but not deserving of all that praise.

This was the first horror film I saw with my wife after we were married in 1976, and I really had to work to get her to see it. Actually, it worked out well for both of us as she appeared to like this film, minus the explicit gore. This was the first of the Omen films and set the series off to a good start for years to come.

This film received extensive advertising on posters, NYC subway stations, newspapers, radio and television and got many fans talking about it prior to release. It was an exciting time for horror at the movies again and I understand and agree with the average Amazon reviewer.

The Omen is remastered in this DVD 2 disc set and looks fabulous. DVD extra features gives the backstory to the "curse" of The Omen during filming. One particular documentary covers the entire series. I loved it and am very happy to have this in my horror/thriller collection.

"The Omen" is one of those few, infact very few realistic horror films. A story that is based on a real fact. Excellent chemistry between Greggory Peck and Lee Remick, the romantic score by Jerry Goldsmith is simply delightfull. Billie Whitelaw was fabulous as the evil Governess, she was very expressive and done her part really well. David Warner as usual gives his best performence. Last but not the least the child Harvey Stephens does very well, the evil expressions that easily potrayed from the little child. Haunting music from Jerry Goldsmith. Excellent scenarios and wonderfull direction makes the film a true classic. If you love classics, trust me you will definately love this one too.

When it comes down to my horror movies. The slasher usually reigns supreme with the supernatural not too far behind. The Omen ranks at the top with the first Exorcist. What I love about the Omen mostly is the accurate references to the bible. For some reason that always gives me chills. In fact, the Omen is the only one that effects me in that way today.

This classic was blessed by some of the best acting. Everyone was believeable in thier roles. Young Damien(Harvey Stephens) did a terrific job portraying the hellbringer with an innocent face. Plus Gregory Peck and Lee Remick delivered some outstanding performances as well.

The overall atmosphere of this film set the tone for some of the most memorable scenes in horror to me. It was almost as if I can feel the evil in some of the most tense scenes. The priest running to the church is the best example for me. The death scenes even though not very gory. Still have a heavy impact and at that time especially were something really sick.

I can go on and on about what makes this an excellent horror movie. Of course nothing I'm saying is new. But I just want to give my take on where I see this movie. If anybody speaks about great horror movies. The ORIGINAL Omen should always be mentioned. Now the sequels, well that's another story. A horror fans collection is far from complete if they don't have this.

Damien is the son of Satan, the Antichrist who has been switched at birth for the real son who died at birth. The parents have no clue about thier son until his 5th birthday when his nanny dies. Things get creepier when the photographer from the birthday party notices strange details in the pictures which happen to be premonitions/warnings of how the victims were going to die. Once the father and photographer discover this they are go on a mission to destroy the kid before he destroys the world.

I give it 5 stars because it's one of the very few horror movies that actually scared me. Afterwards I couldnt stop thinking about it. It had the perfect atmosphere of fear/dread and managed to get under my skin. In my opinion it still seems to hold up well and have as much of an impact as it did 30 years ago. Definitely in my top 5 horror movies ever. It's timeless.


Special Features: Commentary by the Director
Curse or Coincidence Featurette
Jerry Goldsmith discusses The Omen Score
Still Photo Gallery
Deleted Scene with Commentary
Documentaries 666: The Omen Revealed and The Omen Legacy
Screenwriters Notebook
An Appreciation: Wes Craven on 'The Omen'