COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN: DAY 16-“THE OMEN”

In honor of the witching season, we will profile a new Halloween-centric title every day throughout the month of October.

DAMIEN, LOOK…IT’S ALL FOR YOU.

Article by Adam Mast

THE OMEN (R)-1976

The great Richard Donner is most known for directing the LETHAL WEAPON series and for crafting what I still believe to be the best big screen superhero adaptation of all time, SUPERMAN. What a lot of folks sometimes forget is that Donner is also responsible for one of our all time great horror films.

In THE OMEN,  Robert and Katherine Thorn  (played by veteran actors Gregory Peck and Lee Remick) are informed that their young son is actually the anti-Christ and that he must be killed or the world as we know it will be plunged in to complete and utter darkness. Of course, the happy couple doesn’t believe what they’ve been told, until strange and horrific occurrences–all with their young boy Damien at the center–start happening a little too close to home.

What a movie! Donner treats what might have come across as goofy subject matter in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, with absolute respect. This is some scary shit! An expertly crafted horror epic about every parents’ real worst nightmare.

THE OMEN features a late career performance by the legendary Peck and even towards the end of a truly iconic run, the actor was still at the top of his game. Remick is equally effective as a terrified mom who refuses to believe that her son might actually be the devil.

THE OMEN features a stellar supporting cast including young Harvey Stephens  as Damien and David Warner as a photographer who fears that he may be on Satan’s hit list.

Once again though, the real star here is Richard Donner. As he so skillfully demonstrated with SUPERMAN, Donner treats this subject matter with reverence and respect making for the kind of horror film we rarely see anymore. Props are also in order to David Seltzer for his elegant (and terrifying) screenplay and to Jerry Goldsmith for his unforgettable score. Like THE EXORCIST, THE OMEN is told on an epic scale. This isn’t some tiny, insignificant little throwaway horror film. This a horror picture with real stakes and real, genuine scares.

666 on the forehead, a nanny pledging her devotion, David Warner quite literally losing his head, Damien’s devilish grin as he attends a funeral, etc. There are simply far too many iconic moments in this picture to make mention of here.  Simply put, THE OMEN is one of the greats!

Side note: THE OMEN spawned two underrated sequels (DAMIEN: THE OMEN II, and THE FINAL CONFLICT) and a lousy remake from A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD helmer, John Moore.

COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN

October 15th-“Dawn of the Dead”– Click Here
October 14th- Student Bodies”–Click Here
October 13th-“Habit”–Click Here
October 12th- “The Twilight Zone” – Click Here
October 11th- “Creepshow” – Click Here
October 10th-“Shaun of the Dead“-Click Here
October 9th-“Invasion of the Body Snatchers”– Click Here
October 8th-“The Final Girls”–Click Here
October 7th-“Something Wicked This Way Comes”–Click Here
October 6th- “We Are Still Here”–Click Here
October 5th-“Evil Dead II: Dead By Dawn”–Click Here
October 4th- “Phantom of the Paradise“-Click Here
October 3rd-“Poltergeist“-Click Here
October 2nd-“The Babadook“-Click Here
October 1st-“John Carpenter’s The Thing“-Click Here

About Author

Adam Mast

Adam Mast has been a lifelong film enthusiast dating back to age 6 when his parents took him to see a little movie called JAWS at a drive-in theater in Northern California. This would lead him to several writing stints for various publications and outlets. Mast would also have a hand in several film projects of various shapes and sizes. In 2014, Mast would join forces with colleague John Pugh to create Cinemast.net as a means discuss film from a fan and analytical perspective. Together, Mast and Pugh would also create the 501 (C)(3) nonprofit, Film and Media Alliance of Southern Utah (FMASU) in 2017. FMASU’s mission is to encourage, inspire and educate filmmaking talent and to preserve film history. Adam currently resides in southern Utah with his amazing wife, Tonja, and their four wonderful children.

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