William Friedkin’s The Exorcist would change horror cinema forever. Even today, more than fifty years after its release, the disturbing masterpiece can sow fear and terror – revolutionizing the genre of occult horror. This also led to “The Omen”, the next major representative of the subject, being added just four years after “The Exorcist”.
And like ‘The Exorcist’, ‘The Omen’ would not only become a classic, but one of the best horror films of all time. You have the film from the makers of ‘Superman’ and ‘Lethal Weapon’. Richard Donner haven’t you seen it yet? Then you can catch up with Bayern today, October 27 at 10:45 PM. Alternatively, you can also stream “The Omen” with a Disney+ subscription. Here you can also choose the original English version.
That’s what ‘The Omen’ is about
Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck) and his wife Katherine (Lee Remick) are expecting their first child. But the baby dies during birth. The priests working in a Roman hospital then offer Thorn to instead adopt a child born at the same time, whose mother is believed to have died during childbirth and is said to have no other relatives. After some initial hesitation, Thorn agrees, knowing how terrible it would be for Katherine if she knew about a miscarriage.
Unsuspecting, Katherine is overjoyed about what appears to be their son, whom they together call Damien (Harvey Stephens). But the boy soon turns out to be the Antichrist personified. Terrible things happen in his presence and many of these things cannot be explained by rational considerations. And soon Robert and Katherine also have to fear for their lives, because Damien’s apocalyptic desire seems unstoppable…
A frightening milestone
Fox really hit it big in the mid-1970s with “The Omen.” With a budget of $60 million, which was extremely generous for the time, they didn’t mess around here: alongside Hollywood legends Gregory Peck (Oscar for ‘To Kill the Nightingale’) and Lee Remick (‘The Days of Wine and Roses “) Jerry Goldsmith provided the score (and won an Oscar for it) and Gilbert Taylor (“Star Wars”) provided the camera work.
Of course, the money also went to the equipment. And here too “The Omen” scores with extremely atmospheric sets. Above all, the extremely gruesome cemetery sequence sticks in the memory. Here, Gregory Peck and David Warner investigate the clue that Damien’s mother was likely a jackal. While investigating, they are surrounded by a pack of dogs and “The Omen” suddenly switches from atmospheric horror to an adrenaline-charged fight for survival.
So if you’re in the mood for a horror movie made in the 1970s on the same scale as today’s big-budget blockbuster, then you should definitely watch “The Omen.” Even today, Richard Donner’s masterpiece effortlessly gives you goosebumps all over your body. The same cannot be said about the sequels (there were four and a remake).