Friday, January 26, 2018

THE OMEN (1976)

The Omen Movie Review

Robert Thorn (Hollywood legend Gregory Peck) and his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) are raising their son Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), but don't realize until it's too late their boy is the Antichrist--you'd think the name would be a clue, but I guess not. This 1976 movie is regarded as one of the greatest horror films of all time, and many consider it one of the most overrated horror flicks ever made--I am going to make an argument for both sides, or play Devil's advocate, if you will.

He likes what I did there

Proponents of this being one of the all-time greats will point out the unsettling story, the fact that a legend such as Peck came out of retirement to make the film, the masterful directing of Richard Donner, and these are all fine points, but my favorite things about this movie are the death scenes. Coming spread throughout the film, and starting with the famous hanging suicide, this movie has no shortage of memorable death scenes, and the brutality, without the benefit of a ton of gore, is surprising for its time and widespread release. On the flip side, there is a LOT to sit through to get to these scenes. Before I watched this movie (I had not seen it in many years), I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to watch it with me--she replied "No, it's too seventies for me". I didn't think a lot of it, and didn't ask what she meant by that, but watching this film, and thinking back to other films I've heard her comment on, I think I get it--much of this film plays out like a Hammer film--the English setting, the plodding pace, the questionable dialogue--and one can certainly understand how these elements can turn a viewer off. The movie had the potential to grab you by the throat and not let go, but instead you will find yourself drifting away a bit--shaving about twenty minutes off this one would have done wonders. Is The Omen one of the greatest horror films ever made? No, it's not. Is The Omen a good horror movie that is worth watching? No question. 


The Omen Movie Trailer

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